ANO SIROS

Ano Siros town first came under construction on the slopes of San Tzortzis hill during the 8th century and was completed in the 13th century. Even today it preserves many Medieval and Venetian features, which give it a special touch and a unique beauty. Its houses, with their wonderful colours and impressive mansions, built among the "steathia", the narrow little streets with pebbled steps, give the city a unique picturesque and beauty. At its peak, the catholic church of Saint George is dominant, which was built during Medieval times, as is the Capuchins monastery and the Jesuits monastery. The city is split into separate neighborhoods, such as "Piatsa", "Sa-Bastia", "Vornas" and "Skali", where Vamvakaris, who has praised the island, was born. Inside Ano Siros there are historical archives, a Literary Centre, a museum dedicated to Markos Vamvakaris as well as a public library, while among the unique sights are the churches of Agios Nikolaos ton Romeon or Phtochos (Poor), Agios Sevastianos, and Agia Triada. Also worth visiting at Ano Siros is, at a distance of 1 km, the cave of the Sirian philosopher Ferekydes.

ERMOUPOLI

Ermoupoli is the capital of Siros. It was founded in 1824 by refugees, and it took its name in 1826 when it was under the protection of Logios Hermes. It is built amphitheatrically around the port on which the impressive neoclassical buildings of the custom house and the warehouses, signs of the large financial growth the island has known, overlook everything. In the centre of the city, among the narrow streets and stonesteps, the famous Miaoulis' square is dominant, with its statue of the great fighter of the Greek Revolution and tall palmtrees. It is surrounded by most of the public buildings of the island, among which the impressive town hall, built from 1876 to 1881 by the architect, Ziller, stands out. Significant highlights of the city are the impressive mansions, which preserve a lot of the features of traditional architecture, the Literary Centre, which is housed at the "Hellas" Club, the public theatre, Apollon, which is a miniature of Scala di Milano, the famous church of Agios Nikolaos "the rich" at Vaporia, the beautiful neighborhood of the captains and the church of Metamorphosis (Transfiguration). In Ermoupoli, there is also a remarkable Archaeological Museum, in which archaeological finds from all over the Cyclades are on display.

FOINIKAS

Foinikas is a seaside settlement 12 km south-west of Ermoupoli. It is built in front of an amazing sandy beach on a small, fertile valley covered with palmtrees, stubble and greenhouses. The archaeological finds in the area prove that during antiquity there has been a remarkably developed Cycladic civilisation. Today, the area has a great touristic growth and a series of hotels, stores, tavernas and restaurants have been built to serve the large number of tourists every summer.

GALISSAS

Galissas lies 6.5 km south-west of Ermoupoli. It is a beautiful seaside settlement built on an area richly vegetated from garden cultivation, that the historians believe have been inhabited since the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. Lately, the settlement of Galissas, with its famous sandy beach, has known great touristic growth, and big hotel units, camping places, restaurants and tavernas have been built which attract a great number of tourists every year. What is worth visiting in Gallissas is the cave of Agios Stefanos with the small picturesque church of the same name and the chapel of Agia Packou, where it is believed a settlement and a temple dedicated to the goddess "Epikoos" existed in the 6th century BC.

KINI

Kini village lies 9 km west of Ermoupoli and is its port. It is built on a small valley known for its figs and grapes. Its long beach is one of the most crowded tourist centres on the island. It offers a great number of rooms to let, restaurants, picturesque fishtavernas, bars and discos, and it draws many people from all around the island. Inscriptions have been found there from the first Byzantine and Roman periods, which are of great archaeological importance. What is worth visiting at Kini is the monastery of Agia Varvara, which has a workroom for weaving.

VARI

Vari lies 9 km south-east of Ermoupoli. It is a rural settlement of about 1,000 inhabitants, built on a valley full of vines, greenhouses, citrus trees and garden cultivations. It was founded at the end of the 18th century by the rural population of Kastro. It was then that Panagia's church was also built, which overlooks the area. Among the settlement's houses some rural habitations with traditional architecture features stand out, as well as modern hotels and small picturesque fishtavernas and restaurants, since the surrounding beaches attract a great number of tourists every summer. What is worth visiting at Vari is the beautiful Manna region where luxurious cottages are situated.