Kini Beach, Syros: The Best Sunset on the Island, the Mermaid Holding the Dead Fisherman, and the Boats to Unreachable Beaches

Greece | Kini | Syros, Cyclades

At the centre of Kini Beach stands a bronze statue in a water fountain. The statue represents a mermaid holding a dead fisherman in her arms — the Panagia Gorgona (Holy Mother the Mermaid), made by the Greek sculptor Giorgos Xenoulis. The engraved plaque reads: “And you, my pure and unknown fisherman, who lives eternally in the depths of magic, know that in my mind you are lovingly embraced with watery softness by the Mermaid and the Virgin Mary.”

The statue is the visual anchor of Kini and the specific cultural object that makes the beach different from every other west-facing sunset beach in the Cyclades. The Cycladic maritime tradition — fishing, sailing, the constant presence of the sea as both livelihood and hazard — is compressed into the single bronze figure at the centre of the promenade.

Kini is a small fishing village of approximately 200 permanent residents, unlike other resorts in Syros, inhabited year-round. It is located about 10 kilometres west of Ermoupoli and is perhaps the most popular resort village on the island. The beach faces west and receives the full evening sun — it has the best view for watching the sunset on the island of Syros.

Getting There: 10km from Ermoupoli, KTEL Bus or Car, 15 Minutes, Parking at the Village Entrance

From Ermoupoli, the drive west to Kini takes approximately 15 minutes on the well-paved road through the island’s terraced interior. The road arrives at the bay and the village is built around it.

By KTEL Syros bus, the direct service from the port of Ermoupoli runs throughout the day in summer. The bus stop is in the centre of the village. Direct buses in high season operate throughout the day to the capital, with the bus stop at the Mermaid Statue in the centre of town, in front of the Blue Harmony Hotel.

By taxi from Ermoupoli, the journey takes approximately 15 minutes and the fare is reasonable. Taxis are available at the port and Miaouli Square.

Parking is at the entrance of the village and along the main road. In July and August, arriving early is the standard advice for the parking spots closest to the beach.

The Beach: Sandy, Organised Right, Municipal Umbrellas Left, Sunbeds €15–20 or Free With Lunch

The beach is sandy throughout — fine sand, shallow entry, clear water. It is organised with sunbeds and umbrellas on the right side, and municipal straw-made umbrellas toward the left. Sunbeds and umbrellas cost approximately €15 to €20, or free if you eat lunch at one of the adjacent restaurants.

Fantastic beach, went nearly every day. Lots of bars and restaurants along the front without booming beach bars. Plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas.

The no-booming-beach-bars quality is the specific thing that separates Kini from the louder beach club format. The promenade restaurants are directly on the sea, the music is background rather than dominant, and the atmosphere is the traditional Cycladic fishing village promenade rather than the designed nightclub beach experience.

The Seatrac motorised sea access ramp for wheelchair users is installed at Kini Beach, making it one of the accessible beaches on Syros alongside Galissas.

The Panagia Gorgona: The Specific Object

The bronze Panagia Gorgona sculpture in the fountain at the beach’s centre is the landmark that every account of Kini includes. The sculptor Giorgos Xenoulis made it as a memorial to the fishermen and sailors who lost their lives at sea — the specific community of Kini residents who engaged in fishing as their primary livelihood for centuries.

There is a tiny chapel of Panagia Gorgona on a rocky outcrop near the beach — sitting right on the rocks, almost touching the sea, with the backdrop of the deep blue Aegean. The chapel name echoes the sculpture name. Both the chapel and the statue use the fusion of the Christian Virgin Mary with the pagan mermaid figure — the specifically Greek theological syncretism that the maritime tradition produced.

The Boats North: Grammata, Aetos, Varvarousa — Inaccessible by Road

From the small pier at Kini harbour, weather permitting, boats make several return trips to a half-dozen beautiful coves and bays on the north coast of Syros that are accessible only from the sea. The principal destinations: Grammata (remote shore with sandy coast, mesmerising turquoise waters, and ancient inscriptions on the cliff face left by sailors), Aetos (remote sandy seashore with clear waters), and Varvarousa (secluded coast with untouched sandy shore and beachside trees).

The boat from Kini is the specific access route for the wilder, less visited north coast — the side of the island that road travel does not reach. The boat excursion is the half-day programme that the beach day enables as an extension.

Lotos Beach (600m South) and Delfini Beach (2km North)

Lotos Beach is 600 metres south of Kini — a smaller, quieter cove accessible on foot in 10 minutes along the coastal path. The quieter alternative for visitors who find the main beach too busy in peak season.

Delfini Beach is 2 kilometres north of Kini — one of Syros’ largest beaches, remote and unspoiled with strong vegetation, partially organised. The walk from Kini to Delfini along the coastal path takes approximately 30 minutes and passes through the characteristic western Syros landscape of rock, scrub, and sea.

The Tiny Aquarium

Kini has a tiny aquarium or marine life centre near the harbour. It is not always open — best to check with a local before going. The aquarium provides context for the marine life visible while swimming and snorkelling in the Kini bay and the surrounding coves.

Ermoupoli: The Neoclassical Capital 10km East

Ermoupoli — the capital of the Cyclades and the most significant neoclassical city in Greece outside Athens — is 10 kilometres east. The Apollo Theatre (a miniature of La Scala), the Miaouli Square designed by Ernst Ziller, and the Vaporia mansion neighbourhood are the specific cultural programme that the Kini beach base enables as an afternoon and evening extension. The drive back from the sunset at Kini to dinner in Ermoupoli is the complete Syros day.

Kini Beach on Syros is the best sunset on the island — the Panagia Gorgona bronze mermaid holding the dead fisherman in the fountain at the beach’s centre, sandy and shallow, no booming beach bars, sunbeds €15–20 or free with lunch, the boat from the pier to the inaccessible north coast coves of Grammata and Aetos, Lotos Beach 600 metres south, and Ermoupoli 10 kilometres east for dinner after the sunset.

Make sure you don’t leave without watching at least one sunset from the beach with a drink in hand.