Kostas Stefanou and Elisa Mavropoulou are wonderful people and gracious hosts, and they made our stay at their Villa Maria a sweet, comfortable, intimate, and very warm experience.
Even before... read more we arrived, Kostas’s prompt responses to our email questions revealed how friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive he is. And when we arrived in Syros, his clear directions brought us quickly from the ferry to the main square, where he was waiting with an easy smile and great enthusiasm for our visit.
Ermoupolis spreads out along the port and uphill from it with many pedestrian-only streets and many, many stairs. Kostas guided us along the few streets and up the stone steps to Ydras Street and the bougainvillea-covered entrance to Villa Maria, an old mansion that he and Elisa have beautifully and lovingly restored. After showing us to our room, Kostas sat with us at a table on the second-floor outdoor courtyard and annotated a map of the city and the island, providing what turned out to be fabulous recommendations for places to eat, towns to visit, beaches to swim at, and trails to hike. He is discerning and knows the most special and the best of the best. And Villa Maria is well located, making it very easy to get to any and all of the places of interest in the city, from the opera house to the Vaporia, St. Nicholas to the ferry terminal.
The information and photos on the Villa Maria website accurately describe it and depict the rooms. We loved our stay in Yakinthos (hyacinth). It is one of two rooms—the other is Narkissos (narcissus)—on the second floor that have balconies. The room has high ceilings, and, as the photos reveal, it is very light, spacious, and airy. The bed was comfy and had extra pillows. The balcony offers a commanding, unobstructed 180 degree view out to the port and beyond, where we witnessed dramatic sunrises daily and sat in the early evening with glasses of Assyrtiko to watch the waning colors. On a more mundane note, we were grateful that Yakinthos, unlike many hotel rooms and Airbnbs, had several electrical sockets so we could recharge everything at the same time.
There is a small communal kitchen down the hallway. It has a refrigerator, double burner hot plate, and sink. The kitchen is sufficiently equipped for one to prepare breakfast, lunch, and even a simple dinner. There is cookware, utensils, and in a hall cabinet, glasses, and dishware. It is stocked with bottles of drinking water, coffee, tea, sugar, etc. We shopped for breakfast food on nearby Chiou Street, a charming market street lined with fish, meat, produce, and specialty food markets as well as bakeries, and every morning we had our juice, tea, coffee, and fresh yoghurt outside in the sunny courtyard.
Concerning food, the ground floor of Villa Maria houses a spacious, professional kitchen, where Elisa conducts cooking classes in traditional Greek cuisine. Being foodies who love to cook, we were very interested in what Elisa had to offer. So we met with her at a café to talk about it. She has a winning smile, a bright, energetic, engaging intelligence, a warm personality, and a profound understanding of food in general and traditional dishes from all over Greece. She provided us with a cookbook worth of options for dishes and several sample menus that she could show us how to prepare. Together we put together a menu comprising mezes, salads, sides, a main, and a dessert. We cooked together for most of an afternoon. Not only did she carefully explain what she did and demonstrate how to do it, but also she provided background on ingredients and nutritional value. It was an amazing culinary experience, devoid of food pretension, preciousness, and fussiness; it was surpassed only by the flavors of the various dishes that we had prepared. A truly peak and very personal experience for us. And as a bonus, Elisa provides copies of the recipes.
Ermopoulis is an authentic city. It is not dominated by the tourist industry and has not been scrubbed and polished so as to give every selfie the perfect background. There is impressive architecture and natural beauty, and there is also graffiti, dilapidated buildings, and cats, lots of cats. There is a shipyard and large ships and ferries coming and going and blowing their horns. There is a hustle and bustle of residents going about their daily lives oblivious to tourists. But for us, this is what made the city and Syros a realistic experience, dramatically different from the crowded, “must see” cruise-ship islands. And if one chooses to visit Syros, one could not stay with more generous and welcoming hosts than Kostas and Elisa at their lovely and special Villa Maria.

  The view from the balcony was beautiful. The bed very comfortable and the room and bathroom very clean. There are many steps to go up to the apartment so that... read more might be something to consider if you have mobility issues. Kosta helped with my luggage and that was very appreciated.Communication with Kosta was amazing, always responsive and gave us great recommendations on places to eat and visit. Ordering breakfast (at an extra cost) was an option we didn’t realize until we arrived and we loved it. Thank you.

  Kosta’s quick responses and local tips make staying in this place a great example of what a super host means. The cooking area is amazing but our stay was short... read more so this was under utilized. The outdoor terrace was beautiful but the apartment itself had no views. Please know that you must walk lots of steps from town. But you will be rewarded with a beautiful quiet apartment

  Wonderful spot!

  Very nice room with amazing view on the port from the balcony !

  Spent 4 days with 6 friends, amazing hosts. Living in a house like this is an experience on its own. Plus it is located in the most convenient spot possible.... read more Would recommend 11/10. Thank you Elisa & kostas!

  It’s an absolutely beautiful view of the town! From your room you can literally see everything from the Port to downtown. The location is close to city hall we’re most... read more restaurants and stores are so it’s very convenient. The only problem is that there’s a lot of stairs you have to walk up and down so be prepared! But it’s a beautiful home with a very convenient location!

  Appartamento in posizione perfetta a pochi passi da piazza Miaouli. La scalinata per raggiungerlo non lo rende adattto a chi ha problemi di deambulazione. Per il resto solo note... read more positive. Appartamento molto bello con il "plus" del terrazzino privato sul tetto con vista mare. Accoglienza perfetta e ci sente a casa propria. Avevamo il traghetto il pomeriggio e ci hanno consentito il check out ritardato. Consigliatissimo.

  Εξαιρετική φιλοξενία ..εξαιρετική τοποθεσια στην καρδιά της Ερμούπολης ..όλα ήταν υπέροχα ..μείναμε πολύ ευχαριστημένοι ..εάν επισκεφτούμε ξανά το νησί θα επιλέξουμε πάλι τη Villa Maria!!

  A stunning apartment which mixes the traditional cycladic style of syros and the modernity of it's capital. The host was wonderful, extremely helpful and generous with his effort. He made... read more us feel at home from the moment we met him. I recommend this property to any potential travelers for Syros. It will make your trip all the better.

  This space is amazing and very cozy. Expect to get a stair climbing workout on your commute to and from the villa, however, it is entirely worth it. You will... read more certainly enjoy your stay!

  Beautiful place! Kostas is a perfect host!