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.

  Kostas was extremely kind and generous. When we arrived he sat downstairs with us and gave us a thorough overview of local restaurants, bars, and beaches both in Ermoupoli and... read more around the island. He also let us know about the international film festival happening at the time which we had a great time at.

The house was beautiful and clean with two lovely balconies overlooking the city. There was also a shared courtyard which was beautiful. The courtyard also came with a sweet kitty which we loved spending time with.

Overall, a great experience. We would definitely return!

  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!

  We had a great time and Kostas was very helpful with advice on local attractions. We particularly appreciated his help with our luggage and organizing a taxi to the... read more airport.
Our room was very comfortable and tastefully decorated, with panoramic views of the town and harbour. Hope we can come back again sometime.

  Amazing! Can't say that enough. One of the best airbnb's we've stayed on. The view was out of this world, location perfect. The stairs not an issue. Kostas was one... read more of the best hosts we've had - answered all questions fast, very sweet and attentive. Gave us good tips about the Island. The room it self super cozy. Worth going to Syros just to stay here 🙂

  Elisa and Kostas provide a beautiful space from which to explore the joys of Syros

The attention to details to make your stay comfortable and welcoming is a... read more relief to the weary traveller

Thank you for your hospitality

Julia

  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!

  When traveling to a place as beautiful as Syros, Greece, it can be overwhelming as what to do to get the most out of your visit. Kostas and Elisa immediately... read more made us feel so at home and shared incredible recommendations for food and beaches. The rooms are newly renovated and the views are spectacular! A beautiful five minute walk from the town square, the Villa Maria is in the heart of the breathtaking city of Syros. The views from the room and not to mention the roof top that overlooks the harbor, were unmatched. Wither it be a romantic weekend, corporate trip, or family get away, you will not regret choosing this lovey accommodation.

  This place is amazing! The view is stunning. Kostas is so nice and accommodating. Since nobody was renting the place after us, he let us stay as late as we... read more needed. He was very helpful with local tips. I can’t recommend this place enough. It was really a great stay. Thank you!!

  Syros was our second stop on our island hopping journey and it was perfect to offset everything of Mykonos. Villa Maria was a beautifully up kept building with a lot... read more of "old work charm" just like the description says. Kostas was awesome and provided easy directions for meeting him when we arrived off of our ferry. He gives great recommendations for foods and activities as well! It does require a little jaunt up a few flights of stairs through the town but once there it's a perfect getaway.

  Great place to stay in Ermopouli, close to town square and all amenities including port but at the same time being very peaceful and quiet. Great aircon. A comfortable bed... read more and pillows and nice spacious shower room. The host made everything very easy.
Would stay again if in Ermopouli for sure.

  We very much enjoyed staying in beautiful Villa Maria. Kostas has the best recommendations for food and activities on the Island. Efcharisto!