Ermoupolis is the capital of Syros and of the Cyclades. Located on the eastern side of the island, it is known for its shipyard and important port.The island is mentioned by Homer as ''Syrie''. The name comes from ''Ousyra'' (happy) or ''Sur'' (rock). The first settlers in the history of Syros were the Phoenecians who moved around the Cyclades.

Younger residents of Syros, coming from all over Greece and especially from Chios, Smyrna and Asia Minor, after the Greek revolution of 1821, actively helped in the considerable growth and transformation of the island into an urban center with imposing mansions, neoclassical buildings, Orthodox and Catholic churches, museums and exhibition halls.

The natural landscape of Syros gives the visitor a sense of barren and desolate place. And while this is true as regards the vegetation, since no forests exist, there is no such case about the flora as it is happens to be one of the richest in Europe, compared to its size. The biodiversity of the island is rich with many endemic plant species, such as the orchid Orphus argolica. On the north side of the island a rare geomorphology appears, with limestones and a great refuge for migratory birds. The mount ''Syrigas'' has joined the European network of protected areas Natura 2000.