Mykonos - Rineia - Syros - October 18-19, 2023 - Updated

We spent the 18th in Mykonos with no organized activities. Chris went back to explore areas of the old town we hadn't walked thru yesterday; most everybody else stayed on the boat relaxing, with some of us playing multiple games of cribbage. After breakfast early on the 19th we pulled out of Mykonos and headed west to the nearby island of Rineia (which is currently uninhabited) which we cruised around and then anchored offshore in a beautiful and isolated cove for the group to swim and play. Rineia is supposedly filled with the bodies of all who died on Delos after the oracle of Delphi declared that no one should be born or die on Delos.

"In ancient times the island was subdued by the tyrant Polycrates of Samos and dedicated to the Delian Apollo. The southern half of the island was the necropolis of Delos. In the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War (426 BCE), the Athenians purified Delos. They removed all the tombs from the island and prohibited any future burials on Delos on religious grounds; the declared it was unlawful henceforth for any living being to be born or die within it, and that every pregnant woman should be carried over to the island of Rheneia in order to deliver." (Wikipedia)

In the 19th and 20th centuries it was used as a quarantine area when there were outbreaks of smallpox and cholera. 

For Sail had a number of water toys which many of our group enjoyed during our morning swim in Rineia's cove.  The two Seabobs proved the most popular...they are considered a "luxury" sea toy varying in price from $10,000 - $18,000 depending on the model.  The Captain told us the ones on the For Sail cost about 15,000 euros each.

Chris with the Seabob

There were also masks, snorkels, fins, water skis, and paddle boards onboard.  

After everyone was finished playing, we pulled up anchor and headed to the island of Syros.

Map of Syros


We docked at the Finikas Marina on the southwest side of the island.

Finikas Marina

We had another delicious creation by Dimitris.

Lunch today

At the advice of the crew, we took a taxi across the island to the town of Ermoupoli (the commercial port). The taxi driver gave us a little tour through the town and then took us up to Ano Syros, the old town built around the very old Catholic cathedral built by the Venetians at the beginning of the 13th century.   We got out at the cathedral and then walked several kilometers back down to the port where we had arranged to meet up again with our taxi driver.  

At the top was the Cathedral of Saint George.



Inside the Cathedral of Saint George

We walked through the very narrow medieval streets with blue doors and innumerable steps heading back to the port.  





We had a nice view of the Anastaseos (Greek Orthodox) church.



And we eventually ended up back in Ermoupoli where the streets flattened out again.


We walked to the town square and city hall where we met up with our taxi driver for our ride back across the island to our docked boat.


City Hall







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