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The main loop road (to Gallissas, Finikas, Megas Yialos, Vari and back), and the road west to Kini, are good: buses ply the routes hourly in season, and run until late. Elsewhere, expect potholes - especially to the north where the land is barren and high, with few villages. The main route north from Ano Syros has improved and is quite easily negotiable by bike; en route, the village of Mytikas has a decent taverna just off the road. A few kilometres further on the road forks, with the left turn leading, after another left, to the small settlement of Syringas , where there's an interesting cave to explore. Straight on leads to Kambos , from where a path leads down to Lia Beach; the right fork eventually descends to the northeast coast after passing an excellent kafenio, Sgouros , with views across to Tinos. The well-trodden route south offers more tangible and accessible rewards. Closest to the capital, fifteen minutes away by bus, is the twin-beach coastal settlement of KINI . Good accommodation includes the Sunset Hotel (tel 02810/71 211; ?34-58), with the excellent Zalounis taverna just below and, just away from the seafront, the Hotel Elpida (tel 02810/71 224; ?24-58). Dhelfini , just to the north, is also a fine beach. GALISSAS , a few kilometres south, but reached by different buses, has developed along different lines. Fundamentally an agricultural village, it's been taken over since the mid-1980s by backpackers attracted by the island's only campsites - both have good facilities and send minibuses to all boats, but Camping Yianna (tel 02810/42 418) has the advantage over the newer Two Hearts (tel 02810/42 052) of being closer to the sea - and a very pretty beach, more protected than Kini's. This new-found popularity has created a surplus of unaesthetic rooms , which at least makes bargaining possible, and six bona fide hotels, of which the cheapest are O Petros and Semiramis (tel 02810/42 067; both ?34-58), though the Benois (tel 02810/42 833; ?34-72) is decent value, with buffet breakfast included. Among the many eating choices, To Iliovasilema , next to Benois , is an acceptable fish taverna, and Cavos , part of a luxury complex, the Dolphin Beach Hotel (tel 02810/42 924; ?73 and upwards), has great views overlooking the bay. Galissas's identity crisis is exemplified by the proximity of bemused, grazing dairy cattle, a heavy-metal music pub and upmarket handicrafts shops. Still, the people are welcoming, and if you feel the urge to escape, you can rent a scooter, or walk ten minutes past the headland to the nudist beach of Armeos , where there's fresh spring water. Note that buses out are erratically routed; to be sure of making your connection you must wait at the high-road stop, not down by the beach. A pleasant forty-minute walk or a ten-minute bus ride south from Galissas brings you to the more mainstream resort of FINIKAS , purported to have been settled originally by the Phoenicians (although an alternative derivation could be from finikas , meaning "palm tree" in Greek). The beach is narrow and gritty, right next to the road but protected to some extent by a row of tamarisk trees; the pick of the hotels is the Cyclades (tel 02810/42 255; ?43-72), and there is an acceptable restaurant just in front, while the Amaryllis rooms (tel 02810/42 894; ?34-42) are slightly cheaper. The fish taverna O Barpalias on the seafront is recommended. Finikas is separated by a tiny headland from its neighbour POSSIDHONIA (or Delagrazzia), a nicer spot with some idiosyncratically ornate mansions and a bright blue church right on the edge of the village. It's worth walking ten minutes further south, past the naval yacht club and its patrol boat to Agathopes , with a sandy beach and a little islet just offshore. Komito, at the end of the unpaved track leading south from Agathopes, is nothing more than a stony beach fronting an olive grove. Accommodation around Possidhonia ranges from the smart Possidonion hotel (tel 02810/42 100; ?43-72) on the seafront to basic rooms inland, while Meltemi is a good seafood taverna. The road swings east to MEGAS YIALOS , a small resort below a hillside festooned with brightly painted houses. The long, narrow beach is lined with shady trees and there are pedal boats for hire. Of the room set-ups, Mike and Bill's (tel 02810/43 531; ?24-33) is a reasonable deal, and the pricier Alexandra Hotel (tel 02810/42 540; ?43-72), on the bay, enjoys lovely views. VARI is more - though not much more - of a town, with its own small fishing fleet. Beach-goers are in a goldfish bowl, as it were, with tavernas and rooms looming right overhead, but it is the most sheltered of the island's bays, something to remember when the meltemi is up. The Kamelo hotel (tel 02810/61 217; ?43-58) provides the best value and has TV in all the rooms. The adjacent cove of AKHLADHI is far more pleasant and boasts two small good-value hotels, including the Emily (tel 02810/61 400; ?34-58), on the seafront, and has one taverna.
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