Ano Meria

North of Ano Syros the island changes. Ano Meria, the upper side, is a high country of farms, dry-stone walls, chapels and goats, with a handful of scattered hamlets and almost no hotels. The village of San Michalis up here gave its name to the island's peppery cow's-milk cheese. Tracks and footpaths lead down to wild bays like Lia and Aetos, and the bay of Grammata, where ancient sailors carved prayers into the rocks, can be reached by boat or on a long walk.