Wednesday 8th October – Wednesday 15th October 2025
October is a beautiful time to visit Syros, the sun is still shining, the sea is warm and there’s an abundance of locally ripened produce. The land is covered in wild thyme, rosemary and fennel which is crunchy underfoot after the hot summer. It is friendly and unspoilt and has a rich and fascinating culinary tradition.
We are collaborating with Elisa and Kostas, cook and conservationist, to host a cooking class on this special island.
Syros is the former capital of the Cycladic islands. This working island in the Aegean is the perfect place to discover the Greek kitchen. We will be staying in a beautifully renovated neoclassical mansion fifty steps up from the main square. and only a 5 minute walk to Vaporia, the town’s ‘Little Venice’, a lido with a café and crystal clear water for swimming.
The accommodation is over several floors. The balconies and roof terrace of the house overlook the town, the port and the neighbouring islands. There is a built in courtyard with plants, seating and shaded dining areas.
The cooking classes take place in the purpose-built kitchen. Karen and Elisa will share their cooking skills to introduce you to the food of the island. There will be a welcome lunch, four days or evenings with cooking classes and plenty of time to explore the island or enjoy doing nothing too.
€1850 sharing, €2100 single occupancy.
Optional meet-up and escort with Con in Athens from Piraeus onto the ferry for Syros.
7 nights’ accommodation
7 breakfasts
1 welcome lunch
4 cooking classes followed by large lunch or dinner
Yoga each morning on the roof terrace
Sourdough bread-making workshops
Wine with meals
Refreshments, teas coffees, etc
Lots of towels
Airfare, ferry tickets, extra drinks/personal expenses/meals not included in the above
Like most special places Syros takes a little effort to get to. The route is to fly to Athens then take the ferry from Piraeus (the main port of Athens) out to the islands.
Con and I usually use KLM from Cork via Amsterdam and onward to Athens. There are many other options including direct flights from Dublin to Athens.The times of the ferries and flights seldom connect so we spend the night in Piraeus, eat in the local taverna and get the ferry the next morning.
We do the reverse returning as the ferries off the island arrive too late for flights back to Ireland. It’s kind of part of the adventure.The ferry leaves at 7.30 in the morning and arrives in Syros around 11.45 , perfect timing to move in, have lunch and for the holiday to begin.
Con will meet whoever wants to travel with him either in Cork airport or Piraeus. You can of course make your own way to the island.If you are in Piraeus in the evening Con will be happy to escort you to the local taverna, help you with ferry tickets or any other queries.We can recommend hotels that we use which are comfortable and in the neighborhood close to the ferry for the morning.
This trip is for anyone that loves food and is able to climb the fifty steps up to the house, there is no other real access so being able to walk is vital. It’s suitable for couples, friends and especially solo travelers as cooking together and eating together creates great comradery. The last group had such fun that they still keep in touch.
The classes are held in the well equipped kitchen that has an enormous island and are a mix of hands on and demonstration.There will also be plenty of time to wander out and explore.
Contact us or email info@lettercollum.ie for further details