Symi
A little off the beaten track…..but all the better for it! This beautiful gem of an island, Symi is set in sparking sea and is your chance to experience the true romance and tranquility of Greece
North of Rhodes near the Turkish Coast, Symi was once thickly wooded, but it’s now baron and rocky, since the islanders boat building skills led to a huge run on timber!
Income from shipyards, and another specialty, sponge diving, made Symi fabulously wealthy in the 18th and 19th centuries, as shown by the splendid neo-classical mansions which now surround the u-shaped natural harbour of Gialos.
Houses scramble up the hillside (accompanied by a winding track and hundreds of steps) to Symi Town’s other half, Chorio, where there’s an old ruined fortress with spectacular views.
Beaches here are small, many accessible only by boat. A short bus ride east of town is Pedi Bay, the islands only fertile spot, with some sandy stretches, and the tiny village of Emporio to the north has a dark sand beach. Beautiful Symi Town attracts boat loads of day trippers from Rhodes and Kos, who stop en route at circular Parnomos Bay in the South, with a fine beach and the impressive monastery of Archangel Michael, patron saint of sailors, containing wonderful Byzantine frescoes and artefacts.
Nightlife is limited to a few restaurants and tavernas, a handful of bars and two discos. Symi’s not for the ‘party-crowd’, but for those in search of the real Greece, it’s an island to savour.
