Getting around Symi rests on a short road grid and the sea. The harbour of Gialos, the hill town of Chorio, the bay of Pedi and the southern road to Panormitis form the whole paved network. A local bus and a taxi rank cover these routes, taxi-boats reach the roadless coves, and stone steps link … Read more
Symi is a dry, rocky island of bare limestone hills, low scrub and clear sea in the Dodecanese. The land carries little soil and sparse tree cover, so the nature of the island rests on hardy plants, wild herbs and the animals of the rock. Phrygana, the low scrub of thyme, sage and oregano, covers … Read more
Symi keeps one of the calmest nightlife scenes in the Dodecanese. The island builds its evenings around the harbour of Gialos, not around clubs or beach bars. Waterfront tavernas, ouzeri and a small set of relaxed bars carry the night, set against the lit mansions that ring the bay. This guide covers how a Symi … Read more
Symi carries a history that reaches from Homeric legend to the present island. The small Dodecanese island lies between Rhodes and the Turkish coast, and its rocky harbour has drawn sailors and traders across every age. Its story runs through the ships of Troy, the Dorian settlers, the Rhodian state, Roman and Byzantine rule, the … Read more
Symi keeps its museums in Chorio, the old upper town above the harbour of Gialos. The Archaeological Museum of Symi occupies an old mansion and shows finds from the island and nearby. Its collection runs from antiquity through the age of the Knights. A folklore section and a preserved captain’s mansion display the traditional life … Read more
The Symi Festival is the summer cultural programme of Symi, a small Dodecanese island set between Rhodes and the Turkish coast. The festival runs across the warm months, roughly from July into September, and fills the island’s evenings with free events. Music, theatre, dance, film screenings and art exhibitions make up the core of the … Read more
Small taxi-boats are the main way to reach the beaches of Symi, the Dodecanese island near the Turkish shore. The road network on the island stays short, tied to the port, the upper village and the monastery road. The coves along the east and south coast hold no road or only a rough track. Boats … Read more
Symi builds its food scene around the harbour front of Gialos and the lanes of Chorio. Tavernas, ouzeri, mezedopoleia and fish restaurants line the water and sit under the neoclassical mansions. The signature dish is the tiny Symi shrimp, garides Symis, fried and eaten whole with ouzo. Fresh fish, octopus and seafood fill the menus … Read more
The clock tower and the nautical museum stand together on the Gialos waterfront of Symi. The tower, known as the Roloi, rises at the entrance of the harbour. It is a tall white neoclassical tower, topped by a clock and a statue. The tower dates from the age of the island’s sponge and shipping wealth. … Read more
Agios Vasilios is a remote pebble beach on the southwest coast of Symi, set in a double bay below bare hills. Two coves sit side by side under dry slopes, with grey pebbles along the water and no road to the shore. Walkers reach the bay on old stone paths from Chorio, a route of … Read more