Symi Town is the main settlement of Symi, a Dodecanese island set between Rhodes and the Turkish coast. The town divides into two linked parts. Gialos rings the harbour at sea level, and Chorio crowns the hill directly above it. Neoclassical mansions in ochre, pink and pastel rise in tiers around the bay, a legacy … Read more
The Kali Strata is the broad stone stairway that climbs from Gialos, the harbour of Symi, to Chorio, the old town on the hill above. The name means the good steps. Roughly 500 wide treads of stone and marble carry residents and visitors between the two levels of the town. The stairway passes neoclassical mansions, … Read more
Panormitis Monastery is the largest and most revered pilgrimage site on Symi, an island in the Dodecanese. The monastery of the Archangel Michael Panormiti, known in Greek as Moni Taxiarchi Michail Panormiti, stands in a sheltered bay on the southwest coast, about 18 kilometres from Symi Town. Pilgrims sail here to venerate a silver-clad icon … Read more
Pedi is a small fishing village and bay on the east coast of Symi, set about two kilometres from the harbour of Symi Town. The village sits at the mouth of a green valley, the main farming ground of the island, where gardens and orchards spread inland. A sandy and pebble beach lines the head … Read more
Symi sits in the southeastern Aegean, north of Rhodes, and carries no airport of its own. Reaching the harbour at Gialos means travelling first to Rhodes and then boarding a ferry or day-cruise. This guide sets out every route to Symi, from the short Rhodes crossings to the long overnight link from Piraeus. Ferries run … Read more