Photos from the beautiful Symi

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It has been called the jewel of the Dodecanese and not without reason. Symi enchants you from the very first moment the boat approaches the port of Gialos as the traditional mansions spread amphitheatrically up to the top of the castle hill where the largest settlement of the island, Chorio, is located.

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In recent years, Symi has emerged as a very popular destination as it seems that it has begun to take advantage of several of its favourable characteristics to become one of the strong cards of Greek tourism.

But to take things from the beginning, we should say that the most important weapon of Symi is the picturesqueness of the largest settlement of the island, which is divided into two imaginary parts, that of Gialos and Horio.

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The settlement of Gialos, the port of Symi

Gialos is the coastal part of the capital of Symi and is the natural harbour of the island. At the entrance of the harbour, the municipal clock of 1880 dominates the right entrance, while there is also a monument to the surrender of the Dodecanese from the Germans to the Allies during the Second World War.

In addition, you can also visit the remarkable Maritime Museum. Chorio or Ano Symi is the middle and upper part of the settlement dominated by beautiful traditional houses that rise to the top of the hill where the castle and the Great Virgin Mary dominate.

The two settlements are connected to Kali Stratas with its 500 wide steps that require a relatively good physical condition in order to climb them. But it is worth the effort and more as only in this way you will enjoy the picturesque settlement with the old neoclassical buildings and the architecture that has made Symi famous all over the world.

After you reach the central square with the picturesque kiosk, climb a little further uphill and climb to Megali Panagia with the wonderful view of the back side of the village, the beautiful Gialos with its harbour, but also of the entire island and the coast of Asia Minor.

Settlement of Pedi

Apart from the capital of the island, in Symi you should also visit the seaside settlement of Pedi. It is a picturesque fishing village with a few tavernas and some remarkable accommodation proposals. The sea, as in the rest of the island, is crystal clear and is quite protected from the winds as Pedi and its beach are located at the bottom of a long bay.

Another seaside settlement is Niborio , for which construction works are currently being carried out on the road to make access to its beaches easier.

The bay of Panormitis and the famous monastery.

If you go to Symi there are two more things to do and see. The first has to do with visiting the bay of Panormitis with its green waters, the lush surrounding slopes and of course the monastery of the same name, which is the most important in the Dodecanese after that of Agios Ioannis in Patmos.

The monastery is dedicated to Archangel Michael and Father Ierotheos will be there to guide you and tell you the history of the miraculous icons and the charitable activities of the monastery.

Day trip by boat for the tour of Symi

Finally, before you leave Symi it would be a good idea to take a day trip around the island by boat. We went with the boats Poseidon and Triton and swam in the turquoise waters in the shoals of the island of Yalesino, in the bay of Panormitis, to the islet of Seskli where the captains of the boats had prepared 6-7 different well-cooked meals with wine and refreshments and for dessert they had saved a visit to the unique beach of Agios Georgios Dysalonas with the impressive 300-meter vertical rock hanging over the blue waters of the small bay!

I would like to thank Irini, Evangelia from the Municipality of Symi, Makis and Yannis from the boats Triton and Poseidon for their valuable help during my stay in Symi!

text/photos: Yannis Tsouratzis

Map of Symi with the locations of the photos.