Symi
Photo: Greece Field Guide
The Verdict
A horseshoe harbour of houses the colour of honey under bare hills — the best-looking port in the Dodecanese, and crowded between ten and four.
Why go
Symi's harbour is one of the sights of Greece: neoclassical houses in ochre and rose climbing both sides of a horseshoe bay, with no cars on the waterfront. It is a sponge-diving island and a boat-building one, and the upper town of Chorio, with its castle above the harbour, is where people lived before the tourists came. The beaches are pebbly coves reached by water taxi, and the walking between the monasteries is dry and severe. Day boats from Rhodes arrive at ten and leave at four, so book a room and take the evenings.
Understand the place
A small Dodecanese island and its harbour town of Gialos, its painted houses rising to the old town of Chorio and a castle above.
The old world
History & archaeology
Towns & villages
Easy to combine with
Logically reachable by transport. Confirm current ferry/flight schedules before booking.
Nearby
Related
Sources
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