Symi island things to do you ask? well, there’s plenty:
- some history, both medieval and related to the second world war
- beaches, beaches and again beaches. Small and secluded, reacheable only by boat, or near the small village of Chorio
- tours that will take you along the coast looking for more or less far away hideout, monasteries and picturesque bays
- a lot of very good greek cuisine, especially fish (although some restaurant are quite expensive)
If we compare the Greek Dodecanese to a lavish lunch, the main dish would certainly be Rhodes, but Symi island could easily be considered the most intriguing plate.
No, you haven’t accidentally clicked on the wrong site, you are not on a cooking blog, you are always on thelazygeographer. If you missed a few pieces, now here’s a little recap.
At the end of October, I had one week free and I caught a cheap flight to Rhodes, the main island of the Greek province of the Dodecanese. One hour of ferry ride from Rhodes there’s the island I’m talking about in this post, the beautiful Symi island.
I want to clarify that I know the culinary metaphor was a bad one and I take responsibility for it. Now let’s go.
Symi island things to do, overture in Do maggiore
What do I have to say about Symi island? without being a sailor, or a sea enthusiast, I can say that Symi is really beautiful and if you plan to spend some time in Rhodes, or some other place nearby, you should try to make an effort to visit this island.
Clarifications are required. Our stay coincided with a period, the end of October, which would be correct to define low season if it were not, in fact, very low season. But there’s a but. There was a large, a very large number of tourists who wandered around the main town. It was October, almost November, but it looked like late June at the worst.
This means that in the high season, July/August, the numbers of tourists must have been quite… important. Now, I am not a fan of the crowds, generally speaking a large number of tourists do not suit my way of traveling. First, because I don’t like to stay near other people like me, second because many tourists, especially on a relatively small island, mean difficulties in booking and very, very high prices. If we spent 55 euros a day for a double room, it is easy to imagine prices that are at least triple in the high season.
The ferry ride from the island of Rhodes (Akandia port) takes about an hour but there are also many boats that organize day trips to Chorio, the main center of Symi (departure in the morning from Mandraki Marina and return in the late afternoon). In my opinion, a daily excursion, although it may be enough to use some sun cream and sunbathe on some of the beautiful and small beaches of the island, is not enough to really appreciate the heart of the island of Symi.
Symi, because size matters
First of all. Symi island is not really, as I have thought and written in some cases, a small island.
It is 65 km2 of mostly mountainous terrain which also includes some islets close to the larger island. The main center is Chorio, the one where there are many restaurants, bars, where ferries leave for Rhodes and you can find boats that make daily tours around the island.
The island of Symi has a population of about 2500 people but, as in all tourist places where “the season” is of considerable importance, the number of inhabitants increases during the summer.
Symi island things to do: a bit of history
On a hill overlooking the city of Chorio, there are ruins of a castle from the medieval period. The castle was used by the knights of San Giovanni, the Ottomans, and even the Italians. To get there on foot there are two main ways: a simple staircase that starts almost from the center of Chorio and another steeper one that starts from the Evi Apartment guest house.
In addition to the castle, you can admire several historical churches\monateries:
- the monastery of the Michael the Archangel in the southern part of the island
- on the hill of Nimborio the chapel of San Giorgio, with the remains of the Pelasgian walls
- The church of San Emiliano, in the north west of the island
- The church of Sant’Atanasio, the one of Our Lady and finally the one of Virgin in the upper part of the town of Chorio.
Near the castle, there are also some old mills and the Pontikokastro, a circular ruin (perhaps a tomb or a commemorative monument) probably dating back to the period of the wars between Sparta and Athens. Unfortunately, news on the Pontikokastro is scarce.
If from the Pontikokastro, where you have a splendid view of the town below, you continue straight for a couple of hundred meters you will arrive at what remains of an old anti-aircraft gun dating back to the Second World War.
Last historical note, in the upper part of the city there is a small archaeological museum, I knew you were dying to know that.
Symi island thigngs to do: historical excursus that you can skip if you want
As the title suggests, the question of the remains of the anti-aircraft gun would not be interesting in themselves if not for a small historical excursus. This is about the Raid on Symi.
This island, like the others of the Italian Dodecanese, was occupied by German troops after the surrender of the Italians on September 8, 1943. In July 1944, a group of about 350 British SAS and Greek special forces organized a raid against the Nazi forces and the Italians (carabinieri) who remained loyal to the Italian Social Republic.
The raid on Symi was a total success, the Italian and German forces were defeated and as a result, after the withdrawal of the Greek and British special forces, the Germans decided to deploy a much greater number of soldiers in the area, soldiers who otherwise would have may have been involved in other war theaters. The Nazis then surrendered to the British at the end of the war (May 8 1945) and the island of Symi was returned to Greece in 1948.
Still, on the subject, it is curious to keep in mind that during our stay on the island the celebrations for the OXI day took place. It’s a Greek national holiday in which the people remember the NO pronounced to the Italian fascist ultimatum in which Greece was asked to let its territory be occupied by Italian troops (1941).
Symi island things to do, the beaches and tours
Also for this island, as for Rhodes and for the village of Lindos, I dare to imagine that the touristically important reason to reach it is linked more to the sea, sun, and beaches than to the remains of anti-aircraft guns and medieval castles. If this is your case then, let’s say that you will be spoiled for choice.
In the small town of Chorio, the port has such clean and clear water that I would not hesitate for a moment to swim, but if you want something more natural you just have to ask. A stone’s throw from the center, next to the Paradise Nos beach restaurant there is in fact the first small beach. Continuing on the road that winds along the coast you will find some other small coves and small bays, where you can go down to the sea (for example Sarah beach).
A little further from the main town, but still reachable on foot with about 30 minutes walk, there is the beach of Emporio, in front of the Giala beach bar (that I highly recommend) and finally that of Nimborio near the remains of the catacombs of the Greek period and to the church of the Archangel Michael.
Scattered along the rugged coast there are also many more sheltered and solitary bays, generally reachable more easily by boat than on foot, by car or by scooter (cars and scooters can be rented on the island, but in high season it’s better to reserve in advance).
Tours generally depart from the port of Chorio, last a day, and cost 30/40 euros (it’s an average) including a lunch based on grilled meat or fish, cooked directly on one of the beaches where you stop. All done in a very Greek way and absolutely delicious.
This is the end folks…of the post about Symi island things to do at least
Symi island was a surprise. I didn’t think I could be so fascinated by a “small” island.
Chorio, with its pastel-colored houses all as beautiful as in a Renoir painting, is postcard beautiful. The food is Greek, so always great, although the restaurants are a bit more expensive than in Rhodes (with the pleasant exception of the Lyris tavern, where we dined all three evenings). The tourist facilities are of an excellent standard and you will be able to find everything the average tourist needs.
The mountains, the landscape still not ruined by a building fever which in some cases, even to Rhodes, has brought wealth but also caused evident damage, the beaches, the crystalline sea with a thousand shades of blue that even just imagining them would be difficult, all this makes Symi island a truly wonderful place to spend your holidays. You will have the opportunity to swim, eat fish, sunbathe and go around looking for traces of the island’s past, whether they are related to the strong religiosity of the islanders, World War II, or medieval
What do you say, see you in Chorio in September 2022?
The post on Symi Island things to do is therefore over, go in peace. For those who have time to waste I leave some links:
- is Bogotà dangerous for a tourist?
- Let’s talk about Nicaragua
- Is Quito Safe?
- What to see in Oslo
- The carnival of Las Tablas and Chitré
