Symi

Symi's wealth came from sponge diving and from shipbuilding, and in the nineteenth century it was rich enough to build the tiered amphitheatre of neoclassical houses that makes the harbour so photogenic: pale ochre, cream and blue facades with pediments and shuttered windows, protected now by preservation rules that dictate colours and materials. The upper town, Chorio, is reached by the Kali Strata, a stone stairway of some five hundred steps, and holds a castle site, churches and quieter lanes. On the southern coast the monastery of Panormitis, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, draws pilgrims from across Greece and is the first stop for many day boats. Beaches are pebble coves reached by boat taxi, and the island is dry, steep and largely treeless.

History

In myth Symi was the birthplace of the Charites and took its name from the nymph Syme; in the Iliad it is the realm of King Nireus, the most handsome of the Achaeans after Achilles, and Thucydides records a Spartan victory over an Athenian squadron off the island in January 411 BC. Little is known of it before the Knights of St John took it in 1309, beginning centuries of prosperity on the trade routes of the Dodecanese; the Ottomans, who took it with Rhodes in 1522, let it keep many privileges. Its wealth came from shipbuilding and sponges, at one point from the largest sponge fishing fleet in the world, and the population peaked at about 22,500 in the 19th century, when many of the neoclassical mansions above the harbour were built (Wikipedia, Symi).

What's there

• The harbour tiers - neoclassical mansions stacked around the bay.
• The Kali Strata - the long stone stairway up to Chorio.
• Panormitis monastery - the pilgrimage complex on the southern coast.
• The boat-taxi coves - pebble beaches reached from the harbour.

When to go

May, June, September and October for warm sea and manageable day-trip traffic; midsummer brings heavy heat and crowds from Rhodes between eleven and four, after which the island empties again.

Good to know

Day boats fill the harbour in the middle of the day, so staying overnight is a different experience entirely. There is little flat ground: almost everything involves stairs. Water is shipped in, so it is expensive and used sparingly.

Nearby

Rhodes lies an hour east by fast boat; Tilos and Halki are the neighbouring Dodecanese islands.

Key facts