Symi holidays

All Symi holidays should include a visit to at least one of its secluded beaches. One way to reach them is by taxi boat, which are available from Symi harbour and Pedi. Two of the most popular bays in the area are the shingle Agios Georgios and family-friendly Agios Nikolaos.

Food is undoubtedly a highlight of any Symi break, and seafood is naturally the island’s speciality, particularly shrimps. For a simpler meal, look out for spinach pie (spanakopita), chickpeas with dill, and goats’ cheese.

Winters in Symi are mild with December temperatures around 10C and a higher chance of rain.

For culture, the Symi Festival runs from July until September with concerts, dance performances and theatre performances held on the island. The Symi International Film Festival help fill out the final weeks, running in mid-September.

On the southwest coast of Symi, this monastery is one of the island’s most popular sights. Dedicated to the island’s patron saint and protector of sailors, the Archangel Michael, it has an impressive baroque-style bell tower, church and museums.

Look out for notes and offerings in bottles that have been dropped off boats for luck, wall paintings and an icon of the Archangel Michael. In the summer, you can stay at the still-inhabited monastery too.

Beaches

You could spend your entire holiday discovering Symi’s beaches. Agios Georgios is a remote shingle beach offering a place for sun-worshippers to relax. At Agios Nikolaos, meanwhile, you’ll find kid-friendly shallows with a gently sloping shoreline as well as beach bars for the adults.

Marathounda Beach tends to be one of the last stops on water taxi routes and is also accessible by road. Its crystal-clear waters make it an ideal stop for snorkelling.

Chorio

Tackle the 500 steps on the Kali Strata path up to Chorio, the upper part of Symi Town and admire the villas, some crumbling, some pristine, on the way up. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a knockout view over the twinkling harbour, so pack your camera.

There are plenty of places to enjoy a drink or bite to eat at the top too. Keep going to find the ruins of the castle at the top.

Archaeological Museum of Symi

Symi’s small archaeological museum is also in Chorio, in a traditional house in the old part of town.

Expect to see archaeological collections from the Roman and Byzantine eras, as well as traditional clothing and furniture and exhibitions on its folklore.

Wine presses of Symi

Winemaking is an old tradition in Symi, a fact fairly recently discovered when, in the 1990s, presses from the Byzantine era were uncovered all across the island.

From the more than 100 discovered, 11 have been restored in the Kourkouniotis area near the Monastery of Megalos. The presses, made of enormous stones, have been constructed in circular shapes in which the grapes were trampled.