Greece Symi a Dodecanese Island

Symi

Two hours by ferry and forty five minutes by hydrofoil from Rhodes Town.

About the Island

Symi (58 sq kIm) is a beautiful island with a long tradition of building caiques, the distinctive Greek fishing boats famous allover Greece. This tradition is supposed to go right back to Glaucus the mythological hero who had the tails and fins of a fish. He kidnapped a princess called Symi from Ialyssos on Rhodes and brought her here. Her descendants were all involved with the sea and we know from the Iliad that tiny Symi sent three ships to Troy.

These ships were under the command of Nereus, a king of Symi who was, we' are told, second only to the' hero Achilles in beauty amongst the Greek warriors fighting in Troy.

The Knights under Grand Master D'Aubusson fortified the Byzantine Castle you can see up in the village. They added the tower from which they would send messages over to Rhodes. The Knights were very taken with the Symiots small swift vessels and the boat yards on the island flourished. The Ottomans too were impressed with these vessels as well as the courage of the fearless sponge divers. They granted the islanders special privileges and throughout the nineteenth century the islanders continued to build the distinctive small fast sailing boats. Between ship building and sponge diving Symi became a wealthy island. This is reflected in the beautiful neo-classical houses you see there today.

By the turn of the century the population of the island numbered some 30,000 people. The island was producing over 500 fishing caiques every year. With the arrival of the Italians this all stopped and by the end of the second world war only some 5,000 people were still living here.

As you arrive

Make sure that you are out on deck when the boat sails into Gialos. The sweeping amphitheater of the harbor is ringed with neoclassical houses, many painted in the distinctive ochre colors of the island. The boats moor to the right of the harbor. Further around, past the clock tower and the post office, is the little bay of Harmi with a boat yard and a swimming area.

If you visit Symi on a day trip from Rhodes the excursion boats are quite happy for you to travel out one day and return on another. Rooms are available for rent and there are two banks, a post office and three travel agents.

At the end of the harbor there's a little bridge that crosses a square. This square has only recently been filled in and was once. a boat yard. At the back is a nautical museum and here you can see how the island has always depended on the sea for its livelihood. There are shops and places to eat and drink around the harbor. Local sponges, herbs from the surrounding hills and spices from Turkey are all for sale.