Symi belongs to the
Dodecanese islands of
Greece and lies across the Asia Minor coast and just a few nautical miles NorthWest of
Rhodes. Aristocratic and far off the model of mass tourism,
Symi pleasantly surprises its visitors with its plain, aristocratic yet wild beauty. As you glimpse the perfectly formed harbor of
Symi, Gialos, you are confronted with a beautiful picture-postcard Venetian village. Wonderfully well-preserved two and three storey mansions with their facades painted in bright and vivid colors reflect the island's rich past isnce
Symi island was once one of the richest islands with a tradition in sponge diving, ship building and wookd carving.
Symi island's two main settlements are Gialos and Chorio or otherwise known as
Ano Symi. Gialos settlement starts from the portand stretches on the outskirts of the surrounding hills. Its continuation all the way up the hill and around the Old Castle of
Symi is known as
Ano Symi. Take a stroll on the port's central road to admire the Municipal Clock Tower built in 1881, the statue of the young fisherman "Michalaki" by the famous Symiot sculptor C. Valsamis and the historical "Kampsopoulou" building where the surrender of the
Dodecanese islands by the Germans to the Allies was signed. Walking towards the island's central square "Kambos", you will come upon the Monument of the Fallen Soldier, the recently renovated Naval Museum and the church of Ag. Ioannis with its magnificent pebbled yard.
