Kali Strata
Stairs to the upper town.
Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burkhard Mücke — CC BY-SA 4.0
Symi Harbour, known as Gialos, is the lower town of the island of Symi in the Dodecanese, about 40 km northwest of Rhodes in a straight line and close to the Datça and Bozburun peninsulas on the facing coast. The island's economy was traditionally built on shipbuilding and sponge diving, and its population peaked at about 22,500 in the 19th century before falling to about 2,600 in 2021; tourism is now its main income. The upper town, called Horio or Ano Symi, climbs up from the harbour, and the well-known Panormitis monastery lies in the south of the island. Neoclassical houses in pink, yellow and blue stack up the slopes around the harbour like an amphitheatre, with triangular pediments and shuttered windows. Boats and ships moor along the waterfront, and shops on the quay still sell natural sponges in baskets. Most visitors come on a day trip by ferry from Rhodes, and some climb the Kali Strata, the long stone stairway to the upper town. The harbour restaurants are known for small fried shrimp; stay a night to see the harbour lit up.
Stairs to the upper town.
On the quay.
The local dish.
Gialos, Symi island, Greece
Yes, by ferry from Rhodes.
Small fried shrimp.