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Symi: Getting Around
Crowning the top of Ano Symi (or Chora) is the Kastro, with medieval walls, a temple, and, not far, the beautiful church of Megali Panagia featuring exquisite icons and frescoes. In the town, there is an interesting museum to explore, a restored mansion open to the public to tour, an old apothecary frozen in time, and around the island are some noteworthy monasteries.
There is a main road that more or less cuts vertically through the center of the island, running from the capital south to the monastery of Panormitis. The monastery, officially known as Taxiarhis Mixhail Panormitis, is one of the most important of the Dodecanese, though not one of the oldest. It dates only to the 18th century, has a couple of small museums, some interesting wall paintings, and an excellent carved iconostasis. It also can accommodate up to 500 religious pilgrims, which it certainly does on its feast days of 6 August and 8 November. There is a small and very lovely beach here, with eating facilities. Northwest from this monastery is another, also dating to the 18th century, though it was built on the foundations of an earlier structure dating to the 13th century. This is the Monastery of Taxiarhis Mixhail Roukouniotis.
Getting about to a variety of beaches is great fun when traveling by caique. Some of the places you can visit include Ai. Emilianos on the west coast; Ai. Vassilios in the southwest; Panormitis at the south; Marathounda, Nanou, and Ai. Georgios Disalonas on the east coast, and the northern islet of Nimos. From the capital of Symi, you can easily walk to the most popular beach of Pedhi, just 2 kilometers east of the town. There is also bus service to this beach, which is a seaside village with accommodation and tavernas. Further east from there is the lovely sand beach of Ai. Nikolaos. Likewise, you can walk west of Chora to the small settlement of Emborio. Bear in mind that Symi is not known for long sandy beaches, but rather for many, many bays with smaller pebble beaches, very clean water, and lots of quiet and privacy.
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