It’s Clean Monday, the start of Lent, and we should be talking about seafood and fasting, but let’s talk swimming pools instead. Now and then I pop into some of the Symi-flavoured groups on Facebook just to see what topics are the talk of the day, and then, if they inspire me, I talk about them here. Recently there were questions about boats and ferry timetables not being available, and ‘Will there be a boat to Symi at 5.43 on August the 17th-and-a-quarter?’ and suchlike. The printable answer to which is, ‘Wait and see when the timetables come out.’
Recently, I’ve noticed a few enquiries about swimming pools, not all of which are met with sympathy.
When people ask me if Symi has a place with a pool, I tell them we are surrounded by one, but you have to remember that not everyone feels confident in the sea; even when it’s calm, you can walk in on sand (St Nicholas, Giala, and a small area in Pedi), and you float because it’s so salty. For some, a holiday is all about reclining by a pool, dipping in and out, reading the latest Jackson Marsh (ahem), and now and then wandering over to the bar for another cocktail. Each to his own. If you’re a poolside tourist, then Symi will disappoint because there are very few places with pools. Off the top of my Monday morning head, I can only think of the Old Markets Hotel and Iapetos Village, though I am sure someone told me there was one somewhere else, at a property I’ve never been to… and the Opera House is also building a small pool which will be ready for this summer. Anyway, the point is, yes there are a couple of places with pools, but they are small and because of building regulations, under cover and so, often quite cold, and they probably aren’t what you might be thinking of.
For example. This is a shot of the swimming pool at the Castellum Suites in Rhodes; a typical city hotel kind of pool.
And these are photos I pulled from the internet, from Trip Advisor and A Hotel Life. The first, shows Iapetos, the second, the Old Markets (it was the only photo I could find).
Iapetos
Old Markets
As you can see, there’s a difference.
So, the quick answer to the question, ‘Are there places with swimming pools?’ is yes, but…
What there are more of are beaches, and if you’re okay in the sea, you’ll have a field day. Or rather, a beach day, as long as you don’t mind pebbles, and as long as you are aware of spiky sea urchins (in places).
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