What’s to do on a Symi holiday?
Just sitting here wondering what to write about and I thought, I know. I’ll make a list of things you can do when on Symi. I’m thinking of people who might be interested in a holiday here but who aren’t sure what to expect. This is not an exhaustive list of course and actually I am only going to walk around the harbour – there is no much more and maybe I will come to that one day soon. Let’s go.
Let’s image that for some strange reason, you have landed at Nos Beach (the boats don’t come in there, but you can hire jet skis and there are other fun watersports activities on offer). Stop for a coffee or sunbathing there on the ‘town beach’ before heading off around the road towards Yialos. This will take you past several restaurants where you can sit out beside the water and watch the boats coming and going. You’ve also walked through the boatyard so you can see traditional boat building at work; and you might have popped up to one of the many churches to admire the buildings and the views. Leave your bags at one of the hotels, some of the apartments or studios, and then admire the 19th century clock tower while watching the big ferry unload its vans, cars, people, luggage, provisions, livestock and visitors.
Moving on, you’re got a variety of bars and shops to stop at, two banks (on this side) and one of Symi’s famous wood oven bakeries to snack at or by fresh bread from. Have a wander around the town square to see the nautical museum, the town hall, the festival stage, clothes shops, household shops, hairdressers and the garden centre before winding your way into the backstreets. Here you have the ‘Symi Cathedral’, St John’s church, and the doctors, dentists, chandlers, travel agents, tavernas, bars, an ouzeria (what’s the singular? Doesn’t matter, there is more than one), fashion shops, souvenir shops, stationers, computer shops, butchers, off license and delicatessen. There you are back on the harbour-front again for a traditional kafeneion and a view of the taxi boats that can take you to any of the beaches later in the day; if you are not going on a bat trip for the day with lunch included.
More wandering leads you to another bank, a couple of pharmacies, more bars and eateries, the taxis and the bus, a lovely walk up the gentle slope of the main road to the village and to the steps of the Kali Strata, the carpenters and boutique hotels. There are plenty of benches to rest on while you admire the views, you can watch the fishermen bring in their catches, occasionally you can see the divers at work freeing anchor chains and you’re also able to find out Symi information from many shops and visitor businesses, holiday companies and so on, before you check out the status of your boat with the harbour authorities.
You might want to leave your children at the new play park, or sit them safely with a homemade ice-cream somewhere while you do your Lotto tickets and then pick them up to take them for a walk up one of the old donkey paths out of the harbour. Or walk up and over to Nimborio for swimming or just to see the ostriches (are they still here or have they been eaten yet?) and to admire the more rural side of things. And then it’s time for lunch, but where? There is almost too much choice.
And so it goes on and we’ve not yet been to Horio, Pedi, Panormitis or into the hinterland where there are load of walks and views. So, if you are thinking of a Symi holiday, rest assured that there will be plenty to do.
