Visiting Symi Island in Greece (What to Do, Where to Stay & How to Get There)
It’s not often that we travel to an island only to visit another, but after hearing all about Symi from locals at coffee shops, restaurants, and even the hotel owner where we stayed in Rhodes, we decided it was worth the visit!
In this post, we share what makes Symi so special – from the best places to stay on the island to where to eat, and of course, the must-see spots around the island.
Whether you’re visiting just as a day trip from Rhodes, like we did, or spending a few nights here, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to experience Symi Island!
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Why you should visit Symi Island in Greece
💙 Quick overview of your trip to Symi 💙
⛵️ How to get to Symi: Book a boat ride from Rhodes town
🏡 Where to stay: We suggest staying in Symi town for the best location
📱 Get a Greek eSIM to avoid connecting to Türkiye’s cell-towers (if you have an EU plan)
✈️ Make sure your travels are insured (for just $2/day)
Symi Island is a small island off the coast of Rhodes and Türkiye that’s a part of the Dodecanese (group of Greek Islands) that we knew nothing about before coming to Rhodes.
Our friends, Brigitte & Jake, had told us we had to go check it out, but other than that, we’d done zero research before going. We just booked a ferry and off we went!
Even though we knew nothing about Symi before coming to Rhodes, we quickly learned that it was worth the day trip from Rhodes to Symi (or longer). The colourful harbour views, laid-back vibe, and turquoise water sold us instantly – and it did not disappoint!
We’re sure you’ll absolutely fall in love with this little island and the narrow, colourful streets that are filled with flowers, delicious restaurants, and cute cats!
This blog post is written with a multi-day visit in mind, but even if you’re just going on a day trip from Rhodes, you can find plenty of useful information and inspiration! 💙
Where to stay on Symi Island
To our surprise, Symi Island is actually a decent-sized island, and you can easily spend a few days here! (We regret not doing that).
As for accommodation, though, you definitely want to pick the right area to stay in to avoid having to walk up 500+ stairs (no kidding) or end up far from the town or any restaurants.
For convenience, we suggest staying in Symi Town, where the harbour is. There are some great options right next to the ferry, but if you’re willing to walk for 5-10 minutes, you will be able to find way more affordable options.
PC: Booking.com
Surprisingly, there are almost no hotels on the island, and the majority of the accommodation is private apartments.
Ritzi Apartment is a great option right next to the harbour with a cute balcony overlooking some of the colourful apartments. There’s no sea view, but you’re just a 2-minute walk away and right next to all the restaurants, cafes, and shops in town.
If you’re travelling light and in good shape, “Vela” Symi Village Residences is well worth the many steps it takes to get there – and the view from the balcony is one of the best on the entire island. If you’re lucky, the host (Giannis) might also come and pick you up at the port!
For a more peaceful getaway, Petridi House is a great option. It’s just 3km from Symi, but you’ll be completely isolated from all the tourists and swap out the noise with a private beach front.
It’s a beautiful vacation home with 3 bedrooms (perfect for a family or big group), and one of the best-rated places of accommodation on the island.
Fun things to do on Symi Island
Get ready to walk some uphill steps around this island! Unless you stay at the harbour, you’ll be in for a nice workout. The best way to explore Symi is simply by walking around!
Go from the harbour area and follow the “Strata steps” to the upper area of town, also known as “Chorio”. There’s a ton of beautiful viewpoints and cafes above the town, as well as the Symi Citadel (the “Symi Village Castle”).
One of the best parts about walking around the city is the surprises that are around every corner. We randomly stumbled upon these blue stairs (Καλή Στράτα) and it was such a nice surprise!
If it’s a pastry shop or a local art studio, it feels like there are so many little hole-in-the-wall places around the town of Symi – a lot of which aren’t even on Google Maps.
Some of the highlights on Symi Island:
- ⛵️ Explore the main harbour and the local shops
- ☕️ Have a coffee at nook coffee shop (right next to the blue stairs)
- ⛪️ “Hike” to Chorio (the upper area of town) along the Strata steps to get some scenic views – you can finish at the Symi Citadel
- 🦐 Have lunch at Taverna Zoe for an amazing meal (try their “Symi Shrimp” if it’s in season) with a great view of Pedi Bay. The staff was so friendly and almost welcomed us with a hug!
- 🏖️ Swim at Nos Beach right near the main town
- 💒 Visit the Monastery of Panormitis (a very famous site on the island). If you don’t want to walk there, you can take this bus for less than €10.
- 🛥️ Book a boat tour around the island, visit hidden coves and snorkel
- 🌅 Watch the sunset from one of the rooftop bars above the town (or catch it from this sunset ebike tour!)
Where to eat & drink on Symi
We were told by multiple locals on Rhodes that we must try the Symi Shrimps. This is one of the main dishes that the island is known for. And while you can get Symi Shrimps in Rhodes, too, they are only fresh if you get them on Symi! So, if you like seafood, it’s an absolute must!
One of the local restaurants we stopped at was Taverna Zoe, and it was delicious! We had the most tasty local food (we had fish cakes since the Symi Shrimp wasn’t in season), the owner was extremely friendly, and there was a great view of Pedi and the bay from where we sat on the rooftop.
The price was surprisingly good and way lower than at some of the other restaurants we saw. For reference, we paid €12 for the fish cakes.
The Secret Garden is another fantastic spot for a bite to eat if you’re already above the harbour in Chorio. If you’re looking for a nice lunch spot close to the Symi Windmills, it’s perfect.
We’re also suckers for a good coffee, so we found nook almost right away as we got off the boat from Rhodes Town. Pavone Cafe is another local gem right at the harbour that has an outdoor seating area with a nice terrace.
In the evening, if you’re up for a little drink, head to AETHERE Symi right by the harbour, where you can enjoy some delicious cocktails on the terrace.
The beauty of this spot is that the island really calms down in the evenings since all the day visitors have left, so you can enjoy your cocktail in the centre without it being too crowded or busy.
If you do plan to stay the night on Symi Island, the next day you can stop by Lefteris Coffee Shop for a nice little breakfast and coffee. You do have to hike up a few minutes from the harbour to get there, but it’s absolutely worth it!
☕️ Do you also love good coffee? Grab our coffee map for just $5 with all the best coffee shops we’ve been to around the world! (We keep adding to it every time we find a new cute spot).
Tips for Visiting Symi Island
One thing we didn’t realize before going to Symi was the amount of stairs you will find on this little island. Between the harbour part of town and Chori (uptown), there is a good bit of walking and stairs, so make sure you wear a good pair of walking shoes!
Personally, I think it’s also nice to bring a little bit of cash, especially for the small coffee shops, tavernas, and little local shops. Nowadays, most of these places do accept cards, but they appreciate it when people pay cash instead.
You’ll want to double-check the weather before going, as your experience on the island is quite weather-dependent!
The best time to visit Symi is between May and October, and then the busiest day of the year on the island is November 8th…
One of the things Symi is known for is the celebration of the Panormitis Monastery, which takes place on November 8th every year. It is by far the busiest day of the year on the island and one of the most holy days as well.
How many days do you need in Symi?
While Symi Island can easily be done as a day trip from Rhodes, if you want to properly enjoy and explore the island, we recommend staying at least 2 nights here!
Most people only come for a day trip, so if you stay the night, you’ll experience the peacefulness and magic of the island without the crowds.
We personally love spending the night in locations that are famous for day trips because you get to experience the location in a way that most other travellers don’t. Browse places to stay here.
If you only have one day and you end up doing Symi Island as a day trip from Rhodes, you’ll still get a chance to see a lot of the island. You’ll get 3-4 hours of free time on the island to walk around and eat lunch, and then you’ll be able to swim in the sea at St George’s Bay before heading back to Rhodes!
Final thoughts on visiting Symi Island
There’s something magical about visiting small islands like Symi. Life here moves more slowly; days start with coffee at one of the local shops (and maybe a delicious Greek pastry), followed by a swim or a stroll through town.
We hope this post gave you a good idea of what Symi is all about and why we think it’s absolutely worth visiting! We honestly think it’s one of our new favourite islands here in Greece, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Feel free to DM us on Instagram @redwhiteadventures or leave a comment below if you have any questions, and we’ll do our best to help you. We hope you have the best time visiting and exploring Symi!
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