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2026 Travel Guide to Symi Island
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Contents
1. When to visit Symi
One of the nicest things about Symi are the water taxi services to 6 beaches. All but one of these beaches have tavernas which provide sun beds and umbrellas. The water taxis only go to the beaches when the tavernas are operating.
When we went to Symi in late May 2026 we learnt that these beach tavernas had begun opening from mid May. The taverna at Nanou only opened on 26 May, which was our first full day on Symi. The taverna at Marathounda opened on 29 May.
Therefore if you want to use the water taxis on Symi don't visit until late May. It seems that the beach tavernas begin closing from early October and most of them will be closed for the season by mid October.
There is little shade on Symi and hiking would be best in April, May, late September and October. On June 5th 2024 Dr. Michael Mosley died from heat exhaustion when doing a short hike on Symi. There was a heatwave and the temperature was around 40 degrees centigrade.
Most of Symi's visitors come from Rhodes on day boat trips. They arrive at Symi Town from 10.30 and usually leave by 16.00. As a result is Symi Town is very busy between 11.00 and 15.30 and best avoided at this time.
We weren't affected by the boat tours from Rhodes as we were visiting other parts of Symi island during the day. It was very pleasant wandering around Symi Town in the early morning and from the late afternoon.
2. Ferries to and from Symi
In peak season there are ferries almost every hour between Rhodes Town and Symi and the sailing time is 1 hour 20 minutes.
There are daily ferries to the touristy island of Kos. We took a ferry from Symi to Nisyros and in late May there were only 2 ferries a week. In peak season there are ferries to Nisyros about 5 days a week. The port for large ferries is about a 15 minute walk east of Symi Town.
3. Bus & Taxi Service on Symi
There are 2 bus services on Symi:
An hourly bus between Symi Town and Pedi, via Chorio. The one way fare is EUR 2.50.
A thrice daily bus between Symi Town and Panormitis Monastery. This bus service isn't convenient for visiting the monastery as you would have to stay there at least 3 hours.
The bus stand is on the eastern side of the harbour past the Taverna O Harris restaurant. The taxi stand is next to the Taverna O Harris restaurant.
4. Water Taxi Services on Symi
It is not necessary to hire a car or scooter on Symi as most places can be accessed by the excellent water taxi service and bus service. The water taxis are a fun way of exploring Symi and go to Agia Marina, Agios Nikolaos, Agios Georgios Dysalona, Nanou, Marathounda and Nimbirio.
The water taxis operate from mid May to mid October but only go to beaches that have an open taverna. The tavernas at Nanou and Marathounda open in late May whereas the tavernas at the other beaches open in mid May. Opening dates depend on the weather and number of tourists on Symi.
The main water taxi operator from Gialos (Symi Town’s harbour) is Loukas-Irine and they have a good reputation. In the off peak season they are the only water taxi in operation except for Paulos-Kostas which services Nimbirio. In the peak season there are other water taxis.
In the off peak season the Loukas-Irene water taxis depart Gialos at 10.00 and 11.00 and mainly return at 14.00 and 16.00. The Nimbirio water taxis also depart Gialos at the same times but return at 16.00 and 17.00. In peak season there are additional departures.
The return fares for the water taxis in 2026 were:
Gialos to Nanou EUR 16
Gialos to Marathounda EUR 18
Gialos to Nimbirio EUR 10
There are tavernas at all the beaches except Agios Georgios Dysalona. The food was generally good and free wi fi was provided. Most of the tavernas charged for sun beds and umbrellas but they were free at Nimbirio and Marathounda if you had a meal there.
There is also a water taxi service from Pedi to Agios Nikolaos and Agia Marina. The cost of a return ticket to Agios Nikolaos is EUR 8.
Poseidon Excursions and Maria Traditional Boat offer daily cruises around Symi island. Both the Poseidon and Maria receive excellent reviews. Their ticket booths are located at Gialos next to the taxi boats' ticket booths. Tickets cost EUR 70 for the Poseidon and EUR 60 for the Maria
The Poseidon and Maria stop at several beaches not serviced by water taxis and provide a barbeque lunch. They leave Gialos at 10.30 and return at 17.00.
5. Accommodation on Symi
We rented the 3 bedroom Symiland Villa through Airbnb for EUR 125 a night. It was in a quiet location yet only a 5 minute walk to the harbour. I highly recommend it.
Our villa was managed by Symi Holidays which is the largest accommodation rental company on Symi. They manage 74 properties and have an office in Symi Town. Symi Holidays is a very well run company and it's worth looking for accommodation on their website. Suitcases can be stored at their office during the day.
6. Symi Town
Symi Town is best avoided between 11.00 and 15.30 as it will be heaving with day visitors from Rhodes. It's an attractive small town and a great place to wander around when there are no day visitors.
The esplanade along the waterfront is the nicest part of Symi Town to walk along. It's possible to continue all the way along the coast to Nimborio.
It's a 20 minute walk along the harbour to Nos beach which is the closest beach to Symi Town. We didn't swim there as the beaches served by the water taxis are better.
7. Nanou Beach
Nanou beach opened for the 2026 season on 26th May which was our first full day on Symi. We took the 30 minute taxi boat ride to Nanou that day and there were only a few other visitors. There isn't a road to Nanou and the taverna is the only building.
There was a EUR 15 charge for 2 sun beds and an umbrella. They were nicely spaced out and we liked the beach. The sea dropped down fairly steeply. There were no goats on the beach but this may because it was only the first day of the season.
The taverna served reasonable food and the owners were friendly. There was free wifi at the taverna and it could be accessed from most of the sun beds.
8. Agios Nikolaos Beach
The taverna at Agios Nikolaos beach opened for the 2026 season in mid May. There is only a taverna at the beach and there is no road access.
Agios Nikolaos beach can be reached by taxi boat from Symi Town, taxi boat from Pedi and by walking. We took the taxi boat from Pedi, after visiting Chorio, and it cost EUR 8 for the return trip. The taxi boat makes the return trip from Agios Nikolaos every hour.
I couldn't walk from Pedi to Agios Nikolaos beach because of a knee injury. From the boat it looked a very pleasant coastal hike and it only takes 20 minutes. There isn't any shade and in the peak summer months it would be very hot.
There weren't many people at Agios Nikolaos in late May but it probably becomes busy in peak season as there are many sun beds. The padded sun beds on the front rows cost EUR 30 a pair and the less luxurious ones further back cost EUR 15 a pair. We used the cheaper sun beds and they were fine.
We liked this beach and the owners of the taverna were very welcoming. Souvlaki and chips cost EUR 15 and a large Greek salad cost EUR 10.
9. Agia Marina
Agia Marina can be reached by taxi boat from Symi Town, taxi boat from Pedi and by walking. It is a 40 minute walk from Pedi and it is on this route that Michael Mosely died from heat exhaustion on 5th June 2024. There is no shade along this route and temperatures reached 40 degrees centigrade on the day he died.
We passed Agia Marina several times on the water taxis but didn't spend any time there. It was busier than the other beaches and had a concrete waterfront. It didn't appeal to us.
10. Agios Georgios Dysalona Beach
We passed Agios Georgios Dysalona beach when taking the water taxis to Nanou and Marathounda. It is in a very scenic location and the water is nice for swimming.
We didn't spend time on this beach as there isn't a taverna or any facilities and the bay is frequented by many private yachts and boat tours. Goats visit this beach and can be aggressive if you have food.
11. Pedi
There didn't seem to be any taxi boats from Symi town to Pedi and most people use the hourly bus service. There is a taxi boat service from Pedi to the beaches at Agia Marina and Agios Nikolaos.
Pedi is a straggling small village with nothing much to see. There's a hotel, couple of tavernas, a small shop and a pleasant beach
The Katsaras taverna at Pedi was open for meals in late May 2026 but sun beds and umbrellas hadn't yet been set up. Two sun beds and an umbrella cost between EUR 20 and EUR 30 depending on the row. The cost includes a fruit platter and a bottle of water.
12. Marathounda Beach
The taverna at Marathounda beach opened for the 2026 summer season on May 29th and it was the last beach taverna on Symi to open. We were leaving Symi in the evening of May 29th and spent the day at Marathounda before taking the ferry to Nisyros.
I thought that Marathounda would be a deserted beach like Nanou. However, there is a road to Marathounda and several other buildings, including a second taverna that hadn't yet opened for the season.
After the taxi boat dropped us off a few other people came to the beach by road. If you have a car or scooter you could combine visiting the nearby Panormitis monastery with Marathounda beach.
We ate at the Mapaooynta taverna and the food and service was good. This taverna receives excellent reviews. There are goats on the beach but they only bothered people who were eating on the beach as the taverna is fenced off.
The taverna provides free sunbeds and umbrellas. The beach was stoney and it's best to use water shoes for swimming. The stones below the water line were a bit slippery but it wasn't a problem.
On the first day of the season the taxi boat left Symi Town at 11.00 and returned from Marathounda at 16.45. The taxi boat operates more frequently in peak season and there is an earlier departure at 10.00 as well. It costs EUR 18 for the return trip.
13. Nimborio
Emporios beach at Nimborio is a 10 minute water taxi ride away from Symi Town. The water taxi costs EUR 10 return and in the off season leaves Symi at 10.00 and 11.00 and returns at 16.00 and 17.00.
Emporios beach is only a 40 minute walk from Symi and we walked back rather than waiting for the taxi boat. There is a very pleasant paved coastal path between Nimborio and Symi Town over easy terrain. It's also possible to do a circular walk by following the little trafficked inland road. Locals recommend this circular walk which is shown on the map below.
There are 2 tavernas at Emporios beach. Taverna Metapontis is on the right when approaching by boat. It has a sizeable area for sun beds and there is shade from trees.
The sun beds and umbrellas are free if you eat at taverna Metapontis. We had lunch there and didn't enjoy the food. However, the ownership of the taverna has recently changed and it is now receiving excellent reviews.
The other taverna is the Amalthea Restaurant which also provides accommodation. Their beach area is much smaller and consists of sun beds located along the little used road. The sun beds may be free when eating or drinking at the restaurant. In May 2026 the Amalthea Restaurant was more popular than Taverna Metapontis and it receives excellent reviews.
Emporios beach isn't as nice as the beaches at Nanou, Marathounda and Ayios Nikolaos but it makes a pleasant outing.
14. Chorio/Ano Symi
Chorio is the upper section of Symi Town and is also known as Ano Symi and Horio. It is connected to Symi's harbour (Gialos) by the Kali Strata steps and the Gialos to Pedi road. Unfortunately I couldn't climb up the Kali Strata's 358 steps due to a knee injury and we took the hourly bus instead.
Reviews of the Kali Strata indicate that it takes about 25 minutes to climb up the steep steps to the popular Kali Strata restaurant. The steps wind around historic houses on the way up. From the Kali Strata restaurant it's an additional 10 minute walk up to the area of the Symi Citadel.
There is more than 1 bus stop at Chorio. The first stop is near the historic windmills but they can only be viewed from the outside. The second bus stop is below the hill that Symi Citadel is situated on. The route to Symi Citadel isn't well signposted but its location is shown on Google maps.
There is very little remaining of the citadel and a church has been built beside it. It's possible to do a short circular walk around the church and citadel. There are excellent views of Symi Town and Chorio on the rear side of the church.
From Chorio it's a 30 minute downhill walk along the road to Pedi. It wouldn't be very pleasant in the heat and we took the bus instead.
I found Gialos far more interesting as Chorio doesn't have a town centre. The windmills look nice from the exterior but can't be entered. There is a very good view of Symi Town from the citadel but not much else to warrant visiting it. I might have been more impressed if I had been able to climb the Kali Strata stairs to Chorio.
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