Symi - Greek Isle with Lovely Town and Uber Awesome Bay for Sailors
Symi - St. George's Bay Is Just for Sailors
Symi (also spelled Simi) is one of the Dodecanese islands in Greece and is located about 25 miles north-northwest of Rhodes. This dry, sunny island only has 2,500 residents, but is very popular with tourists who love its quaint little towns, monasteries, churches, and spectacular beaches. In the busy tourist season, up to 4000 tourists visit the island, all of them arriving by boat since there is no airport.
St. George's Bay, with its white, sandy beach is one of the most dramatic sites on Symi. If the bay looks familiar, it was featured in one of my favorite Gregory Peck movies, "The Guns of Navarone".
St. George's Bay is not accessible via road or foot, but boat taxis or day trip boats encircling Symi also stopover at the bay. I visited Symi via the Diamond Sea catamaran on a G Adventures "Sailing Turkey" adventure between Fethiye and Bodrum. The island is very near the Turkey/Greece border, and our skipper wanted us to see this "uber-awesome" bay. We all agreed it lived up to its hype. The water is clear and shades of blue and green, the beach is white and sandy, and there's even a small chapel tucked into a corner of the beach. High up on the cliff, some brave rock climber painted the Greek flag, so be sure to look for it when you visit.
Since only boats have access to St George's Bay, you won't find any concessions, food, or lounge chairs available. It's perfect for sailors to anchor their boats and swim.
More on Symi
Page 2 >> Symi - St. George's Bay >>
Page 3 >> Symi Town >>
Page 4 >> Symi Town >>
Page 5 >> Symi, Greece >>
Page 6 >> Clock Tower on Symi >>
Symi - St. George's Bay
The water in St. George's Bay on the island of Symi is as gorgeous a blue/green as this photo shows.
Page 3 >> Symi Town >>
Symi Town on the Isle of Symi in Greece
Our skipper did a "sail by" of the town of Symi. We couldn't go ashore since we didn't have the proper paperwork. However, just sailing around the harbor gave us a taste of this cute little town and was enough to make all of us add Symi to our bucket list.
Page 4 >> Symi Town >>
Symi, Greece
I've visited many Greek island towns, and Symi is one of its most scenic. The tiny village sits on a spectacular harbor, and most of its buildings have Neo-Classical pediments, giving the town a very rich look. Although many of the buildings are white, some are pastel in colors while others sport a rich, bright color like purple or red.
Page 5 >> Symi, Greece >>
A second look at the Neo-Classical buildings of Symi. Because of its proximity to Rhodes, the Knights of St. John played an important role in Symi's history. Its location made the island a major stopover before the days of steamships. This role in trade and its lucrative sponge industry led to the island's wealth, which reached its peak in the mid-19th century.
During World War II, Symi was occupied and bombed by both the Allies and the Nazis.
It was returned to Greece in 1947/1948.
Page 6 >> Clock Tower on Symi >>
This clock tower was built around 1880 and sits on the edge of the harbor. It is one of the most photographed buildings in town.
Symi (also spelled Simi) is one of the Dodecanese islands in Greece and is located about 25 miles north-northwest of Rhodes. This dry, sunny island only has 2,500 residents, but is very popular with tourists who love its quaint little towns, monasteries, churches, and spectacular beaches. In the busy tourist season, up to 4000 tourists visit the island, all of them arriving by boat since there is no airport.
St. George's Bay, with its white, sandy beach is one of the most dramatic sites on Symi. If the bay looks familiar, it was featured in one of my favorite Gregory Peck movies, "The Guns of Navarone".
St. George's Bay is not accessible via road or foot, but boat taxis or day trip boats encircling Symi also stopover at the bay. I visited Symi via the Diamond Sea catamaran on a G Adventures "Sailing Turkey" adventure between Fethiye and Bodrum. The island is very near the Turkey/Greece border, and our skipper wanted us to see this "uber-awesome" bay. We all agreed it lived up to its hype. The water is clear and shades of blue and green, the beach is white and sandy, and there's even a small chapel tucked into a corner of the beach. High up on the cliff, some brave rock climber painted the Greek flag, so be sure to look for it when you visit.
Since only boats have access to St George's Bay, you won't find any concessions, food, or lounge chairs available. It's perfect for sailors to anchor their boats and swim.
More on Symi
Page 2 >> Symi - St. George's Bay >>
Page 3 >> Symi Town >>
Page 4 >> Symi Town >>
Page 5 >> Symi, Greece >>
Page 6 >> Clock Tower on Symi >>
Symi - St. George's Bay
The water in St. George's Bay on the island of Symi is as gorgeous a blue/green as this photo shows.
Page 3 >> Symi Town >>
Symi Town on the Isle of Symi in Greece
Our skipper did a "sail by" of the town of Symi. We couldn't go ashore since we didn't have the proper paperwork. However, just sailing around the harbor gave us a taste of this cute little town and was enough to make all of us add Symi to our bucket list.
Page 4 >> Symi Town >>
Symi, Greece
I've visited many Greek island towns, and Symi is one of its most scenic. The tiny village sits on a spectacular harbor, and most of its buildings have Neo-Classical pediments, giving the town a very rich look. Although many of the buildings are white, some are pastel in colors while others sport a rich, bright color like purple or red.
Page 5 >> Symi, Greece >>
A second look at the Neo-Classical buildings of Symi. Because of its proximity to Rhodes, the Knights of St. John played an important role in Symi's history. Its location made the island a major stopover before the days of steamships. This role in trade and its lucrative sponge industry led to the island's wealth, which reached its peak in the mid-19th century.
During World War II, Symi was occupied and bombed by both the Allies and the Nazis.
It was returned to Greece in 1947/1948.
Page 6 >> Clock Tower on Symi >>
This clock tower was built around 1880 and sits on the edge of the harbor. It is one of the most photographed buildings in town.
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