Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Áyios Nikólaos
An exposed fifteen-minute footpath along the south side of Pédhi Bay - simply push
your way through the gate at the end of the quayside, then follow the cairns along the
slope - leads to Áyios Nikólaos , the only all-sand cove on Sými. Also served by regular
taxi-boats in season, this offers sheltered swimming, shady tamarisks, a bar, beach
volleyball and a relaxing taverna.
Áyios Yeóryios Dhyssálona
The first significant bay to interrupt Sými's eastern coastline south of Pédhi is Áyios
Yeóryios Dhyssálona . This spectacular fjord can only be accessed by boat. No path
could find a foothold in the smooth limestone that soars at its inland end. There's no
taverna, and the whole place falls into shade in the early afternoon.
Nanoú
The largest east-coast bay, Nanoú , holds the most popular beach for boat-trippers. A
200m stretch of gravel, sand and small pebbles, with a scenic backdrop of pines, it offers
good snorkelling, and has a decent, seafood-strong taverna . Nanoú isn't on a paved road,
but it is possible to hike down here, from the main trans-island road; see box below.
Marathoúnda
The southernmost taxi-boat stop, Marathoúnda , is a magnificent bay, fringed by a long
beach of coarse pebbles and ideal for tranquil swimming. It's also accessible via a paved
road, which branches off the main road just after it switchbacks down from the island's
central spine towards the monastery at Panormítis. Just back from the beach, the valley
floor is flat enough to support a few fields, as well as goats who regularly stroll along
the waterfront in search of tidbits.
8
HIKING ON SÝMI
Sými has become an extremely popular hiking destination. With midsummer temperatures
high even by Greek-island standards, spring and autumn are much the best seasons to come.
Most trails lead through depopulated and waterless areas, so you need to have good
equipment and provisions, and ideally relevant experience. Lance Chilton's Walks in Sými , sold
locally packaged with his “Walker's Map of Sými”, is a very good investment for all hikers.
Guiding walking tours , from €10 per person, can be arranged through W symidream.com
(Neil Gosling, T 693 64 21 715), W symivisitor.com, or W kalodoukas.gr.
One excellent trail takes three hours (one-way) to cross the island from Yialós to its westernmost
tip, where the tiny monastery of Áyios Emilianós is tethered to the mainland by a slender
causeway. Some of the route lies through forest. Along the way there, you'll pass Sými's oldest
monastery, Taxiárhis Mihaïl Roukouniótis (daily 9-11am & 5-6pm), which holds naïve
eighteenth-century frescoes. For a shorter walk, you can drop down a dirt track from the
monastery to reach small, pebbly Tolí Bay , which holds a summer-only taverna. An eastward trail
over the hilltop from there drops down to Emborió , to complete a potential loop back to Yialós.
Another meaty hike crosses the island from Horió in ninety minutes to scenic Áyios
Vassílios gulf; for the final forty minutes follow a paint-splodge-marked path from the road's
end. Immediately above Lápathos beach here, the little monastery (which has accessible
water) has some interesting frescoes.
The finest frescoes on the island are at hilltop, 1697-vintage Kokkimídhis monastery
(usually open), reached by a steep track off the Panormítis road, where a complete cycle shows
the acts of the Archangel and the risen Christ.
It's also possible to hike all the way from Horió to Nanoú beach (see above) in around three
hours. That leaves you with time for a meal and swim before catching the boat back to Yialós.
Alternatively, as the route leads first, mostly along an ancient footpath, to the chapel at
Panayía Straterí on the main road, you could take a scooter that far and only walk the final
45 minutes from there, through a scenic forested gorge, down to the beach.
 
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