Symi Town Highlights

Arriving at Symi feels like stepping into a postcard

Symi Town Gialos

Gialos, the natural harbor and capital of Symi, is truly the heartbeat of the island and one of the most beautiful ports in all of Greece. This is the first view that welcomes you as your boat gently enters the bay—whether you arrive by ferry or on one of our day cruises from Rhodes—and it instantly sets the tone for everything that follows.
Gialos is made for slow exploration. Everything is within easy walking distance, making it perfect for a relaxed seaside stroll from one end to the other. Along the promenade, you can pause in shaded cafés, enjoy a coffee with a view of the masts and colorful houses, or browse small shops filled with local character and island charm.

Pedestrians can walk around Gialos Harbor all along the waterfront

What makes Symi truly special is its rare architectural harmony. It is considered one of the best-preserved neoclassical settlements in Greece, not only because of its beauty, but because the entire harbor is built in a unified style that you simply won’t find anywhere else on this scale.

The port began taking shape in the 15th century, with a compact, amphitheatrical layout of stone houses, narrow passages, and vaulted alleys designed around the sea. By the early 20th century, Gialos had evolved into an elegant blend of European neoclassical design, with clear influences from Aegean tradition and Venetian aesthetics. This unique architectural identity reflects the island’s remarkable prosperity during the 18th century, when Symi was a thriving maritime and sponge-diving center.

Notice the ox-eye. Most of the buildings have a circular opening in the middle of the pediment. It serves as an airway and is also considered to keep the “evil” eye away.

Symi’s Sponge Diving Tradition

For centuries, Symi was closely connected to the sea, and sponge diving became the island’s greatest source of wealth and pride. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Symi developed one of the most important sponge-diving fleets in the Mediterranean, with hundreds of wooden boats sailing as far as North Africa in search of natural sea sponges. Life for the divers was far from easy — long journeys, dangerous depths, and primitive diving equipment made the profession extremely risky.

One of Symi’s most legendary sponge divers, Stathis Hatzis, made history in 1913 by diving to an astonishing depth of 88 meters (288 ft) — and returning to the surface in just 3.5 minutes.

Sponge shops often feel like small museums, displaying original diving suits, traditional equipment, and old photographs from Symi’s sponge-diving era

Yet this thriving trade brought remarkable prosperity to the island and shaped the elegant character of Gialos that visitors admire today. Many of the colorful neoclassical mansions overlooking the harbor were built by wealthy sponge merchants and captains, turning Symi into one of the most prosperous islands in the Dodecanese. Even today, the sponge-diving heritage remains an important part of local identity, and as you walk along the harbor, you will still find traditional sponge shops displaying the island’s most famous natural treasure.