Rhodes to Symi day trip by speedboat

Then the harbor of Gialos opens up, a bowl of tall houses in ochre and pink climbing from the water. You have 3 hours of free time there: enough for the waterfront, a climb up the old stone steps and a long lunch by the sea. The crew of this operator hands out a free map of Symi just before arrival.

On the way home the boat runs 20 minutes down the coast to Saint George Bay, stops for a 30-minute swim below the cliff, then takes 70 minutes back to Rhodes. Swimming noodles are on board for anyone who wants a float.

Those houses were paid for by the sea. The Municipality of Symi says the island once had the largest sponge-fishing fleet in the whole world, and the captains and merchants of that age built their homes along the water in Gialos. The whole of Chora has since been declared a protected settlement.

Above the harbor, the Kali Strata climbs 500 stone steps to Chorio, the old village around the castle. From the top you look down on the whole bay, and the boats you arrived with look like toys at the quay. It is the view that has made the island famous, and three hours give you time to earn it.

The swim is the other favorite. Guests call the stop at St George's Bay stunning, describe the clear water and say the children's favorite part of the day was swimming there. Several feel that 3 hours on Symi was the right amount of time to look around, eat and shop.

The scores match the words. The trip is rated 4.72 from 3,658 reviews, with 4.8 for transportation, 4.7 for value for money and 4.6 for the guide. One practical tip recurs too: if you want a seat in the shade or upstairs, board early.

May and October are gentler. May averages a high of 23.6 °C and October 24.8 °C, each with just 1 rainy day. The harbor is quieter, the climb is easier, and the water is still warm enough for the swim stop.

In late September and October the boat swaps the order of the day and swims on the way out, before the bay falls into the afternoon shadow of the cliff. Either way, the turquoise water is waiting; only the time of day changes.

The operator is clear about the rules. All its trips need suitable weather as defined by the captain and the Harbor Police, and a trip it cancels is offered on another date or refunded in full. That is the trade-off of any small-boat day in the Aegean, and the reason to book early in your holiday.

Queasy on boats? Pick a low seat in the center, fix your eyes on the skyline and eat lightly beforehand. The fast crossing is short, and most of the day is spent on land or in the water.

The price starts from $69, and what you get for it is listed plainly: 3 hours of free time on Symi, the swim stop at Saint George's Bay, the high-speed boat ride and swimming noodles. Tips are not included.

A hotel transfer is an option at checkout, from hotels in Faliraki, Kalithea, Ixia, Kremasti and Kolymbia. If you drive to Mandraki instead, the operator advises allowing at least one hour extra for parking, which is scarce near the harbor.

From the boat, keep the camera ready as you enter the bay; the first sight of the houses stacked above the water is the moment most people try to catch. The stone clock tower on the waterfront, standing since 1881, makes a good foreground.

At St George's Bay the water does the work. With the sun on it, the color over the pale seabed is extraordinary; once the cliff throws its shadow, the color fades. A waterproof pouch for your phone lets you take pictures from the water too.

Wear shoes with grip for the old stone steps, and put your swimsuit on under your clothes so the 30-minute swim stop is all swimming. A towel, a bottle of water and a light layer for the fast ride home complete the bag.

Drinks on board are few, and the operator is glad for passengers to carry their own. Lunch is yours to choose on Symi, where the local tiny shrimp is the dish to try. Leave room in the bag for a sponge from the shops on the quay.

The operator suggests the east-coast stops to drivers, since parking near Mandraki is heavily oversubscribed while it is free and plentiful further down the coast. A hotel transfer from Faliraki, Kalithea, Ixia, Kremasti and Kolymbia is the other way to skip the parking hunt.

Read your option's boarding point carefully and arrive in good time. Every passenger gets an open-air seat, and the operator offers special assistance to wheelchair users who tell it in advance.

On the island, a bus called Lakis runs between Gialos, Chorio and Pedi, and another goes to Panormitis Monastery and back. Panormitis, in the far south-west, is the island's great monastery; this day trip does not go there, but a night on Symi gives you time.

For most visitors with one free day in Rhodes, though, the Symi boat trip with its swim stop is the simplest choice: no timetables to match, the return guaranteed and the best bay of the island thrown in.

It is not the trip for everyone. Three hours ashore is enough for the harbor, not for the whole island, and the far beaches and Panormitis Monastery need a longer stay. Note too that the 17:00 Friday night departure skips St George's Bay and returns at 22:00.

If you want the swim for certain, choose a morning departure: the listing's own notes disagree on whether the 15:15 boat swims or only stops for photos. And whatever you book, the sea has the last word, so keep a spare day in case the wind changes the plan.