Guide · Harbor and steps

Kali Strata, Symi: the old stone road from the sea to Chorio

Two towns share one name on Symi: Gialos on the water and Chorio on the hill. The Kali Strata on Symi joins them, a wide road of stone steps lined with captains' houses. Here is the walk, what you pass and what waits at the top.

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Editorial team, symiboattrip.comUpdated October 18, 2026Reading time 6 min31 sources

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Quick answer

01What it is: A road of 500 wide stone steps from Gialos up to Chorio.¹
02Its past: Once the island's trade route, lined with mansions.²
03At the top: Chorio, the oldest settlement, around a castle of the 14th century.² ³
04Best light: Sunset, when the light falls on Gialos below.⁴
05No climb?: A bus called Lakis runs between Gialos, Chorio and Pedi.⁵

A town on the shore and the hill

The capital of the island is called Chora, and it comes in two parts. Dodekanisos Seaways describes it as the harbor of Gialos, with its colorful houses, and the picturesque village of Chorio above it.⁶ Most visitors call the whole of it Symi town, and on a day trip it is almost all you will see of the island.

The order of building runs uphill to downhill. The Municipality of Symi explains that Chorio is the oldest core, gathered around the castle for defense, and that once the fear of pirates had passed the village spread down to the sea and formed Gialos, the safe harbor, where the island's captains and merchants made their homes.² ⁷

Today the roles have reversed. Gialos holds almost all of the island's services and banks and is its administrative and tourist center, while Chorio is quieter and lived-in.⁷ The Kali Strata is the old link between them, and walking it is the best way to understand how the island grew.

The walk

From the quay to the castle

Start

The Clock Tower

On the waterfront since 1881.⁸
Then

Michalaki

The statue of a young fisherman on the quay.⁹
The climb

Kali Strata

500 wide steps between the mansions.¹
Above

Chorio

The oldest settlement, around the castle.²
Top

The castle

Built by the Knights of Saint John in the 14th century.³

The Kali Strata, step by step

The municipality describes the Kali Strata as a set of 500 wide steps that connect Gialos with Chorio.¹ Along the way two-story houses stand side by side so closely that they form what it calls a natural wall, and between the mansions you catch views of the blue water and the harbor below.¹

It was never just a staircase. The municipality says the road was once the trade route of Symi, and that the mansions built along it will impress you.² Look at the doorways, the carved stone frames and the pebbled courtyards as you climb; these are the details that made the whole of Chora a protected settlement.¹⁰

Dodekanisos Seaways suggests ending a stroll around the harbor by climbing the 500 stone steps to the upper part of the town, and says the view from the top is best at sunset, when the light falls on Gialos.⁴ On a day trip you will climb in daylight, but the view of the bay is there at any hour.

Two halves

Gialos and Chorio compared

Compare	Gialos	Chorio
Where	On the harbor	On the hill
Age	Built once pirates were gone	The oldest core
Today	Services, banks, tourism	Quieter, lived-in
Landmarks	Clock Tower, Michalaki	Castle, museum, windmills
Getting there	Off the boat	Kali Strata or bus

From the Municipality of Symi and Dodekanisos Seaways.⁷ ² ⁹ ³ ¹¹ ¹² ⁵

Up the hill

Walk, ride the train or take an e-bike

Rhodes: High-Speed Boat to Symi Island & Saint George's Bay

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Day boat and walk

From Rhodes

On Symi: 3 hours
Swim stop: 30 minutes
Price: from $69

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No stairs

Sightseeing train

From Gefyraki

Duration: 1 hour
Driver: English
Price: from $10

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Symi: Guided Tour with E-Bikes (2 hours)

Active

Guided e-bikes

From Gialos

Duration: 2 hours
Via: Windmills, Chorio, Pedi
Price: from $20

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Decision helper

Climb, ride or stay below?

Pick what fits your day

I have good legs and some time I want the history I would rather not climb I want a guided ride I want the sunset view

Climb the steps

500 steps up, then lunch at the harbor.¹

Go to Chorio

Castle and museum at the top.³ ¹¹

Take the bus

Lakis runs to Chorio and Pedi.⁵

The e-bike tour

A 2-hour loop via the windmills and Chorio.

Stay the night

The top of the steps is best at sunset.⁴

You definitely won’t miss “Michalaki”, the statue of a young fisherman, while few meters away you will meet the imposing building of the Clock Tower since 1881 and the Police building.

Dodekanisos SeawaysSource 9

What you pass on the waterfront first

The walk starts at the water. On the quay you find Michalaki, the statue of a young fisherman, and a few steps away the Clock Tower, standing since 1881.⁹ The municipality calls the stone clock the first sight a visitor sees on arrival, standing in the old harbor and visible from any boat.⁸

Behind the waterfront rise the grand houses that give the place its look. The municipality describes how the colors grow bolder on the restored neoclassical houses of Gialos, and links their facades to the island's great period of prosperity in the 19th century.¹³ The town was declared a protected settlement in 1971 by ministerial decision, as a historic site in need of special protection.¹⁴

Much of that prosperity came from the sea floor. Symi once had the largest sponge-fishing fleet in the whole world, and in 1863 the diving suit arrived on the island with a local man, Fotis Mastoridis.¹⁵ ¹⁶ The sponge shops on the quay are the last living trace of that trade.

Map

From the harbors of Rhodes to the bays of Symi

The crossing from Rhodes, the island with its beaches and the monastery in the south, then a close look at the harbor and the steps up to Chorio.

Map of the sea between the north-east coast of Rhodes and the island of Symi — Rhodes to Symi

Map of Symi from Gialos and Pedi in the north to Panormitis in the south — Around the island

Street map of the harbor of Gialos, the Kali Strata steps and the upper village of Chorio — Gialos and Chorio

1
Rhodes town (Mandraki and Kolona)
This site's boat leaves from Mandraki Harbor, and Sebeco Lines' speedboat from Kolona Harbor.
In Google Maps ↗
2
Faliraki
Faliraki Sea Lines picks up from four stops on the beach, the first at 10:00.
In Google Maps ↗
3
Kolymbia
A boarding option for this site's tour and the start of a Kolymbia boat to the island.
In Google Maps ↗
4
Gialos
The harbor of Symi, where SP Cruises' boat ties up; the merchants and captains of the island once lived here.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
5
Chorio
The oldest part of town, gathered around the castle and joined to the harbor by 500 stone steps.²
In Google Maps ↗
6
Nos
An organized beach next to Gialos, with umbrellas and sun beds.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
7
Emporios
The second harbor of the island, with a few houses and a beach with a taverna.¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
8
Pedi
A seaside village 2 km from Chora; taxi boats leave from here for other beaches.¹⁹ ²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
9
Agios Nikolaos
A sandy beach with shallow, clear water and a taverna.²¹
In Google Maps ↗
10
Agia Marina
A small sandy beach facing a rocky islet with a church.²²
In Google Maps ↗
11
St George's Bay
Agios Georgios Dysalonas: a beach below a sheer cliff on the east coast, reached only from the sea.²³
In Google Maps ↗
12
Nanou
A pebble bay with a taverna, reached only from the sea.²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
13
Marathounda
One of the few beaches on the island that you can drive to.²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
14
Panormitis Monastery
The most important religious monument of the island, on the south-west side among cypress and pine.²⁶ ²⁷
In Google Maps ↗
15
Clock Tower
The stone clock of 1881 on the waterfront, the first sight on arrival.⁸
In Google Maps ↗
16
Kali Strata
A set of 500 wide steps between the harbor and Chorio.¹
In Google Maps ↗
17
Castle
Built in the 14th century by the Knights of St. John on the ruins of a Byzantine castle.³
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

For the climb

Wear

Shoes with grip for polished stone
A hat and sun cream
A bottle of water each

Plan

Climb first, eat after
The Lakis bus if your legs say no
Your boat's departure time

Cost calculator

Price your day in the old town

Pick an option and your group size.

Day boat and walkFrom Rhodesfrom $69 Sightseeing train1 hourfrom $10 Guided e-bikes2 hoursfrom $20

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Video

Symi Greece Beautiful Harbor Promenade, Historic Streets And Colorful Houses | Walking Tour In 4K

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Chorio and the castle at the top

At the top of the steps you reach Chorio on Symi, the old village gathered around its castle. Dodekanisos Seaways describes the castle above it, built in the 14th century by the Knights of Saint John on the ruins of a Byzantine castle, with the church of Megali Panagia and remnants of an ancient temple of Athena.³

The Archaeological and Folklore Museum is here too, in a traditional residence in the Lieni quarter.²⁸ The municipality says it was founded in 1961 and that its 5 rooms hold finds from different eras and folk exhibits such as traditional costumes.¹¹ ²⁸ It is the place to put faces and dates to the houses you have just walked past.

Nearby, at a spot called Myloi, stand the remains of windmills that once ground grain and a prehistoric tumulus called the Pontikokastro.¹² From there the view runs over both halves of the town and out to sea, which is the reward for the climb.

Planning the climb on a day trip

On a day boat the climb has to fit your time ashore. This site's boat gives you 3 hours of free time on the island. On the 11:00 boat of Rhodes Sea Lines that means 12:00 to 15:00, with the boat leaving at 15:00 sharp.²⁹ ³⁰ Plan the climb for the start of your visit and lunch for the end.

The steps are wide but long, and the sun on the stone is fierce in summer. Take water, wear shoes with grip and stop on the landings to look back at the bay. You do not need to reach the castle to enjoy the walk; the view from even partway up is the one on the postcards.

If you would rather ride, the bus called Lakis runs between Gialos, Chorio and Pedi.⁵ A sightseeing train leaves from Gefyraki in the town for a ride of 1 hour, and a guided e-bike tour climbs to Chorio as part of a 2-hour loop. The e-bike tour shows you Chorio without the stairs; the train listing does not say whether its route climbs that far.

The harbor at its best

Coming back down, give the Symi harbor a slow loop before you board. Walk around the head of the bay to the far quay, where the crowds from the boats thin out, and look back at the town you have just climbed through. From the water's edge the houses stack up the hill exactly as they do in the photographs.

This is also the place for lunch and shopping. Tavernas line the water, the sponge shops sit along the quay, and the boats moored in the harbor make the foreground for every picture. Leave the main waterfront for the end of your visit, when you no longer need to watch the time on the hill.

If you arrived with Rhodes Sea Lines, the free souvenir map handed out before arrival marks places of interest and a suggested walking route.³¹ Use it to plan the loop: up the steps, along Chorio, back down, and around the water in time for the boat.

Staying overnight in the old town

The climb feels different when you are not racing a boat. Visitors who stay a night can walk the Kali Strata in the evening, when Dodekanisos Seaways says the view from the top is at its finest, with the low sun on Gialos.⁴ Morning brings the other gift: an empty harbor before the day boats come in.

A night also opens the rest of the island. Pedi lies 2 kilometers from Chora by road, with a beach and taxi boats to the bays along the coast.¹⁹ ²⁰ Panormitis, in the far south-west, is reachable by caique or by road from Gialos.²⁷

If you only have the day, the trip this site books is the efficient way to see the town. It leaves Rhodes at 9:00, 11:00 or 15:15, gives 3 hours ashore and adds a swim at Saint George Bay, starting from $69.

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