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The small and picturesque island of Symi is the 8th biggest of the Dodecanese group. An island that has many beautiful sights and memories to show, regardless its small expansion.
Most of its 2.500 citizens are up with trades, hotel units, restaurants, transfers and communications while all their activities are affined with tourism. Other sections that the citizens distinguish are in is the agriculture, the stock raising, fishery, shipbuilding, wood carving and furniture manufacturing.
The tour begins at Gialos were we can see pure the physiognomy of this island that it keeps its neoclassical character in architecture and has authentically sealed as "Historically Preservalbe Settlement". The double-bottomed ad triplex houses with the tiled-roofs and the balconies with the austere ironworks have as their characteristic type the color of ochre and the brown shutters. In this scene of Symi island characterizes Rolohi building, constructed in 1881 and in front the campanile of Evaggelistria and the "Pigeon of Peace" statue made by Costas Balsamis.
The two sides of the port are joined with a gorgeous lithic bridge, "kalderimi" and closed to it there is the scenic residence of the Customs. Then you meet Kampos Square where the Hero's Tomb has been created with the bust of the history professor Michael Volonakis.
Our trip continues at Chorio village. Here of much interest are the temples, the valuable holly vessels and the graveled backyards in the big and beautiful churches like Megali Panagia Tou kastrou, Panagia I Charitomeni, Agia Triada, Peiraiotissa, Ai Thanasis, Ai Lefteris, Stavros, Ai Dimitris, Ai Nikolas, Agios Panteleimonas and Ai Giorgis. At Panagia Tou Kastrou Church you can admire the icon of the Second Coming made by the post-Byzantine hagiographer Georgios Clontzas.
The central square of Chorio village has a playground, taverns, stores, coffee shops and it is its center. At this square you can watch many cultural exhibitions at the festivals that take place every summer. Near the Union of the village you can visit Peteinakis House with the characteristic architecture of Symi and the four-bottomed House of Chatziagapitos-Chatziioannou with its famous Hall. Nearby there is Pharmacidis Houses were the Archaeological-Folklore Museum of Symi has been previously hosted.
Of much interest is also Spetsaria, the old municipal pharmacy with the glass pots and the characteristic labels that today operates as the public clinic for the citizens.
Afterwards you can visit Panhormitis Bay. The monastery existing has been developed into a big pile with many green. The existence of this historical abbey since the 15th century has been confirmed by a script of 1460 that was saved there until 1862. The establishment of Panhormitis Abbey has been related with the devotion of the citizens. There you can admire the silver sheathed icon of Michael. In this abbey there have been also found the Spiritual Art Museum and the Folklore Museum. There is also the Library with the post-Byzantine scripts. On summer the abbey is hosting in its cells a big number of holidaymakers offering their comfort at a small value.
Also wonderful is the route between Symi town and Panhormitis village. There we will meet Agios Konstantinos and the thick and lifeblood Cypress Forest and the churches of Panagia I Strateri, Agios Ioannis, Agios Dimitris, Agia Marina tis Neras and the monastery of Megalos Sotiris. At the opposite there is a path that leads at the rock wine-presses.
On summer many boats and sloops begin their daily routes to the wonderful beaches of the island.
Nos is the most famous and Agios Georgios Dysalonas is the most impressive with its characteristic vertical rock of the 300 m. Height. Agios Nicolaos is a sandy beach with trees offering their shade and Nanou is picturesque and cypress-verdant. Marathounta southwards is a narrow bay with limpid waters just like Agios Aimilianos westwards where the land is narrowing creating an islet with a beautiful church. Agios Vasileios is one of the most beautiful shingle beaches inside a big and deep bay surrounded by mountains with rare wild cypresses and eventually we find Nimporeio, the big, marvelous and also with shingles beach only 15 minutes on foot from the port of the island.