Simi Island is one of the twelve islands of Greece. Travelers who want to come to Simi Island, which is the smallest of these twelve islands, by buying a plane ticket should first arrive in Rhodes or Athens. Those who plan to come by buying a bus ticket should first go to Thessaloniki and from there transfer to Athens by bus. Afterwards, the island can be easily reached by sea. Simi Island has an important place in terms of both culture and sea tourism. You can have a wonderful holiday experience on this island, which is one of the places frequently visited by tourists. While the summer season is quite hot in the region where the Mediterranean climate prevails, the spring and autumn seasons are relatively cooler. Simi Island offers various options to travelers in terms of places to visit. It is important for those who are planning a trip to this island for the first time to have information about how to get there. First of all, let's state that it is not possible to get to this island directly from our country by buying a bus ticket or plane ticket. Travelers who want to go to the island from our country for vacation or sightseeing purposes should first reach Datça or Bodrum and then cross to the island by ferry. If the destination is Rhodes on the ferry trip, you should board the ferry from here again. You can set foot on Simi Island after a pleasant sea voyage. Simi Island is one of the regions that stands out with its historical atmosphere. There are historical and natural beauties that you can visit and see here. It is also extremely important for travelers planning to go to this island from our country to have a Schengen visa. If you do not have a visa, we recommend that you first complete your visa procedures. Standing out as an impressive Greek island in the Aegean Sea, Simi Island is named after the goddess Symi or Syme, known as the goddess of the region in ancient times. There are many popular spots where you can visit and have a wonderful time when you come to the island. Among the spots you can visit when you come to this region are Chorio, Panormitis Monastery, Simi Archaeological Museum, Maritime Museum, Gialos and Simi Island Beaches. By adding these places to your travel plan, you can have a wonderful holiday away from the public eye and discover brand new places in terms of both cultural and nature tours.
Chorio
The first stop on our list of places to visit on Simi Island is the Chorio region, which stands out as the oldest and largest settlement on the island. This region stands out with both its history and green areas. While walking the streets of this region, which hosts a wonderful view of the Aegean Sea, you will come across many stone houses that attract attention with their appearance and various churches that amaze those who see them with their decorations. There is also the Castle of the Knights of St. John, which reflects the traces of the 15th century. Unfortunately, the entirety of this historical castle has not survived to the present day. You only have the chance to see two of the castle's walls. You can capture plenty of historical photographs while visiting this region. We also recommend that you watch the sunset from the port.
Panormitis Monastery
Simi Island is not a region that you can reach directly by purchasing a plane ticket or bus ticket. However, you can easily reach Rhodes by plane and then by ferry. Another worth-seeing spot on Simi Island is the Panormitis Monastery. The monastery is located in the Panormitis region, which bears the same name. Located in the southwestern part of the island, this monastery is also the second largest monastery among the Greek islands. It is estimated that the history of this monastery, located on the coast, dates back to the 15th century. We definitely recommend that you see this monastery, which has an important place among religious structures, up close.
Simi Archaeological Museum
Simi Island is one of the Greek islands that stands out with its cultural riches. One of the places you should definitely visit when you come here is the Simi Archaeological Museum. If you are interested in the field of archaeology and its works, we recommend that you add this museum to your list. It is possible to come across many different archaeological works in this museum, which is located in a mansion in the Chorio region. There are a total of four different exhibition areas in the museum. In this museum, where you will feel completely saturated in terms of history, you can see and examine many historical artifacts from Roman times to Greek times, from folklore works to Byzantine times.
Maritime Museum
The next historical point on our list of places to visit on Simi Island is the Maritime Museum. Located in the Gialos region, this museum is related to maritime, as its name suggests. The island's source of income is sponge hunting. There is an exhibition in this museum that tells about sponge hunting. When you visit this exhibition, you will see many different sponges. You can come across species, diving suits, miniatures of eye-catching fishing ships and learn more about sponge hunting.
Gialos
One of the liveliest and most vibrant areas of Simi Island is the Gialos region. There is also a port in this region that bears the same name as the region. This port has the distinction of being the largest port on the island. When you come to this region, you will be greeted by colorful houses built in the Neoclassical architectural style, cobblestone streets and various food and beverage venues. While walking around these streets, you can also visit the venues and eat and drink something. To see these eye-catching spots up close, you can first come to the Rhodes region by buying a plane ticket or bus ticket and then cross to the island by ferry.
Simi Island Beaches
The last place on our list of places to visit on Simi Island is the Simi Island Beaches, which stand out with their beautiful beaches.
We think that it would be unwise to return without enjoying the sea, sand and sun trio while you are on the island. One of the remarkable beaches of the island is Gialos Beach in the Gialos region. Pedi Beach is located approximately three kilometers west of this beach. Since the sea of this beach consists of pebbles, it is also useful to wear sea shoes. Other prominent beaches are Panormitis, Marathounda, Agia Marina and Nimborio Beaches.
