Best things to do in Kato Symi in 2024: Activities and Attractions
Kato Symi is a mountain village on the southern slopes of Mount Dikti, in the Lasithi region of Crete, above the stretch of south coast between Arvi and Myrtos. Kato Symi stands high enough that the Blavaris river, which reaches the sea at Faflagos beach on the coast below, rises here. The village is surrounded by the canyons cut into the southern side of Dikti, and the ancient sanctuary that made the place known sits a short walk above it.
This is walking and climbing country rather than beach country. The nearest sea is around 7 km down the mountain, the gorges nearby are technical routes for equipped canyoners, and the villages on the same slope keep their tavernas open for residents through the year.
Things to do in and around Kato Symi
Five things are within about 9 km of the village, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Walk up to the ancient sanctuary. The Sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite lies 2 km from the village and is the site Kato Symi is known for.
- Descend the Panagia Keralimeniotissa canyon. Also called Kalami I, it runs 4 km away parallel to the Xerofarago gorge and takes its name from the monastery that once stood at its exit. The route covers roughly 600 m with six rappels, the tallest about 15 m, and needs canyoning gear.
- Take on the Lapathos gorge. The Holy Apostles gorge, 4 km away on the southern side of Dikti, runs about 4 km and is a technical canyon that calls for equipment and training, a route for experienced canyoners rather than walkers.
- Visit the Agios Antonios monastery. The monastery stands 5.6 km away at Arvi, on the way down to the coast.
- Drive down to Arvi. The coastal village sits 8.6 km away in a small valley below its own gorge, built on the site of the ancient city of the same name, with greenhouses around it growing bananas and vegetables in the warm climate.
About Kato Symi and the villages around it
Kato Symi belongs to the upland farming country on the Ierapetra-Viannos side of the Lasithi region, not to the resort coast. Kato Symi has a taverna in the village and the ancient sanctuary above it, and the settlements sharing this slope follow the same pattern: small, lived-in year-round, and built around a square.
Two neighbours show what the area is like. Higher up at 540 m stands Riza, 5.6 km away, home to retired residents, animal and bee farmers and returning families from Athens, with a busy square and a tavern-coffee house the local association built. Down towards the provincial road, Gdohia sits at 225 m and 6.7 km away, looking out over the Libyan Sea among olive groves and old stone houses whose chiselled doorframes carry coats of arms marked with the Christian cross. Pirates raided the village often in its history.
The larger settlement of the district is Viannos, 7.5 km away, and Mythoi lies 7.6 km off on the same road.
Beaches near Kato Symi
Five beaches lie between 7 km and 9 km below the village on the Libyan Sea, each at the foot of its own valley.
- Faflagos lies 6.8 km away near Arvi, at the foot of the valley carried by the Blavaris river that rises at Kato Symi. The riverbed is usually dry in summer, and the small community above the beach looks down on a long shore broken by quiet inlets.
- Sidonia, also called Syndonia, Kato Psari or Psari Forada beach, sits 7 km away and is thought to stand on the site of the ancient town of Sidonia. Fishermen and farmers from Kalami, 9 km to the north, settled it.
- Tertsa is 7.2 km away between Myrtos and Psari Forada, in a green valley cut by the Tsounas river, with a freshwater spring in the small gorge the river has made.
- Kalikovrechtis lies 8.2 km away where the Kalikovrechtis stream reaches the sea, between the peaks of Kolechtos and Kako Oros on the boundary between the Heraklion and Lasithi counties. An asphalt road reaches it from Myrtos or Tertsa.
- Arvi sits 8.6 km away and is the largest of the five, in the valley below the Arvi gorge, with the village’s tavernas and rooms behind it.
Getting to Kato Symi
Reach the village on the mountain road that climbs from the Ierapetra-Viannos provincial route, and expect the drive to take longer than the distance implies, because the road winds up the southern face of Dikti. A car is needed here; the nearest larger town is Viannos, 7.5 km away.
Coming from the north of the island means crossing the interior rather than following a coast. Heraklion airport is the nearest, and the route runs south-east through the mountains, so most visitors pick up a car on arrival and drive over.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kato Symi in Crete?
Kato Symi lies on the southern slopes of Mount Dikti in the Lasithi region, inland from the south coast between Arvi and Myrtos, on the Ierapetra-Viannos side of the mountains.
What is Kato Symi known for?
The sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite, 2 km above the village, is what brings visitors here. The village is also the source of the Blavaris river, which runs down the mountain and reaches the sea at Faflagos.
Does Kato Symi have a beach?
Kato Symi is a mountain village with no beach, and 5 lie 7 to 9 km below it. Arvi is the largest and has the most services; Tertsa and Sidonia are the quietest.
Can you walk the gorges near Kato Symi?
Both nearby canyons are technical routes, not walks. Lapathos and Panagia Keralimeniotissa each need canyoning equipment and training, and Panagia includes six rappels with a 15 m drop. Walkers are better served by the Arvi gorge, 5.4 km away.
Is Kato Symi worth staying in?
Kato Symi suits walkers, canyoners and anyone wanting mountain Crete over a resort. The village keeps a taverna, the sanctuary is on the doorstep, and the south coast beaches are a short drive down the slope.
Where Kato Symi is
Best things to do in Kato Symi in 2024 is located at Kato Symi, Crete, Greece. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
