Nanou Bay

Nanou is a bay and beach on the eastern coast of Symi, one of the smaller Dodecanese islands north of Rhodes. It is a wide, cliff-backed bay with clear water and a shore of medium-to-large pebbles, and it has no road access at all — the only ways in are by taxi boat from the harbour at Gialos (Symi Town), a trip of roughly 20 to 30 minutes, or on foot via a coastal trail from the harbour that covers around 8 kilometres and typically takes three-and-a-half to four hours one way.

Large trees along the back of the beach give shade that is rare on this stretch of coast, and a single taverna supplies food, drinks and clean toilets along with sunbeds and umbrellas for hire. The taxi boats that serve Nanou run on a set schedule through the day, with the last return crossing to Gialos usually leaving around 6:30 pm, so visitors without their own boat need to plan around it.

For sailors, Nanou is one of the anchorages you'll visit on a private gulet cruise in Greece, since the bay is only really practical to reach by boat. The snorkelling on its far side, over clear water and rock, is considered among the best on Symi.