poseidon daily excursions

Having just returned from our latest Symi holiday I wanted to add my endorsement to the other excellent reviews for the Poseidon and her crew. We managed several trips this year and found the experience as good as ever. 'Round the Island' with a stop at Panormitis is a must for new visitors - seeing parts of the Symi coastline which are inaccessible by any other means. Swimming off the boat in crystal clear blue water is an unforgettable experience and the BBQ on the tiny island of Sesklia is superb. The trip to St. Emillianos is just as good - plenty of opportunities to swim, lunch at the charming monastery set at the end of a narrow causeway and further swimming stops at various small idyllic bays on the return journey.The Poseidon is a comfortable boat providing plenty of shade if needed and Yiannis and his crew go out of their way to ensure that all their passengers have a good time. In addition to the lavish BBQ the free ouzo and wine (red, white and Retsina) is readily available throughout the trip and coffee and biscuits offered at the last swim stop usually followed by fresh fruit. Beer and soft drinks are also available although these must be paid for and stocks are limited. However, Yiannis has no objection to you bringing your own - you can even put them in the on-board fridge if there is room.

This was a truly enjoyable full day boat trip. Five swimming stops with delicious barbecue on a remote island. The trip was very well organised but would recommend getting on boat early as it can be a bit of a squeeze. Best way to see Symi island on a hot day, especially if there for a short holiday.

A 'round the island trip' is a great way to see the Symi coastline and excellent value at 35 euros. Captain Yiannis is a fantastic host and even though he sails seven days a week for five months of the year he makes each day unique and special, which is quite a skill. There is a board up on the harbour front next to the Poseidon which advertises where the boat will go each day and I think we've probably done most of the different trips, yet always see something different. Some days he will stop at Panormitis, the beautiful monastery, with time to look around the two small museums (folklore and Byzantine) or just have a coffee in the café there. Other days he stops at St Emilianos, the church on a small island with a narrow causeway populated by a goat or two. The snorkelling here is excellent - I saw a huge moray eel, though I confess I was rather afraid and turned and swam rapidly back to the rocks. You will stop at a selection of small bays only accessible by boat, all equally remote and beautiful. We saw great shoals of flying fish in the stretch of sea between Panormitis and Sesklia. Lunch is either at Sesklia Island or St Emilianos, dependant on the trip, and consists of a huge BBQ with delicious BBQ'd chicken and a vast array of salads. There is also ouzo, water and wine on offer and Captian Yiannis' favourite quote - 'no swim - no ouzo' always makes me laugh. The last swim stop is usually St George's bay with it's magnificent rockface sheer to the sea. There is something truly special about swimming from the boat into navy blue water and basking in late afternoon sunlight after a magical day of sea, sun and great company.

Posseidon does trips to various bays around the island, usually setting off at 10:30 & returning around 5-5:30p.m.The trips are different each day & you need to decide where you want to go before booking.There is always a barbie on the beach which is pretty good, usually chicken with a lot of veg, salad, noodles, spaghetti etc plus wine & ouzo.We did the round the island trip last year, with the barbie at Sesklia island, but this year did the one that stops at St Emilianos monastery, as we had not been there before.Once you have paid your 35Euro the wine & food are all free & plentiful.We made 4 stops in total for swimming, but the highlight for us was St Emilianos.All in all a good day out & well worth it.They even remembered us from June 2013

We were a little hesitant about booking this trip ... it was all day and it was €35. How WRONG were we. It was brilliant and well worth the money. The boat is very good, very clean and the Crew could not have been more friendly. The Bays we went into were all stunning, the swimming was amazing, crystal clear blue water! The BBQ Lunch was excellent, they were magicians to produce so much from such a small galley! Every one on the boat was good fun too, there was lots of wine ect but no one over did it, so there were no problems. Had I been in Symi for longer I would have gone again ... it was that much fun!

We decided to take this tour as we wanted to see the whole island. Although we were concerned that the BBQ might not be suitable for vegetarians, we were assured that more food would be available as well as unlimited water. The great thing about this tour is that the majority of the swimming stops are on the other side of the island from where the other day tours go, so you get to see different parts of the island. We stopped at 3 different bays to swim, each with warm, clear blue water as well as caves and inlets to see. After the second stop there was ouzo and wine on offer. Lunch was on the small island just off Symi where there was another swimming opportunity while the crew barbecued some chicken and brought the rest of the food they had prepared from the boat. The spread was great, with potato and greek salads, spaghetti with tomato sauce and a veggie rice dish as well as the chicken and some bread. More wine and water accompanied this and there was more than enough to feed everyone with second helpings with the extras going to the local sheep. The final stop was St Georges bay which is only accessible by sea with steep cliffs surrounding it. All the day boats had left by the time we got there so it wasn't over crowded. A great day out and well worth the money.

This day trip is a truly enjoyable experience and great way to see and enjoy the island if you are not staying for many days. It is well organised by a great group of people who go out of their way to make it a pleasant day. The lunch was delicious with ample food in a great setting. A great way to spend the day, not at all tiring, good value for money ...highly recommended!

Perfect day during our holidays. 35 € per/p ALL in! It was a beautiful day sailing around Simi , visit the monastery and swimming in some tiny creek.The BBQ @ lunch is perfect !The captain Yiannis is very friendly and explain a lot of things about Simy island.

An excellent way to see the island of Symi. Great coves to swim in coupled with a superb BBQ lunch with an assortment of salads and plenty of wine and ouzo. The captain and his crew were utterly professional and made the day.

An absolutely wonderful must for visitors to Symi.The welcome and hospitality of the skipper Jani sets the tone perfectly.Swimming in secluded bays, delicious bbq and picnic, stunning sea views of the island and a perfect way to escape the stifling heat inland.It was so rewarding - I went three times in one week!Don't forget your mask & snorkel - a must for the crystal clear waters.Peter

20 years after my first Round the island trip it is still one of my stand-out memories. And going again this year it was still just as good. How romantic to jump off a boat into the crystal clear Adriatic and swim into a cave? Restored with ouzo and on to the beautiful monastery at Panormitis, then the little island of Seskli for a beautiful and plentiful barbecue lunch and on for a final swim in the spectacular St Georges Bay, before returning to Symi harbour in the late afternoon sun for the best views of the goldern villas on the hillsides. You can't beat this - it really is magical - and still excellent value for money.

we had a lovely day out on Poseidon. visited different beaches, stops for swimming, oozo and wine. barbecue and more wine. got to meet some really nice people.

A most memorable tour....the best host, delicious lunch and sites that you will never forget.....don't miss this tour....great value as well.....

This is a great tour and so much value for money for 35 euros.A wonderful day with great host with food and wine flowing .It was just one of those perfect postcard days.

Trevlig tur och ett ypperligt sätt att se ön på. BBQ vällagad. Många trevliga stopp längs vägen för bad. Mycket prisvärd.