Sea Lines High Speed Symi from Rhodes: Aphrodite Boat and Saint George's Bay Swim

Rhodes Sea Lines

High-Speed Boat to Symi Island & Saint George's Bay

★ 4.7 (4,165) · from $62

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Prices and timetables checked 17 October 2026. This page contains affiliate links.

The sea lines high speed symi trip is the fast way to reach Symi from Rhodes Town: Rhodes Sea Lines runs it on three Aphrodite-class boats with a crossing of about an hour. You pay 62 USD (about €55), get roughly three hours ashore and a half-hour swim in Saint George's Bay. I rate it 4.7/5 by its 4,165+ GetYourGuide reviews.

The detail that changes the decision is the swim stop order. From late September through October the operator moves the Saint George's Bay swim to the outward leg, so you arrive on Symi wet and dry off in town. In other months the listing places it on the way home. Check which order your date gets before you pack.

What is the sea lines high speed symi trip and what do you see?

It is a day excursion from Mandraki Harbour to Symi, a small Dodecanese island with a pastel harbour town, and back with a swim stop in Saint George's Bay. Rhodes Sea Lines pitches it on speed: the hulls cut through chop instead of slamming, which matters on a route that reviewers call windy.

• Rhodes: the boat leaves from Mandraki Harbour, where Rhodes Town's old port meets the walls of the Old Town.
• Symi: the main harbour with neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside, plus tavernas along the waterfront.
• Saint George's Bay: a cliff-backed cove the listing says you can only reach by boat.
• The listing singles out Symi shrimps and a glass of ouzo at a harbour taverna as the local stop-off.

Because you choose the pickup option, you also see a good slice of the east coast road if you take the hotel transfer. The listing names Faliraki, Kalithea, Ixia, Kremasti and Kolymbia as the transfer areas.

Where does it leave from and how do you get there?

The boats sail from Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes Town, unless your chosen option puts you on a coach to another pier. The listing says the meeting point varies by option, so read the voucher after booking.

Driving yourself needs planning. The operator asks drivers to allow an extra hour because Mandraki parking is limited. One reviewer who picked the Faliraki option reports a coach ride to a beach near Amada Colossos and boarding at 10:20 for a 10:00 pickup, then a stop in Rhodes Town to take on more passengers. Those are one traveller's timings, not a timetable.

I could not check a public fare for the Rhodes bus to the old port, so I don't quote one. The old port is also walkable from most Old Town hotels; use the walking route to the harbour link from your own hotel to see the time.

What is the route, hour by hour?

The listing gives the legs in durations: roughly 1 hour sailing out, 3 hours on Symi, 20 minutes sailing, a 30-minute swim, then 70 minutes back. That adds to exactly 6 hours, and the listed 6 to 9 hours stretches with pickup and drop-off time.

Symi harbour and Saint George's Bay, Symi are the two places to save in your map app. I have not estimated walking times on the island because the listing names no specific sights.

Is this high-speed Symi trip worth it versus the other Symi boats?

For a one-day trip where the crossing time matters, it is my pick among the three near-identical Symi listings, but it is not the cheapest. It costs 27 USD more than the cheapest Symi listings, so you pay for a shorter, newer-boat day.

If you want the same Symi day for roughly half the money, I'd look at the Sebeco listing first; if you want a stated return time, the Nautiki Etairia page lists them. Other sea lines high speed symi alternatives sit on the hub page, where all Rhodes boat trips are ranked by trip type, and the island hopping page covers the other islands you can reach.

Rhodes Sea Lines and the Nautiki Etairia listing describe the same Aphrodite boats and the same three departure times, so treat them as two booking routes into very similar days. The listings do not say that one company operates both.

When does it sail and which departure should you pick?

The sea lines high speed symi listing names three departures from Mandraki: 09:00, 11:00 and 15:15. The first two reach Symi before lunch; the 15:15 trip is the odd one because, per the sister listing on the same boats, it swims before Symi and returns at 21:00.

Return times are not printed on this listing, so I took them from the Nautiki Etairia page; ask Rhodes Sea Lines to confirm yours. Each departure includes the Saint George's Bay swim, and the captain can change the route or swim stop for weather.

What is on board and what is included?

On the sea lines high speed symi boat you get a guaranteed open-air seat, swimming noodles for the bay and, if you pick it at checkout, a hotel transfer. There is no meal: lunch on Symi is your own cost.

• Included: round-trip boat, swim noodles, swim stop, about 3 hours on Symi, hotel transfer when selected.
• Not stated: lunch, drinks, snorkel gear, towels. Bring a towel and swimwear.
• Tips: the listing lists tips next to the inclusions without saying who pays; carry some euros.
• Cold deck: reviewers mention windy, loud decks; two say the crew handed out fleece jackets.

When is the best time to go?

June to September gives the hottest and driest days in the data, while November to March has roughly 7 to 14 rainy days a month in the long-term data. The sea was 24.8 °C on 17 October 2026, so a swim is still pleasant.

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) publishes marine forecasts; the Hellenic Coast Guard (hcg.gr) is the authority that can stop sailings in strong winds. The listing does not state a season, so ask the operator whether sailings run in winter.

7 million+ passengers used Rhodes Diagoras Airport in 2025, 2.5% more than in 2024, which is why morning boats fill fast.

What do passengers say?

For the sea lines high speed symi trip, out of 4,165 reviews, the sample I read is positive-only (10 five-star reviews), so I leaned on the review summary and the sub-scores: guide 4.7, transport 4.7, value 4.6.

• Boat: fast, smooth and comfortable (most of the 10 mention it).
• Crew: friendly and attentive (several mention it).
• Time on Symi: "just right" for most; the AI summary says the swim stop feels short.
• Cold: wind on deck means a fleece or sweatshirt (several mention it).

The positive-only sample hides the complaints. The AI summary on GetYourGuide says some travellers want a longer swim, and one reviewer's pickup ran 25 minutes late in traffic.

Who should skip this trip?

Skip the sea lines high speed symi boat if you want a long beach day, a hiking day on Symi, or a relaxed breakfast: three hours ashore is a harbour stroll, not an island tour. Travellers who dislike wind and speed should also look at island hopping alternatives or the slower boats on the Rhodes boat tours hub.

A snorkelling day suits you better if you want to see fish; read the Romantika snorkelling cruise page for that.

How do you book the sea lines high speed symi trip?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 390080, Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Hellenic Coast Guard, Fraport Greece, Open-Meteo, Nager.Date, Frankfurter, sunrise-sunset.org APIs.