Karl Taylor lifts the lid on sponge diving in Symi, with the help of a friendly local.

It’d been 90 minutes since I’d set off from Rhodes, and I was excited to explore its neighbouring island, Symi. I took a left as soon as I was off the ferry, drawn in by the Neo-Classical mansions that lined the path beside the water and splashed the hillside with colour. Strolling along the harbour, I couldn’t help but notice wicker baskets piled high with natural sponges outside nearly every shop. I’d spotted a few in Rhodes, but this place was packed with them. Keen to find out their story, I headed into one of the shops to ask. I was in luck. The shopkeeper here – who I now knew as Maria – had all the details.

She took me back to the Middle Ages, when locals used to dive down to the seabed for sponges to wash with. Maria explained how the fishermen would free dive to the bottom of the sea – yep, without diving suits or oxygen tanks – to harvest the sponges. They’d jump out of their boat with a heavy stone, called a kabanelopetra, that weighed up to 15 kilograms. Once they’d filled their net bag with sponges – or were running out of breath – they’d tug on a rope to let their minders know they needed pulling back up to the surface.

Business boomed in Symi in the years that followed, with more than 400 boats heading out to collect sea sponges in the early 20th century – more than anywhere else in the world. Then, after World War II, Symi handed over the sponge diving baton to Kalymnos – an island just north of Kos.

Sponge diving may have come to a stop in Symi, but you can still take a piece of the story home with you. The souvenir shops that line the water beside the port sell sponges that’re sourced from Kalymnos. It’s not just body sponges on offer, either – you can pick from sponges to help you with everything from exfoliation to cleaning your car. The best bit? The sponges last for up to 10 years, and they’re a great alternative to synthetic options that contain harmful microplastics.

If you find yourself in Symi and want to know more about the island’s story – and Maria’s not around – take a 20-minute walk to the Symi Nautical Museum. It sits over three levels inside a Neo-Classical house, and it’s filled with diving suits and tools that were used by some of the island’s first sponge divers. Take a taxi if it’s a hot day – the hillside climb to the museum can be tricky if the temps are toasty.