I'm very good at getting lost when I'm out walking (even in this country) but haven't had too many problems in Symi as a lot of the walks also follow the big red 'blobs' painted on the rocks along the walk. If I think I've wandered off the path I just trace my way back to the last 'blob' and carry on from there.
The only time I seriously got lost on Symi was on the top of the hillside on the Agia Marina to Horio walk which was quite scary for a while as the hillside is very steep and I didn't see how I could possibly get down to the road
. Luckily I managed to find the path eventually and have done the walk since without a problem - though the smelly dead sheep lying across the path last year wasn't very pleasant.
Jean, I'm also going to Plakias at the end of September (27th), where are you staying? Ive done 8 walks out of the Lance Chiltern Walks in Plakias book and the only one I got a bit lost on was the one from Sellia to Finikas Monastery and Souda Bay as I couldn't find the monastery. I did manage to find Souda Bay ok though
. f I'm walking on my own I always make sure I take my mobile phone with me and have a few local numbers in it.