Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece

Rhodes is an island that hums and bustles as only the most important tourist centres in Greece can. Hotels stretch along the coasts from Rhodes city where sun and sandy beaches create an irresistible lure for sun-starved visitors. The city consists of two distinct parts. The old city surrounded by walls built by the Knights and the new town largely built by the Italians during their occupation of the island. Mandraki harbour was probably used by the Knights to anchor their swift galleys. Here in ancient times the Colossus of Rhodes may have stood - the bronze statue of Helios the sun-god, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Lindos, with its small winding streets between mediaeval houses and the castle perched on a rock summit, is uniquely beautiful.

Where is it?

The Dodecanese islands are located south of Samos and Fourni, east of the Cyclades, east of Asia Minor, and north-east of Crete. The mild winters and refreshing summers give the Dodecanese one of the healthiest climates in the Mediterranean.

The largest island in the group is Rhodes, also known as the island of the Sun.

What to do and see:

Take a walk around the Byzantine walls of Rodos (7th-13th c.), which divided the town into three sections: the acropolis (later the Grand-Masters' Palace), the Collachio and the Burgum (lower town).

The entire island is crammed with sights worth visiting, from the archaeological sites to the fabulous beaches, from the Valley of the Butterflies to the ruins of ancient Rhodes, and the Acropolis of Lindos.