Rhodes, the island in Greece, beaches, nature, car rental, hotels, pictures and information

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ONE WEEK IN RHODES

Here's my one week in Rhodes, a trip made in month of october 2003. I was there before, 28 years earlier, but not much material was left from that time that I can put on the internet. Like before I stayed in Ixia, a coastal village between the airport and the main town, Rhodos City. Ixia is purely a tourist town with mostly big 5 star deluxe hotels like the Hilton, Rhodos Palace and the Sofitel Capsis. We stayed at the last one, which is the biggest of them all, with two pools, of which one is an enormous lagoon pool, complete with jacuzi and a slide. Since public transport was bad at the end of the season (october) we did everything by taxi, and the only busses we saw the inside from were the two busses that transferred us from and to the airport.
THE ISLAND OF RHODES
Rhodes has plenty of beaches. Not only the stretch of sand on the wescoast with the villages of Trianda and Ixia, but there are also the dotted small beaches of Kalithea, the big sand beach of Faliraki and many more. Rhodes has also got plenty of antiqueties, and one of the most beautiful capitols of all the islands: Rhodes town feels like you have been trown back into time. If you want to do some island hopping in the Dodekanese than Rhodes is also a good choice since it has excellent connections with a lot of the islands including Crete end the northern Aegean islands. You can also select Rhodes if you want to take the ferry to Cyprus, Israel and Egypt. An ideal island to go islandhopping. Rhodes has an attractive mix of beautiful beaches, sightseeing and an unspoiled inland. It is also the sunniest island of Greece, with more than 300 sunny days per year. In the mythology Rhodes is also the island of the sun god Helios. The main tourist area is located on the east coast anywhere between the crown jewels of the island, Rhodes city and the city of Lindos with its akropolis, where a whole row beaches and beaches can be found. The island of Rhodes has a rich history and therefore a large amount of relics from the ancient and other times. Rhodes city, for example, has an antique, a medieval and modern section. It is located on the north side of the island and more than 60% of the population lives here.

Rhodes Town in a nutshell
Within the walls of Rhodes Town lie the remains of the Temple of Aphrodite, which dates from the third century BC. There are also remains of the foundations of the old city wall. The old akropolis lies on the west outside the city walls, where you can find an old stadium, a small theatre and the columns of the Temple of Apollo. The Archaeological Museum, most of the finds are exhibited, including a head of the sun god Helios and the marble statue of a nude bathing Aphrodite from the first century BC. Rhodes has a unique and beautiful medieval centre that is completely walled, and that a number of entry points. It dates from the time of the knights of St John. Within the walls are the castle of the grandmaster, buildings with minarets from the time of Turkish occupation, a beautiful well with images of seahorses and the medieval road of the knights. The old city of Rhodes Town is the best preserved medieval fortification in Europe. At This time the location was a good bariëre against the aspirations of the Turks to occupy the island of Rhodes. After several unsuccessful attacks the city managed to ultimately withstand a siege by 200,000 Turks that lasted 6 months. In the city of Rhodes town there were only 290 knights and 6000 Greek soldiers. The losses dis not lie: 50,000 Turks lost their life against only 2000 Greeks. When the Turks finally broke the outer walls the Greeks is negotiated themselves a way out with the promise that the city would stay intact. Within the walls the largest building is the Palace of the Grandmasters. Unfortunately, the building that you see now is not the original one. The original palace was transformed by the Turks into a prison in 1856 and has exploded. A spark lit several thousand tons of gunpowder of the knights of St John that had been left and forgotten, and this exploded. This was gunpowder in the cellars. The Cathedral of the knights of St Johnn was also destroyed by this explosion. In the thirties the palace was rebuilt and it was intended as a palace for Mussolini. Ipaton Street is the name of the nearby medieval street. The street is paved with cobbles and it has the hostels of the knights on either side. In Rhodes city lived knights of different nationalities and any "language" had its own inn. At the end of the street near the port, was the impressive hospital of the Knights. This hospital is now the Archaeological Museum. Nearby is a church with the Byzantine Museum. A little bit south of the museum is the Socrates Street with its many shops. At the end, the pink Cami Suleymaniye Mosque. Another building from the medieval time lies outside the city walls in the Mandraki harbor (with its two bronze deer). It is the fortress of St. Nicolas. It is near the lighthouse and was intended to protect the port. Here are also the medieval windmills. The largest and least interesting part of Rhodes Town is the so-called "new town". During the Ottoman (Turkish) occupation the Greeks were prohibited to live within the walls. Much was built during the Italian occupation at the beginning of the 20 th century. The buildings were designed with a big emphasis to express that their Italian city of Rhodes Town was now the Dodecanese capital. Today the hotels and bars are dominant. For a more extensive and detailed map of Rhodes Town click here.

Lindos and the akropolis
The main attraction on the island of Rhodes after Rhodes city is the photogenic town of Lindos on its antique akropolis. The Temple of Athenia Lindia is a sanctuary that dates from the Doric time and was built around 348 AD. This sanctuary was famous throughout Greece. As the sanctuary was important, more and more houses were built around it. During the Roman and Byzantine times it was a gradually getting fortificated. The old city down stayed inhabited because the temple was on the hill. Now it is a pleasant village with white houses and streets with cobbles. It is the most important trip-destination of Rhodes. Apart from the akropolis and the remnants of a theater from the 4th century BC in the village there are a number of notable 17th-century town houses and a church with Byzantine frescoes. Many people also believe the many touristshops and two beaches on both sides of the village are very attractive. To the north lies the main beach or village beach where the excursion boats arrive and to the south lies the Bay of st. Paul. Saint Paul, in Rhodes in 43 AD and the legend tells that the bay was formed when the rocks opened to protect the boat of St. Paul against a storm that threatened to let his boat sink.

Other places and sights in Rhodes - the east coast.
Kalithea is located on the east coast of Rhodes just south of Rhodes town. It is accessible by bus or by excursionboats from Rhodes town. Kalithea is a dilapedated old Italian spa dating from the 20's. It consists of a collection Morish / oriental-like buildings and pieces of park between the rocks by the sea. Around Kalithea are several coves with beaches. Just south of Kalithea is one of the partymecca's of Greece, the village of Faliraki. The village is situated on a large and wide sandy beach. It is an international looking place where you can practice a variety of water sports and where you can sample the nightlife. For the fans. The next major beach more southern lies near Lakido and after that there are the beaches of Kolimbia and Tsambika, where there is a monastery on the hill above the village. At the end lies the quiet beach Stenga that best can be reached through a path leading from Archangelos. After Lindos Archangelos is probably the most interesting village on the east coast of the island. It is located in a valley with orange trees, and there are white cubic houses, but there is also an impressive castle of the Knights of St John that dates from 1467 and a beautiful Byzantine church from 1377 with frescoes. To the south of Lindos the only other significant town is the by pines surrounded village Pefki. After this village is very quiet, even though there are good beaches. The bus service to this part of the island is also not very frequent, but if you have your car then it is very much to recommendable. Especially the small beach on the southern island Prassonissi is worthwhile. It is a stretch of sand connected to the island of Rhodes.
The west coast of Rhodes.
The west coast of Rhodes is greener, quieter and less popular than the east coast of the island. There is also a bit more wind (though I do not have problems with it). The beaches there are les wide and more frequent they are pebble beaches instead of sandy beaches. The residents on the east coast disapprove of the beaches on the West Coast because their are beaches much better. It is a matter of taste. I myself had great fun at the beaches of Ixia and Trianda. The beaches are perhaps a little smaller but they are long. Most tourist resorts are located in the area between Rhodes city and the airport Paradisi, the northernmost part of the western side of the island so. After that the tourist as will see less hotelbuildings and more farms and grapefields. There are the remains of the ancient city Ialyssos and the mountain Felerimos with his fotogenic mix of Byzantine and St John churches between the pines. Behind the airport is the way to the Petoulades valley where you can see millions of butterflies (actually they ar moths) at the end of June - early September. The next major destination is Kamiros. This is the second abandoned ancient city on the west coast and one of the most popular field trip destinations on the island. After Kamiros the road gets even quieter. In the harbor Kamiros Skala there are daily connections to the nearby island of Rhodes, Halki / Chalki. Monolithos is the main village in the southern part of the west coast. The beach does not really very good but on the hill stands a castle of the knights of St John that perhaps is the most impressive castle on the island. It was built in the 15th century. From the hill there is a beautiful view on the island of Halki / Chalki. South of Monolithos the island is barely inhabited.

Hotels and apartments in Rhodes
Most people buy a complete trip to Rhodes including a hotel or apartment. You can also simply book a separate charter flight and then begin and end with Rhodes and in the time between do some islandhopping - that would be my choice. Rhodes is an islandhoppers paradise because there are a lot of connections with other islands in the area. Here are the hotels in Rhodes that looked attractive to me personally.

NEPHELE APARTMENTS & STUDIOS
A pleasent alternative for the main big hotels on Rhodes island is the more individual and smaller complex Nephele with studios and apartments for 2 or 4 people, including a sitting area and a kitchen, airconditioning and satelite tv. The apartments all have their own balcony or veranda. Nephele is situated closeby the big Faliraki sandbeach and the smaller cozy Kalithea beaches. Many people regard Faliraki Beach to be the best sandbeach of the island of Rhodes, and the village is not far away from Rhodes Town. For the lovers of the beach and of a night out / party it is the perfect place. You can also rent sunbeds and umbellas in Faliraki and you do several kinds of water sports. The bays of Kalithea in the north (on foot) have quiet little beaches and the environment is green with pine trees. In Faliraki the buildings are not all glued together as in for instance Hersonissos on Crete. It is a really touristc village but you still have space. In terms of restaurants, it is very international, so in addition to the Greek food there is lots to choose from.
Tel.: +30 22410.34541 Fax.: +30 22410.34541Mobile: +30 693.631.7628
Send an email to Nephele Apartments in Rhodes.

THE BEACHES OF RHODES
The island of Rhodes is large and it has many beautiful beaches. Someof them are popular and you find them in the tourist resorts. You can play watersports here and there are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. On other more remote beaches it is much more quiet. On these pages are the descriptions of a couple of these beaches, but of course there are many more.
Rhodes beaches - Tsampika
The beach of Tsampika is also known als the goldcoast. It is one of the prettiest beaches on the island of Rhodes, and it is situated just before the village of Archangelos, at a 26 kilometer distance of Rhodes town. There is a choice of several tavernas to have a bite to eat or to have a drink and there is a possibility for watersports. There are also sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. Next to the bus station there is a mini market. Tsampiki is one of the busier beaches of the island of Rhodes.
Rhodos beaches - Prasonissi
Prassonisi is a beautiful and relatively quiet beach in the southeast of Rhodes. It is popular with windsurfers and it is considered one of the most beautiful beaches of Rhodes. At the beach there are tavernas and theer are houses for rent. The beach is best reached by Jeep or a good car, and it is situated in a stunning surrounding.
Rhodes beaches - Lardos Beach
Lardos beach is a pretty unknown beach at a 65 kilometer distance of Rhodes town. It is one of the better beaches of the island. Also here the number of tourists is growing. There is a possibility to play watersports and beach supplies like sunbeds and umbrellas are for rent.
Rhodes beaches - Pefkos Beach
Pefkos means "pine tree" and so around the village of Pefkos there are plenty of places where you can find some shade. It is situated in a nice bay just under Lindos and it has a sandbeach. Pefkos is a lively small village with a couple of hotels, apartments, restaurants, disco's and bars. On the beach of Pefkos you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds.
Rhodes beaches - Glyfada Beach
Glyfada beach is a rather unknown beach in the west of Rhodes at a 72 kilometer distance of Rhodes town. Around the beach there are many trees and the water here is a bit green colored. To get to Glyfada beach you follow the sign to Kritana Village and then you see the road to the beach. It is situated 6 kilometers before the village of Siana. there are two small tavernas on the beach.
Rhodes beaches - Afandou Beach
Afandou beach is situated at a 22 kilometer distance of Rhodes town on the east side of the island. It is a pretty and long stretched beach with sand and some pebbles, where it is easy to get into the water. It is pretty quiet and there are a few tavernas and hotels to be found at the beach. Afoundou means "invisible" and refers to the village of Afandou dat wa invisible from the sea, as a protection against pirates. At the beach of Afandou you can play watersports. There is a bit of life in the village and you can find some bars and such, but not as much as you will for instance find in Faliraki.
Rhodes beaches - Kalathos Beach
Kalathos beach is situated at a 50 kilometer distance of Rhodes town and 65 kilometers from the airport, at about 7 kilometer from Lindos on the east side of the island of Rhodes. There are a couple of hotels and you can rent an apartment here. In the sourroundings there are plenty of restaurants, bars and shops. There is an option for watersports as well.
Rhodes sbeaches - Stegna Beach
Stegna beach can be found 30 kilometers outside of Rhodes town on the eastcoast of the island. It is one of the smaller beaches of Rhodes and it is hidden between the mountains at the end of a curvy road. There is a small village that goes with the beach of Stegma that includes some restaurants and bars.
Rhodes beaches - Ixia and Ialysos Beach
The beach of Ixia and neighbouring Ialysos are a couple of the best know beaches on the island of rhodes, and they are situated just outside of Rhodes town, at a distance of about a 5 or 10 minutes drive. It is a long stretched beach with mainly sand and at the seashore a few pebbles. On the beach you find the large luxuery hotels of the island that have their sunbeds on the beach. Some people are negative about these beaches, but personally I liked them very much. There are busy parts and less busy parts on these beaches and they are shallow, so it is easy to get into the water. Along the beach there is a variety of shops and restaurants.
Rhodes beaches - Faliraki Beach
Faliraki beach is probably the most popular beach on the island of Rhodes. It is a 4 kilometers long sandbeach at a 14 kilometers distance of Rhodes town. In Faliraki there is a wide choice for restaurants, bars, clubs and shops. There is also a good supply of hotels. In Faliraki you can play watersports and of course there are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. The surroundings of Faliraki are good for making walks in the pine tree forest or along the coast towards the beaches of Kalithea, or the quiet small beaches in the area.

RHODES
Rhodes is part of the islands in the Dodecanese group, and it is one of the most eastern islands that belong to Greece. It is situated at only a few kilometers south of the Turkish mainland. The island is 1398 km² large and around the year 2000 it had around 120.000 inhabitants. The capitol with the same name, Rhodes town, is situated in the north of the island. Rhodes has many sun hours in a year and there is plenty of tourism. It is mainly known as a holiday destination, but also for conferences about for instance the Mediteranian Sea it has good facilities and a convieniant position. There are ferry connections between Rhodes and the Greek mainland. There are also regular connections with the Turkish mainland (Marmaris). Many cruises visit Rhodes on their schedule.
THE HISTORY OF RHODES
Rhodes is already known in the Greek mythology. One of the myths tells us that the god Zeus divided the world amongst the gods, but forgot to give a part to the sungod Helios. Than the island of Rhodes rose from the sea, and it belonged to Helios. In the Greek times Rhodes was a center for hellenic culture and in the year 70 it became a part of Rome. At this time the island became less important. Through the centuries the island was raided by the Goths, Persians, Arabs and others and finally in 1522 it was occupied by the Turks and it became a part of the Ottoman empire. After this it was part of Italy for a while, before it became a part of Greece again. Buildings in Italian architectural style remember these times.
RHODES GEOGRAPHY
Rhodes is 79.7 km long and 38 km wide and the total surface is 1.398 km². The coastline is around 220 km long. Rhodes town is situated in the very north of the island. Here you can find the old historic harbour as well as the mdern commercial one. The nature and animal life on rhodes are closer to what it is like in Turkey than to the other islands in Greece. The land inwards of the island is mountainess, hardly populated and full of forests. Some of popular sights for the tourists are the butterfly valley, where you can see thousands of butterflies each summer (actually they are moths), and also the seven wells and the Petaloudes valley. Rhodes has both pebble and sandbeaches. The pebble beaches are mostly in the west of the island, most of the sandbeaches are in the east. In the summer months there is a cool breeze on the west side of the island, and on the eastside it is usually more hot. The highest peak of the island is the mountain Attavyos which is 1.215 meters high.
RHODES SIGHTS
It is easy to travel from Rhodes to the neighbouring islands, and spend the night there or return on the same day to Rhodes again. If you travel to for instance Kos or Samos you will sail long distances along the Turkish coast. Rhodes town is a sight on its own, with a beautiful harbour, old castle walls and such. The village of Lindos can be reached by bus or by boat. It has impressive city walls and a beautiful acropolis. In the west of the island, near the village of Monolithos, there is a castle.

Hans Huisman, www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2006, Nephele Apartments