Dodecanese · Greece
A Crusader city inside medieval walls, and the clearest water in the eastern Aegean.
01
A Crusader city inside medieval walls. The Knights Hospitaller ruled here 1309–1522 — the Street of the Knights and the Grand Master's Palace are the inheritance. Outside the walls the modern town spreads, and on the Aegean side the old harbour of Mandraki sits where the Colossus once straddled (the bronze statue collapsed in 226 BC; nothing remains). Visit the Archaeological Museum, the medieval Hospital that holds it, for the marble Aphrodite.
02
Marco Polo Mansion in the Old Town — small, slow, a single tasting menu. Stani for the souvlaki and the bougatsa breakfast pastry. The Pigadia restaurant in Lindos, on the south side, has the village view. Pitaroudia (chickpea fritters) and melekouni (sesame-honey bars) are the Rhodian specifics.
03
The ancient city of Rhodes was planned by Hippodamus of Miletus, the original urbanist, in the 5th century BC. The Knights Hospitaller fortified it after losing Acre; Suleiman the Magnificent took it after a six-month siege in 1522. The Ottomans held it for 400 years, the Italians for thirty (1912–1943), the Germans for two. The Italian-built Aquarium and the rebuilt Knight's Palace are 1930s fascist-restoration work.
04
Tsambika on the east coast — fine sand, long, shallow water. Anthony Quinn Bay (named after the actor who tried to buy it) for the rocky coves. By boat: Symi (25nm) for the ochre neoclassical harbour at Yialos; Lindos (35nm) for the acropolis above the crescent beach; Prasonisi at the southern tip for the sand spit where two seas meet.
05
Rhodes town empties after the cruise ships leave at 6pm — that's the time to walk the walls and find the quiet courtyards. The medina-like Turkish quarter (Hora) is the old town's working part. Drive the inland route via Eptá Pigés (seven springs) and the Profitis Ilias mountain. The Italian summer palaces on the mountain are mostly closed but visible.
Nearby
Island · Neoclassical harbour
The neo-classical harbour of Yialos — ochre and terracotta houses stacked in tiers above the water. The most beautiful small port in the Dodecanese.
Arrive before 11am or after 4pm — day-tripper boats from Rhodes fill the harbour midday. The Panormitis monastery in the south bay.
Ancient acropolis · Beach
A whitewashed village below a Crusader fortress above a Doric temple above a crescent beach. Three layers of history on a single headland.
Anchor off St Paul's Bay (south of the main beach) in 4–6m. The acropolis at 7am before the package tourists.
Turkey · Castle · Museum
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was here — one of the Seven Wonders. The Crusader castle was built partly from its stones. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology is the best of its kind.
Border crossing required. Customs at Bodrum marina. Worth a full day.
Cape · Two seas
The southern tip of Rhodes — where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet. A sand spit connects a small island to the main island.
Anchor on the Med side for calm, the Aegean side for drama. The windsurfers come for the side-by-side wavesailing.
Wind & seasons
The meltemi affects Rhodes less than the central Cyclades — the mountains of Turkey shelter the channel. Strong NE trades in summer. June and September are the best sailing months. August can be gusty in the straits.
