Finally - Rhodes!

Rhodes is an island in the Aegean Sea, an island of Helios, the god of the Sun. The Colossus of Rhodes, a mighty and majestic statue that used to tower over the harbour, the gateway to the city, was dedicated to the deity. Rhodes is the largest (with a lenght of 80km and width of 38km) of the group of islands called Dodecanese – consisting of twelve Greek islands and islets located off the south-eastern coast of Turkey, of which 26 are inhabited. The islands forming the archipelago are: Astypalaia, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Leros, Nisyros, Patmos, Symi, and Tilos.

In September, the sun still shines with the same strength on Rhodes as in summer, the wonderful long sandy beaches aren’t as overcrowded, and you can quickly find spots where there’s not a soul anywhere nearby. We relished the peace and, despite wandering around the island, often headed to the Stegna beach. The remote fishing village, which can be accessed by descending about two kilometres off the main road until you reach the beach, cast a spell on us on our very first visit. The friendly locals, authentic Greek restuarants with great cuisine, and little souvenir shops that still attracted visitors to enter their cool interiors. The crystal-clear water, the waves gently lapping, and the infinite blue sea that overwhelmed me in a way I didn’t even want to go back home.

After arriving at the Diagoras Airport, we were greeted by the cloudless sky and, of course, the bus that took each passenger to their hotel. Our home, for the time being, was Faliraki, the second largest resort after the city of Rhodes. We stayed closer to Lindos rather than the centre, which resulted in us having a gorgeous view of the town. By renting a scooter, we could go almost anywhere on the island. The closest beaches were the famous beach at Anthony Quinn and the Ladiko Beach. Both were breath-taking with their bays, pristine clear water and moored yachts and sailing boats, but they were really crowded, so we continued exploring. We ended up on the Traganou Beach and just couldn’t hide our excitement over the fact that we had picked Rhodes as our destination, even though we had been there for only a couple of hours.

In the evening, we decided over to the centre of Faliraki. It was quite lively there as well, but not particularly crowded. Caterers were kindly and unobtrusively inviting passers-by inside. The Greeks won us over with their superb local and traditional and Greek food.

North of the Stegna Beach, the mighty Tsambika monastery proudly stands on a hill. It’s famous for the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of all married couples who don’t have children. There are 298 steps leading to the top where you gradually climb up to 240m above sea level. Once at the top, you are confronted with an enticing, gorgeous and breath-taking view of the eastern part of the island and the endless blue sea, the Tsambika Bay with yet another sandy beach full of tourists, Faliraki with its adjacent beaches, and the islands interior. Each year, on 8 September, women set out on a pilgrimage to the monastery, barefoot, and ask the Virgin Mary for a miracle of motherhood and the cure for infertility.

We went sightseeing to the island’s capital, Rhodes, on Sunday morning. The city hadn’t awakened yet from its slumber, but we didn’t regret our decision as we could slowly stroll along the fortress and we only passed a few tourists, thus being able to create our own experience of the old medieval part of the city. One can notice various historical influences intertwining in the old town: from the classical, Roman and Byzantine periods, to the period of the Maltese Order and all the way to the Ottoman and Italian periods.

The old town is surrounded by walls that are 4km long and 12m wide and that can be dated all the way back to 1330. We decided to let the streets and footpaths guide us, and they brought us to the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights and the ancient ruins, and then also to the part of the wall facing north towards the sea and the harbours. Part of the harbour ends in a spit with a lighthouse at its tip, and there’s a path leading past three wonderful medieval windmills. We also climbed up the 150-year-old Roloi clock tower in the old town, where we got a bird’s eye view of the city. Since I love walking along beaches and harbours, we decided to do that as well. Locals were selling souvenirs on one of the boats and it was interesting to watch them and the tourists trying to balance on the rocking boats. We left other areas of the majestic city for another time.

Lindos, a white town 55km south of Rhodes, didn’t escape our radar either. It was already a working day, so there was no way we could’ve avoided getting stuck in traffic. Just by catching a glimpse of the town, before even getting there, takes your senses away. White houses and the acropolis rising above, and bays with moored ships, yachts and boats below. Like a fairy tale. We walked all the way up to the acropolis, to which the locals can take you on their donkeys, but we didn’t enter. We did, however, go to the lookout point where we let our bodies soak up the sun and enjoyed the view. Of course, we didn’t wait long enough for the sunset. We went for a drink to one of the numerous bars that serve their guests on rooftops, and then headed back to the scooter to drive back home to Faliraki.

We came across the information that all the island’s tourist workers are promoting the trip to Epta Piges – the Seven Springs. “Well, if that place is so popular,” we said, “we should go and take a look as well.” The path was hedged with fragrant pine trees and, as we later realised, the island’s interior was densely populated by trees. The area of the seven springs is located between Kolymbia and Archipoli. The cool and shady area that is surrounded by forest also boasts seven bubbling springs that are marked with numbers and which don’t even dry up in summer. Another point of interest is one of the tunnels you go through, wading through running water in total darkness for about five minutes, until you reach a small lake. You’ll be constantly accompanied by peacocks wherever you go.

My wish was to climb up to the island’s highest peak, the 1215 metres high Mount Attavyros. The path led us to the western part of the island, through typical Greek villages of Archipoli, Eleousa, Platania, Apollona, Embonas, and Attavyros. We found a road section after a few kilometres that lead all the way to the top. The wonderful paved road, however, soon turned into a washed-out dirt road, so we gave up, walked about a bit and, due to inappropriate footwear, abandoned our target. We did scout the terrain for our next visit, though. The path then took us a few kilometres south through the villages of Siana, Monolithos and Apolakkia, and onwards towards the eastern part of the island through the villages of Vati and Gennadi. When we arrived at the eastern Rhodes, we discussed about going for a swim on of the numerous beaches, but later settled on our beach in Stegna.

Rhodes truly inspires you and makes and impression on you. I already can’t wait to go back one day.