The diversity of architecture on the island of Rhodes.
Whoever visits Rhodes expecting immediately on arrival to see the little white houses with blue window frames of Mykonos will not be disappointed and will love the “Island of the Sun”. With its reputation of more than 300 days of sun a year, Rhodes is less than eleven miles from Turkey in the Aegean Sea, practically on the border where East meets West, which explains its cultural and religious mix. This diversity is also found in the architecture, since the island – an important center of Ancient Greece – was later dominated by the Knights of Malta, Turks and Italians to mention some of the invaders. Today it is essentially Greek and its people are very proud of it.
The Mandraki harbor and statues of Elafos and Elafina, symbols of Rhodes.
Rhodes is also the name of its main city strategically located on the northernmost part of the island. Mandraki harbor links the old part known as the city of the Knights and the modern part of the city. Legend tells about the harbor and its famous statue of Colossus of Rhodes, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a bronze statue of Helios, the Sun God, towering 33 meters high, holding in his up-raised hand a torch that was used as a beacon. From its location on top of two tall columns, all vessels arriving would have to sail between its legs. The statue took 12 years to build but only endured a little more than sixty years, when it was destroyed by one of the frequent earthquakes. Today, in its place are the male and female deers – Elafos and Elafina – modern symbols of Rhodes.
Restaurant of the medieval city.
The old walled city, considered the largest inhabited medieval city in Europe, has been declared a World Heritage site. With its stone buildings and narrow cobbled streets, it also has one of the largest concentrations of restaurants, bars and designer and souvenir stores. A visit is a must during the day and even more fascinating in the evening when the streets and bars are full of tourists and the island’s inhabitants. It’s hard to decide between the number and variety of little tables! In some bars large outdoor screens contrast with the charming well-conserved local architecture. From the center you can reach the imposing medieval castle.
The cosmopolitan modern city with its hotels and new buildings also has numerous restaurants of fine cuisine, bars, discotheques and international designer stores.
The island’s beauty resorts
The practice of water sports is one of entertainment in Faliraki.
In addition to Rhodes, the island also has charming towns, some close to the capital: one of them is Faliraki, about eight miles away on the eastern coast. The old fishing village is today an organized resort where the bars-nightclubs on the beach entertain the young and where all kinds of water motor sports can be enjoyed. It also has a variety of restaurants along the beach.
Ixia on the western coast is halfway between the capital and the airport. This is where the two official hotels of the championship are. Its beach, very popular with sailing sports enthusiasts, is pebbly with no sand, like almost every beach on the western coast.
Lindos: the place of the little white houses.
And Lindos is the place for those who haven’t forgotten the little white houses! It is the second most important town on the island, only 30 miles from the capital, located on the eastern coast and many find it quite charming. It has the best view of most of the island from its acropolis, considered the most famous of all the Greek islands. Its breathtaking church was built in homage to the goddess Athena.
There are a vast quantity and variety of beaches along its 120 miles or so of coastline. Stony beaches and wind prevail throughout the day on the western coast. But the eastern coast has the sandy beaches with never a breeze. It’s impossible to forget Anthony Quinn Bay, a few miles from the capital. When “The Guns of Navarone” was being filmed, the actor fell in love with the place and bought the beach that still bears his name. You can go by car or boat and the view is breathtaking. It is also worth visiting Tsambika beach, about 16 miles from the city of Rhodes, one of the loveliest on the island, with fine sand and crystalline water.
Anthony Quinn Bay: the view is breathtaking!
September and October are sunny but mild. It’s the island’s inhabitants’ favorite season. Even the wind seems to give respite.
And don’t worry about the language: Italian and English are spoken everywhere and the street signs are almost always in both languages. Moreover, the population is extremely welcoming, always concerned with pleasing the tourist. The food is summed up in one word: delicious!