Travelling to Rhodes – Part 2

Both the island itself and the city of Rhodes are a popular international tourist destination. In the warmer part of the year, the number of people on the island increases considerably when tourists come to the island, mainly from Scandinavia and Great Britain, and the tourist facilities are fully occupied. Rhodes is an excellent starting point for a trip by plane or ferry. International airport has connections to many places over Europe, ferries are connecting Rhodes with neighbouring islands, mainland Greece and Turkey. Buses are well organized, even to the most popular island destinations. For less than three euros you can take an airport bus from the airport to the city of Rhodes, which is the centre of the island bus lines, and from there you can go to other parts of the island. Numerous tourist agencies offer trips around the island, trips to the neighbouring islands and to Turkey every day. Of course, there is also the possibility of exploring the island by car or a scooter.

The island of Rhodes boasts numerous beaches, both on western and eastern coast, and also in the city of Rhodes. On the eastern coast lies the most famous holiday resort, Faliraki, which is a lively area of hotels, cafes and restaurants by the sea. Some visitors want to have a quiet holiday when their days are spent on the beach (one of the beaches is named after the actor Anthony Quinn, who portrayed Zorba the Greek in the famous movie), while others want more active holidays and want to explore the island. Petaloúdes or the Butterfly Valley are in most of the programs of the trips. The name itself is misleading, as the butterflies are actually moths, but it is still a pleasant nature reserve with a stream, waterfalls and arts, which is, unlike other sights, located in the interior of the island.

The most common destination of most tourists besides the city of Rhodes is Lindos. The glittering white houses, the crusader castle and the acropolis that rise steeply above the sea and above the village, and the beach under the village are a magnet for tourists. Viewed from a distance, a more photogenic motif on Rhodes cannot be found, and therefore it is completely normal to see crowds of tourists who all go to this part of the Rhodes. Lindos is older than the city of Rhodes, since the beginnings of the settlement date back to the year 3000 BC. The harbours gave him an advantage over the other two ancient places, Kameiros and Ialysos, but the glory of Lindos took place in the fifth century BC, when the three cities established the city of Rhodes for better defence.

Lindos Acropolis (the word of the Acropolis is translated as a high city), the main attraction of Lindos, stands high above the village on the top of a 125-meter cliff. It is crowned by the sanctuary of Lindos Athena from the 4th century, the remaining columns stand out on the horizon, and it is surrounded by walls that were built by St. John's knights in the 13th century. To get to the acropolis you have to first walk through narrow, paved streets, surrounded by former seamen's houses, that are nowadays transformed into shops and restaurants, followed by a climb up the stairs. Anyone who refuses or cannot take the stairs that can be slippery can use a donkey that are waiting for "customers" near the main square. Since Lindos gets the most sun on Rhodes, the highest temperatures on the island are often here, which is an additional obstacle for taking the stairs to the acropolis, and the sun is no less gracious on the very top of the cliff, where there is almost no shadow. Admission to the Acropolis, is 12 EUR, but PRESS card holders are entitled to free entry. Most visitors see the acropolis first, and then head to one of the two beaches on the foot of the cliff. After the stairs, a jump into the water is a real reward. The beach is full of tourists and excursion boats, but it offers a beautiful view of the village and the acropolis and a pleasant refreshment.

The vast majority of visitors to Rhodes also go on a one-day excursion to the neighbouring island of Simi. Simi is a rocky island, which used to survive from the gathering of sponges and the shipbuilding industry. By the 17th century, it was one of the richest islands of Dodecanese, all of which changed with the introduction of artificial sponges. The capital city of the island is the city of Simi, its port area is named Gialos and is one of the most beautiful among all the Greek islands. Numerous neoclassical houses with triangular and colourful facades surround the port area of the city and climb all the way up on the hill and create a beautiful view. Gialos is flooded with daytime visitors, mostly coming from the island of Rhodes. Besides the town of Simi, the most visited landmark of the island is the monastery Taxiarchis Mihail Panormitis, in the bay of Panormitis on the south of the island, dedicated to the archangel Michael, where Greek sailors from all over the world pilgrim. The monastery became famous because of the icon of the archangel Michael, the patron saint of Simi and seamen. The icon was miraculously returning to Panormitis, although it was repeatedly moved to Gialos.

Rhodes is closer to Turkey than continental Greece, so a large number of tourists also go on a one-day excursion to the Turkish Marmaris. A fast boat overcomes a distance of less than 50 kilometres in about an hour and tourists arrive to Turkish Riviera in the southwestern part of Turkey on the Mediterranean coast. Marmaris is a port and a tourist centre, which was a sleepy fishing village until 1980. The development of tourism and construction boom followed. The number of people in Marmaris is 10-times bigger in the summer. Marmaris was named after marble that is very common in this area, and it has also importantly influenced the development of the place as a port for the export of marble. The main attraction is the castle, which dates back to 1522, when Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent built his military base on the island of Rhodes on the ruins of previous fortifications. Today, there is a museum in the castle, but the view from its walls is much more interesting as it includes the hilly streets of the old town, the new part of the city and a modern marina. Shiny yachts, anchored in the port, are in direct opposition to the old part of the city, where we find the only examples of the traditional architecture of Marmaris. The marina also houses wooden sailing boats, called gulet boats, which offer numerous trips to the surrounding area. Visitors definitely wouldn't want to miss shopping on a mostly covered bazaar, especially now, when the value of the Turkish lira is low. Thus, a brief day-long visit to Marmaris offers something for everyone; history with the castle and the old town, lunch after a bargaining on the bazaar, and before embarking on a boat that takes us back to Greece in the evening, we can also jump into the sea on one of the city beaches. One-hour voyage to Rhodes gives us a chance to rest, as well as reflection on the experiences that Rhodes has offered us during our holiday days.