So, we had finally managed to escape the madness at Syntagma Square in Athens (see previous blog) and took our 4 PM Aegean Air flight on 11th of May to reach Rhodes (or Rodos in Greek) Diagoras Airport at around 5 PM. It was bright and sunny with temperatures around 20 degrees. We headed towards the bus stop (2 min walk towards the left once you leave the Airport) and after waiting for around 15 minutes, got our bus to Rhodes town (see bus timetable – you need to take the Paradissi – Rhodes bus). We bought the tickets from the driver (~2 Eur) and told him that we need to get off at Akti Kanari Str. opposite the Beach Hotel (our hotel had told us to inform the driver and he will let you know when you arrive). The drive was approx half hour long.
Pic: Hotel Semiramis
Our hotel, Semiramis, was a 2 minute walk from the bus stop. The hotel was very nice with a decent room with a nice view of the sea with setting sun… The only complaint was the size of bathroom, which was ridiculously small.
Walk to the old town
Pics: Therme cafe bar, Amboise Gate of the old town, and Greek dinner
After taking a bit of rest after the day’s drama (see previous blog on Trip to Athens), we set out for an evening stroll. Got some directions from the hotel reception along with a decent local map and started our walk towards the Medieval Town of Rhodes (taking the Alex. Diakou street). On the way we came across a nice cafe with beautiful fountains (Therme cafe bar)... A cup of coffee, couple of photographs and we continued on till we hit the Amboise Gate of the old town… It was dark already and we were quite tired… We entered the old town, sat at the first open restaurant for our dinner (awesome Greek Cuisine), and decided to give a visit to the town first thing next morning. On our way back, we also spent half an our in the main shopping area around the main bus stop (Mandraki, Nea Agora).
One thing that struck us about Rhodes was that almost every other shop was that of a Car Hire company. Also, the displayed prices seemed to be a lot (lot!) less than those in Stockholm. So, we booked a car for the remaining two days from our Hotel’s reception for 65 Euros total (much expensive than for what we could have gotten outside), and got the car (Hyundai Atios) first thing next morning.
Medieval (old) Town of Rhodes
Pics: Views from the Rhodes Medieval town
Each European city invariably has an old town of its own… But this, the one in Rhodes, beats all of them hands down in terms of its charm. It is an exquisite museum of the medieval era, home to a number of sights you shouldn’t miss during your visit. The oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe, it is remarkable with its castles, houses and a warren of cobbled squares and alleyways. Encircled by a high defensive wall, the architecture of the town is both daunting and awe-inspiring. There are six main gates leading to the medieval town and a series of smaller ones. We had parked our car outside the Eleftherias gate which is the entry gate to the main square of old town (Symi Square).
There are approximately 200 streets and lanes in the Old Town that simply have no name so finding your bearings here is quite a challenge but getting lost may actually be a great opportunity to explore. When in trouble finding your way ask for Sokratous, which is the closest the Old Town of Rhodes comes to having a main street. Sokratous leads to Hippocrates Square (Plateia Ippokratous), the commercial center of Old Town, lined with lots of cafes, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Strolling around the cobble-paved streets with the majestic buildings of the Knights, the huge walls of the Old Town and the moat, the Byzantine churches and the Ottoman mosques, squares, gardens and courtyards one can get the impression that time came to a halt here (text copied from here).
We spent a few hours in the town visiting the various monuments and enjoying the surroundings…We decided to keep the map inside our bags and just wander around seeing whatever comes our way… If you want to follow a set path, I suggest this blog…More than the sights, it was the feeling of the town that made us fall in love with it… It did seem like time had come to a halt in this part of world.. :-)
This was already our second visit to the place, of a few more to come in the next couple of days…
Drive along the west coast
Rhodes island has two distinct driving paths.. The east coast and west coast.. Both have their share of tourist destinations, so we decided to give a day each to both routes. We didn’t have GPS, but a decent enough map of Rhodes based on which we were driving. Bad thing about Rhodes was that there were not many road signs, though the important ones were there. The good thing was, it was almost India like where you could drop your window and ask for directions from passers-by. The first stop on west coast was Petaloudes.
Petaloudes or the Valley of Butterflies
Pics: Views from the valley of butterflies
We left old town at around 11 am and started our drive towards the next stop, Petaloudes, or The Valley of Butterflies. Petaloudes was an approx 20 minute ride from the old town, towards the airport.
The valley is one of the most attractive destinations on the island and attracts many visitors each year. It is home to thousands of Rhodes Jersey Tiger Moths (and not Butterflies, so the place is a misnomer). The oriental Sweetgum trees which can be found here give of a distinct scent which attracts the moths and creates unique biotope. Unfortunately, we were early in the season and couldn’t find any moths…Still, it is a lovely area for walking and exploring nature in its natural habit. Flowing water falls, small winding streams and little bridges make the destination even more attractive. I would definitely recommend the place to everyone even without its famous “butterflies”.
The other end of nature walk brings you to the 18th century Kalopetra Monastry, which can be reached by climbing some stairs.. Unfortunately, the stairs didn’t seem good enough for my 5 month pregnant wife to climb and we decided to avoid it.
Ancient Kamiros, Kamiros beach and Acropolis of Rhodes
Pics: Ancient Kamiros, Kamiros beach, Rhodes Acropolis
Next destination along the west coast was the Ancient Kamiros, ruins of a 5th Century BC city. After the magnificent views of Athens Acropolis… this actually did look like ‘ruins’ and didn’t interest us much… And also, it was lunch time, and there wasn’t any place around to eat, so we left within 10 minutes for the restaurant we had seen on the way, on the Kamiros beach.
So, we reached Kamiros Beach restaurant (the only restaurant in the vicinity of Kamiros Beach)…. The waters on the west cost of Rhodes are quite rough and not too suitable for swimming… So the beaches on this side are not very popular… But the views are quite good, and the restaurant had a very good sea shore seating arrangement. We actually spent close to two hours there, just sitting on the shore, soaking in the sun.
On our way back, we took a glance at the Acropolis of Rhodes. The partially reconstructed part of the site consists of the "Temple of Apollo" (also, as alternatives Athena Polias and Zeus Polieus) below which is a stadium and a small theatre. It is included in a large park, Monte Smith, named for English Napoleonic admiral William Sidney Smith. Again, after the Acropolis of Athens, this was almost a let down.
Colossus of Rhodes (Harbor area)
Pics: Harbour area (where Colossus of Rhodes once stood)
Next, we headed towards the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of a Greek Titan, on the shores of Rhodes, just outside the old town (towards the harbor). Our map clearly showed a giant statue, but when we reached there, nothing was to be seen… After asking a couple of locals, we realized what fools were we making of ourselves… This Colossus was built (according to folklore) in 304 BC and was destructed just after 56 years by a massive earthquake… It is considered as one of wonders of ancient world, but of-course, exists only in ancient tales now .. In fact there are conflicting views on whether it was ever constructed or not.. :-) … So after clicking a few photographs on the harbor, we headed back into the old town and then to our hotel… Eva retired for the day, while I spent some time photographing the sunset on the seashore outside our hotel.
Lindos town and beach
Pics: Top row: Lindos beach, Bottom row: views from Lindos town
Next day was dedicated to the eastern side of the island. We started the day from Lindos, 50 KMs from Rhodes town and then went back up stopping at various places on the way.
By 10:30 AM, we were at the beautiful Lindos beach. A lovely clean beach,plenty of sun loungers (paid, so don’t just lie down on one of them),clear turquoise sea, as calm as a private swimming pool and lots of sunshine… Till date, Lindos is the best beach I have seen (in terms of water cleanliness and calmness). This was the highlight of our Rhodes trip…. We spent the next few hours just soaking ourselves in the water and sunshine…
When hunger came calling, we headed towards the Lindos town, another star attraction with small market streets, churches and a couple of other monuments to visit. A special mention needs to be given to the yummy Crepes that we had (there were Creperies everywhere). There was also the Lindos Acropolis to visit, but we gave it a miss since it required either a steep climb or riding a pony, both of which were not suitable for my wife.
Seven Springs, Kalithea Springs, Faliraki and Filerimos
Pics: Top row: Seven springs, Seven Springs lake dam, Kalithea Springs. Bottom row: Faliraki town, Filerimos Calvary, Filerimos cross
Starting our journey back from Lindos, our first stop was the Seven Springs. Termed as one of the most charming destinations on the island, we were expecting some big water springs, but as it turned out, these were miniscule and we almost missed to spot them… What made the journey worth though was the route to the dam on the lake, which was a narrow tunnel (just wide enough for one person), completely dark, with cold water flowing under our feet…. Midway through the tunnel we were scared to hell and just wanted to see some daylight… The experience (in hindsight) was amazing.. :-)
Next up, we took a halt at the Kalithea Springs resort. A historic renovated monument along the sea shore with great views and lovely gardens to walk around
Second biggest town on the island, The Faliraki, was our next stop.. Again, a small charming town, with beautiful beaches and nice restaurants. We were quite tired by now and spent close to an hour sitting inside an interestingly decorated cafe having a coffee and dessert.
The last thing on our itinerary for the day was the Filerimos, a hill, 267 meters high, thickly planned with cypress, pine and other trees. Along the right side of a path called Calvary (Golgothàs), there are scenes of the Passions of Jesus. This tiny thickly planned road, leads to the western part of the hill, where an imposing Cross stands in the middle of a small square. A picturesque view is dominated by the Mountain Ataviros (the highest mountain of Rhodes), in the distance
Medieval town again
The next morning, we decided to visit the old town one last time (haven’t had enough) and after spending a few hours in and around the town, we took a taxi to the airport to catch our 3PM flight back to Stockholm…
From the mystic ‘Greek’ feel of the Plaka in Athens, the majestic Athens Acropolis, the madness of Syntagma riots to the infectious charm of Rhodes old town and serenity of Lindos beach… This trip we had seen it all….
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