Mark Read

Dodecanese

Ever pined for the old Greece, where timeless islands beckon modern-day adventurers just as they did Odysseus and Alexander? Enter the far-flung Dodecanese archipelago, curving through the southeastern Aegean parallel to the ever-visible shoreline of Turkey. The footprints of everyone from Greeks and Romans to crusading medieval knights, and Byzantine and Ottoman potentates to 20th-century Italian bureaucrats, are found here. Beyond better-known Rhodes and Kos, enigmatic islands beg to be explored.

Hikers and naturalists flock to Tilos, while climbers scale the limestone cliffs in Kalymnos. Aesthetes adore the neoclassical mansions of Symi, Halki and Kastellorizo, and kitesurfers blow in to Karpathos for its legendary winds. Elsewhere around the Dodecanese, divers can explore underwater caves and ancient wrecks, archaeologists and history buffs let their imaginations loose on a bevy of ancient sites, while sybarites worship Helios on myriad beaches, far from the package crowds.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Dodecanese.

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Acropolis of Lindos
A short, steep-stepped footpath climbs the rocky 116m-high headland above the village to reach Lindos’ beautifully preserved Acropolis. First fortified in the 6th century BC, the clifftop is now enclosed by battlements constructed by the Knights of St John. Once within the walls, you’re confronted by ancient remains that include the Temple to Athena Lindia and a 20-columned Hellenistic stoa. Silhouetted against the blue sky, the stark pillars are dazzling, while the long-range coastal views are out of this world. Be sure to pack a hat and some water, as there’s no shade at the top, and take care to protect young kids from the many dangerous drop-offs. Donkey rides follow a longer pathway to the Acropolis from the village entrance (€8), an option that spares you a mere three minutes of exposed walking on the hillside. Animal-rights groups strongly urge visitors to consider how the donkeys are treated before deciding to ride.
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Archaeological Museum
A weathered, sun-kissed stone lion, visible from the street, invites visitors into the magnificent 15th-century Knights' Hospital that holds Rhodes’ superb archaeology museum. Exhibits range through several upstairs galleries, and across beautiful gardens to an annexe that’s open shorter hours in summer (9am to 4.50pm). Highlights include the exquisite Aphrodite Bathing marble statue from the 1st century BC, a pavilion displaying wall-mounted mosaics, and a reconstructed burial site from 1630 BC that held a helmeted warrior alongside his horse. Ancient treasures unearthed all over Rhodes, including some wonderful ceramics and a sleek carved dolphin, trace 7000 years of local history. The annexe is especially strong on the Mycenean era, at its peak in the 14th and 13th centuries BC.
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Monastery of St John the Theologian
As this immense 11th-century monastery-cum-fortress remains active, only a small portion is open to visitors. The entrance courtyard leads to a sumptuously frescoed chapel, fronted by marble columns taken from an ancient temple. Don’t expect to attend a service; daily worship is at 3am! The museum of church treasures upstairs displays the original edict establishing the monastery, signed by the Byzantine emperor in 1088.
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Monastery of the Apocalypse
Nestled amid the pines halfway to Hora, the Monastery of the Apocalypse focuses on the cave where St John lived as a hermit and received his revelation. Pilgrims and less-than-devout cruise passengers alike stream into the chapel built over the recess to see the rocky pillow where the saint rested his head, the handhold with which he’d haul himself up from his prayers and the stone slab that served as his writing desk.
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Ancient Kamiros
Cradled in a natural hillside amphitheatre 1km up from the sea, the remarkably complete ruins of ancient Kamiros stand 34km southwest of Rhodes Town. Founded in the 10th century BC, and mentioned by Homer, Kamiros reached its peak during the 7th century BC, but was devastated by earthquakes in 226 BC and 142 BC. Visitors enjoy a real feeling of walking the streets of an ancient city, complete with baths, temples, private homes and public squares. Come if possible in the afternoon, when fewer visitors are around. There’s a cafe just inside the site, but it was closed and roped off during our last visit due to ‘tax evasion’.
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Apella Beach
However determined you may be to reach Olymbos, allow time to take the precipitous spur road that drops seawards from the east-coast highway 17km north of Pigadia. Here you'll find award-winning Apella Beach; backed by a cascading hillside of wildflowers, with towering cliffs to both north and south, it is the finest beach in the Dodecanese. It's often described as 'sandy', though it was pebbly when we were there. Nevertheless, it's gorgeous. There's a good taverna at road's end, just above the beach.
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Asklepieion
The island’s most important ancient site stands on a pine-covered hill 3km southwest of Kos Town, commanding lovely views across towards Turkey. A religious sanctuary devoted to Asclepius, the god of healing, it was also a healing centre and a school of medicine. It was founded in the 3rd century BC, according to legend by Hippocrates himself, the Kos-born ‘father’ of modern medicine. He was already dead by then, though, and the training here simply followed his teachings. Until the sanatorium was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 554, people came from far and wide for treatment. The ruins occupy three levels, with the propylaeum (approach to the main gate), Roman-era public baths and remains of guest rooms on the first level. The second holds an altar of Kyparissios Apollo, with the 1st-century-BC Temple to Apollo to the east and the first Temple of Asclepius, built in the 4th century BC, to the west. The remains of its successor, the once-magnificent 2nd-century-BC Temple of Asclepius, are on the third level. Climb a little further, to the cool pine woods above, for the best views of all. A small museum on the path down preserves ancient inscriptions. Bus 3 runs hourly from Kos Town to the site. It’s also a pleasant, if uphill, bike ride.
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St Valsamidis
This unorthodox collection is the life's work of a local Kalymnian man, Stavros Valsamidis, who for 48 years undertook private dives, and amassed items from the ocean floor. The 17,000 objects span from archaeological amphorae (all registered), shells, corals and WWII artefacts. Prized possessions include items from the Middle East that had clearly been pillaged by pirates. Stavros is no longer alive but these days, his son promotes what Kalymnians relate to best: the sea. Head to the cafe-bar to the left of the museum and ask for the keys if it's not open.
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Knights’ Quarter
Essentially an occupying army, the Knights of St John transformed the northern segment of the Old Town during the 14th and 15th centuries, to create what’s known today as the Knights’ Quarter. Taking care to protect themselves from the local population as well as potential invaders, the knights erected mighty fortress-like mansions as well as a fortified palace. Begin your tour of the Knights’ Quarter at Liberty Gate, crossing the small bridge into the Old Town. Across the pebbled street, take in the remains of the 3rd-century-BC Temple of Aphrodite, one of the few ancient ruins in the Old Town. Continue down Apellou to the former 15th-century Knights’ Hospital, now reincarnated as the Archaeological Museum. Its biggest draw is the exquisite Aphrodite Bathing, a 1st-century-BC marble statue recovered from the local seabed. Wander up the Street of the Knights (Ippoton), once home to the knights themselves. They were divided into seven ‘tongues’ or languages, according to their place of origin – England, France, Germany, Italy, Aragon, Auvergne and Provence – and each was responsible for protecting a section of the fortifications. The Grand Master, who was in charge, lived in the palace. To this day the street exudes a noble, forbidding aura. First on the right, if you begin at the eastern end, is the 1519 Inn of Italy, with the Palace of Villiers de l’Isle Adam alongside. Next along is the Inn of France, the most ornate and distinctive of all the inns. Further up, the Chapelle Française is embellished with a statue of the Virgin and Child. Next comes the residence of the Chaplain of the Inn of France. Across the alleyway is the Inn of Provence, with four coats of arms forming the shape of a cross, while opposite is the Inn of Spain. To the left at the top of the street, the ruined St John of the Collachio was originally a knights’ church, linked to the palace across the road by an underground passage. On the right is the truly magnificent 14th-century Palace of the Grand Master. Severely damaged by the Turkish siege, then devastated by an explosion in the mid-1800s, it was rebuilt by the Italians, who introduced a grandiose, lavish interior. The random displays of accumulated loot in the upstairs chambers are unenthralling, but there are two excellent museums downstairs, covering Ancient Rhodes and the medieval era. From the palace, walk through St Anthony’s Gate to reach the atmospheric D’Amboise Gate, a wonderful path that leads you across the moat. During limited weekday hours, you can also access the top of the walls from the palace courtyard, affording great views into the Old Town and across to the sea. Another option is to drop down at St Anthony’s Gate and walk along the bucolic moat itself.