My girlfriend and myself took a long weekend (but a short vacation) on the Greek island of Rhodes. Lovely seashores, nice old cities (and ruins) and very welcoming people greeted us.
So, here are the pictures from Rhodes. I didn’t filter enough of them out, so there are 139 of them. Click on slideshow to view them (until you’ve had too many). The pictures here should satisfy most of you. And some notes, experiences and recommendations:
Rhodes City
The old part of Rhodes city is great. It features churches, mosques and even one synagogue. It’s thick walls are quite impressive. In some parts, there is a wide moat. Walking out through the D’Amboise gate was quite impressive.
We tried to follow a path described in our guide book and mark all the important site. Luckily, due to my imperfect navigational skills (and a lousy map) we lost our way a few times. This gave us a chance to tour some nice alleys that weren’t stormed by tourists (like ourselves). I recommend wandering without any goal. It’s fun.
Outside of the city walls, the Mandraki port of the new city is also very nice. Important buildings are situated along the port, and the old statues (with deers) are what is left of Rhodes’ Collussus (one of the seven wonders of the world). Just skip the restaurants there. They are too expensive.
I recommend walking up to the northern tip of the island (near the aquarium). The winds and the waves from the east and west coasts meet there, creating whirlpools in the water. I didn’t see it in any guidebook….
Lindos – the most beautiful spot in Rhodes
Don’t miss this spot. If I ever return to Rhodes, I’ll definitely stay there. This town resides on calm, east coast of the island. The bays around the city are remarkable, with natural “pools”, boats and mini-islands. It is best viewed from the Acropolis.
The ancient Acropolis (upper town in ancient Greek) of Lindos includes remains from different eras that can be easily differentiated from one another. It is well preserved by the authorities. Most tourists (like ourselves) don’t hire the poor donkeys to get up there.
Also Lindos town itself is impressive. Almost all the building are painted in white, and the city is car-free(!). Also here, during the tourist season, break away from the beaten main streets. The locals, which speak many languages, were always very kind and helpful.
Stegana
Another nice spot on the east cost. This fisherman’s humble village has a nice beach and good food as well. I had ther some jumbo shrimps. We’ve been to other spots as well, but they’re not so interesting.
The locals
The people in Rhodes, who are used to tourists, speak fluent English. Most of them also speak German. Some of them also speak Italian, French, Dutch and even Hebrew. I must say that were very nice to us. For example, restaurant owners welcomed us to use their toilets, despite not dining at their establishments. This isn’t so common in other countries…
Well, enough words for now. I might make a write-up of our experiences at night…
Yasu!