Planning a trip to Greece in 2024? Dee Mullins goes on a trip to explore the beautiful surroundings of Rhodes.
I'm standing on a 90-metre-high rock alongside the ruins of Castle Monolithos and a white-washed Greek chapel. Before me is a sweeping vista of rugged green coastline hugging the Aegean Sea. Not one building or human can be seen in the grand expanse. It’s a spectacular sight of untouched nature and not what I expected from the Greek island of Rhodes, infamous as a fly-and-flop destination.
The Castle of Monolithos dates back to 1476 and was built as a lookout point for pirates and enemies. It’s a hike up the stone stair path to the summit, and it’s worth the effort to see one of the most beautiful views on the island.
A short but tricky hairpin bend drive away is the near-empty Fourni beach, where sandstone cliffs and inviting turquoise water border this small cove. At the top of the beach, a few people enjoy shade outside a small food truck where two men serve Greek salads, tzatziki and Ouzo chasers. It’s rustic, rural, and very different from the more populated east coast.
Rhodes was one of the first Greek islands to embrace mass tourism, and with over 220,000 tourist beds on the island, it has done this successfully. Tourists flock to the island for year-round sunshine, sandy beaches and historic sites. Many big hotels dot the east coast and surround the capital, Rhodes Town. But once you go off the beaten track, you can find small villages and areas of unspoiled natural beauty.
My base for the first few days of my trip was Hotel Rodos Palace on Ixia Beach, just 5km southwest of Rhodes town. Ixia is a pebbled wind-whipped beach along a purpose-built strip of hotels. One of the best things about Ixia is its proximity to the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Built on a site dating back to 408BC, the old town was built by the crusading Knights of St John, who arrived on the island in 1306. The sight of the immense citadel and 4km of surrounding sandstone wall is awestricking, and it’s obvious why many consider it one of the best-preserved medieval centres in the Mediterranean.
The most impressive building is the Palace of the Grand Master, and its majesty lives up to its name. It’s also worth checking out the Archeological Museum, housed in the Knight’s former hospital, with artefacts from around the island.
While much of the old town is a tourist bazaar, getting lost in its back streets away from the hustle and bustle is still possible. This is best done at night when the throngs of cruise ship passengers are gone, and the old town’s magical atmosphere comes into its own. Walking up the cobbled medieval Street of the Knights under lamplight, it’s easy to imagine what it was like back in the 14th century.
After a few days in the north, it was time to plot a driving route south to my next hotel in Kiotari. I hired a car and took to the road. Quickly, the landscape changed from a built-up holiday resort to a countryside dotted with rolling hills and pine forests.
My first stop was the Valley of the Butterflies, known for its swarms of well-camouflaged butterflies between May and September. Enjoy a pleasant forest uphill trek alongside a creek and waterfalls with plenty of butterflies fluttering in your path. Be sure to visit the quaint Kalopetra Monastery at the top of the hill for its grand views.
Some locals had told me that the best food on the island was in a little inland village in the northwest called Apollona. Such a claim couldn’t be ignored, so I navigated the country roads to find the one-street village. Thankfully, driving in Rhodes isn’t difficult, with few cars and wide roads.
Paraga is easy to miss, and it’s a case where the term 'hidden gem’ can be used literally. I found myself on a small side road and drove by the premises twice before realising that the unassuming straw-roofed terrace was the celebrated restaurant. It’s a family-run business, and the owner, Giannis, offered me a warm welcome and told me they specialise in "authentic flavours of Rhodian cuisine".
Tourists and locals ate gluttonously and sipped on local wine while looking out at the surrounding green hills. Giannis explained every dish, and his passion was clear. All the ingredients are sourced locally, many of which Giannis has grown himself.
Lunch began with hot trahana soup and a selection of homemade bread. Many of the recipes Paraga uses are handed down through generations, and a grandmother-type figure prepared the food using a wood-burning oven and stove. Next was courgette frittas and stuffed vine leaves served warm and with a kick of spice. Followed by a remarkable cheese pie with local cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry and accompanied by a sweet wine grape jam.
Already stuffed, but was coerced by Giannis to make room for goat and chickpea stew that had been cooking since the night before. I dutifully ate it, and it was sensational. Every dish was delicious, and the experience was authentic Rhodian hospitality at its best.
Driving across the island from Apollona to Kiotari, the green pine forest turned to a scorched landscape, evidence of the wildfires that ripped through Rhodes last July. Thankfully, there was no human casualty, but 135,000 hectares of forest, and vegetation were destroyed, and many tourists were evacuated from the area. But it was very much back to business when I visited in September.
Mayia Exclusive Resort & Spa is an architect’s dream of a hotel, and the wow factor cannot be understated. It’s an all-inclusive adults-only hotel with a premium feel: excellent food, private beach and rooms with swim-up pools.
When I managed to drag myself from the Mayia Resort, I was only a short hop from Lindos, home to the most important archaeological site on the island. The Acropolis of Lindos stands majestically over its Cycladic-stye village. It’s best to visit late afternoon when the crowds and temperatures have reduced. After a walk around the Acropolis’s fourth-century Temple of Athena Lindia, cool off at one of the Ibiza-style beach bars on St. Paul’s Bay.
My next day’s excursion took me north to Kallithea Springs. In 1928, Italian occupiers built public baths to utilise the mineral spring water known for its healing effects. Wander around the pebble stone mosaic pathways and enjoy the photography exhibition in the multi-arched rotunda. Kallithea was a location for many films, most notably The Guns of Navarone (1961), starring Anthony Quinn, Gregory Peck and David Niven.
Quinn wanted to buy land near a bay just south of the springs. But after years of bureaucracy preventing the sale, the locals named the bay after him as a mark of respect. Today, Anthony Quinn Bay is an exotic-looking cove with crystalline waters and craggy rocks. Packed with tourists and overpriced sun loungers, I quickly escaped to the tranquillity of the Mayia Exclusive Resort.
On my final day excursion, I drove to the southernmost tip of the island. Parsonisi is a remote playground for wind and kite surfers and where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet. One sea with flat water, and the other lapped by waves. Seas of contrast, just like Rhodes, an island of contrast.
The details
Deirdre was a guest of Click&Go and the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
Deirdre stayed in Hotel Rodos Palace and the Mayia Exclusive Resort.
Click&Go, an Irish-owned holiday company that offers holidays to Rhodes and other Greek holiday destinations. You can book online at Click&Go.com or phone 01 539 7777.
The 5* Rodos Palace is from €849pp in May 2024 for seven nights with return flights included on a B&B basis.
For more information on Rhodes and Greece, visit www.visitgreece.gr
