With the summer holidays swiftly approaching, our thoughts turn to family-friendly destinations with warm weather and sunshine. The Greek island of Rhodes, where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas collide, fits the bill perfectly. Not only is it a top holiday destination for its weather, but also for its historical past; there’s never a shortage of things to explore on the island.
Image Credit: VladIslav Tep
The ‘Island of the Knights’, as it is known, has a beautiful natural landscape with cast sandy beaches and clear blue waters, as well as impressive, timeless human-made constructions, from ancient castles to traditional tavernas and luxury resorts and restaurants.
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The Old Town of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated inside an imposing wall and filled with historical buildings and architecture from its 2400-year history. The Palace of the Grand Masters - now a museum covering Rhodian history - can be found here, along with numerous ancient statues, fountains, mosques, hammams, and the medieval Roloi (Clock Tower) with views over the Aegean sea.
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Mandraki, home to the main harbour, was where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, once stood astride the harbour mouth. Today, the emblems of Rhodes - a stag and a doe - stand in statue form either side of the port entrance. The cathedral also contains some fantastic neo-Byzantinist frescoes by Photis Kondoglou.
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For peace and tranquility, visit the Valley of the Butterflies; a green 1km wide canyon filled with trees. The scent of the oriental sweetgum trees attracts thousands of butterflies during late May to August. The shaded, wet paths offer an ideal natural environment for the butterflies during their period of reproduction. Indeed, visitors should note that they discouraged from disturbing the delicate insects in any way.
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There are no shortage of beautiful beaches on the island: Rhodes Town has a large sandy beach stretching across the tip of the peninsula to the north of the island; the rugged beaches of Ixia and Ialysos to the west are great for watersports; the eastern side offers sandy stretches and little bays with tavernas and beach bars, as well as the TripAdvisor worldwide number one ranking Water Park and the fine sand on Tsampika which is great for families; finally, Prasonisi can be found at the south end of Rhodes, which is one of the most famous windsurfing and kite-surfing beaches in Greece.
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Numerous ancient sites can be found on the island of Rhodes, three of which pre-date the founding of the ancient Rhodes town in 408BC. From the Lindos acropolis, visitors can admire spectacular views along nearly 60 kilometres of coastline, and also visit the Temple of Athena. Numerous castles can be found around the island, from Monolithos Castle, to Asklipio Medieval Fort, and the castle of Kritinia, all with outstanding views from their vantage points.
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If you want to stretch further afield from Rhodes, try an excursion to explore the greater Dodecanese area, departing from Mandraki port or Kolona harbour to the stunningly photogenic islet of Symi, or the picture-perfect Halki.
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Title Image Credit: VladIslav Tep (Image Cropped)