Sightseeing in Rhodes Island

Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodecanese, and the interesting part starts where the hotel coastline ends. Dirt roads lead inland through the mountains: jeep safaris to the north and the south gather monasteries, hill villages like Embona at the foot of Attavyros, and lunches at farms where the wine and cheese are made for the household. Along the way come the knights' castles — Monolithos on its rock above the sea, Kritinia looking out to the neighbouring islands: built by the same Hospitallers who fortified the capital.

The Valley of the Butterflies is a sight of its own. In summer thousands of Panaxia moths gather in a shaded gorge threaded with streams, and you climb the boardwalks through them to the monastery at the top; this works from June to September, and the rest of the year the valley is simply beautiful. It is often paired with a trip to Halki — a small island off the west coast with one village and no traffic at all.

The sea around Rhodes supplies the rest. A cruise along the east coast opens up bays no road reaches and stops for swimming beside the rocks. The day trip to Symi means a neoclassical town of ochre houses rising in tiers from the harbour, and the monastery of Panormitis at the southern tip. Scuba diving for beginners runs close to shore: a dive with an instructor, equipment provided, no experience required.