The Greek Isles: Rhodes

Elli Beach Diving Boards

The morning after our visit to Kos we arrived at another island namely the Island of Rhodes. Rhodes is the largest island in the group of Dodecanese Islands so we knew that we would not be seeing everything in the one day that the cruise allowed us.

Panoramic view of Rhodes Medieval City

What I love about the cruises is that it gives one a glimpse into many cities in one trip, and this glimpse opens the door to future trips where my husband and I can continue to explore the places that we really would like to go back to.

Some of the places have been tourist traps, while others have been incredible experiences, most of which have taken place as we explored on our own and not on the pre-organised ship tours. I have learnt to investigate and then do the specific things that we prefer.

View from the ship of the hop-on-hop-off location

Well, on Rhodes there was a Hop-on-hop-off bus stop just outside the Cruise Terminal. If this is ever an option then go for it! We have found that these tours are far cheaper than the ship tours and they go to all of the top sights of any given city. And if you happen to have a day where you don’t feel like walking then one can just sit on the bus and enjoy the round trip while you take in the views.

We got our tickets and hopped on the first available bus with an open top. The bus stop and cruise port were on the very edge of the Medieval Old city but we would come back to this much later in the day.

ACROPOLIS OF RHODES

First the bus drove us through the leafy old suburbs along the boundary of the Old city. The bus wound up the narrow streets towards the summit of the hill where we were able to stop and visit the Acropolis of Rhodes. Unfortunately many of the structures were shrouded in scaffolding as the ruins are constantly under restoration. The acropolis is home to an amphitheatre and stadium and worth a walk through. Entry is free to visitors.

Next the bus began to descend. The views from this spot down towards the ocean were spectacular with the larger area of Rhodes below us with its bustling stoney beaches and busy hotels along the waterfront.

ELLI BEACH

We decided to hop off at Elli Beach. The beach was pebbled with small stones so I would recommend wearing a pear of beach shoes to enter and exit the water. We laid out of towels and quickly went for a dip in the warm water. There were’t any waves but a small swell bobbed us up and down as it rolled in.

DIVING BOARDS

We had noticed an off-shore diving board which was fully being taken advantage of by many folk. Some dived or jumped from the lower diving board (this would be me if I had the guts) while others made their way to the highest diving board, roughly 25 feet high and plummeted into the crystal blue sea far below.

The diving boards were built between 1936 and 1938 and still loved by foreigners and locals alike.

If jumping from heights isn’t your thing then you can always grab a lounger and umbrella for around four euro. We weren’t planning on hanging around and still had a lot to explore so we simply put down our towels on the pebbles and swam to our hearts content.

PAVING

With millions of pebbles at their disposal it is easy to see why they have been used to pave so many walkways and paths in Rhodes. This is just 1 example in front of the Casino on the beach front. The next photo shows the walkway in the ancient city.

We had decided to walk from Elli Beach towards the Medieval city and passed the buildings influenced by both the Ottoman Empire and Gothic styles.

The route took us along the waterfront past boat jetties and ruins alike.

FORT OF SAINT NICHOLAS

Just across the Mandrake Harbour we spotted the Fort of Saint Nicholas. It was built between 1460 to 1467 to protect the harbour from Ottoman raids and provide a lighthouse to arriving boats.

On either side of the harbour entrance is a tall pillar topped by a stag and a doe. They are the symbols of the island. (see the picture above)

We continued our walk through an avenue of trees and got an ice cream in the midday heat. There’s no need for lunch when cruising because breakfast and dinner are big affairs with a lot of food, so we tend to always either have a coffee of gelato on land while adventuring.

THE MEDIEVAL CITY OF RHODES

We finally made it to the old city, close to where our ship was moored and crossed over the old 21 meter wide moat in order to enter the Sea Gate. Once through the massive 12 meter wide outer wall we turned left into Hippocrates Square.

We continued along Aristotelous through various arches and alleys until we found the street of the Knights. We just happened to wander up this narrow street. This is in fact where the knights would have been housed and spent time preparing for war. It is so beautifully preserved and here once again you can see the pebbled street.

We were only too thankful to find a tap to refill our water bottles. The water tasted fresh and ice cold.

THE PALACE OF THE GRAND MASTER

At the top of the street of the Knights we were confronted by a formidable building named the Palace of the Grand Master. Its structure is imposing and grand with its exterior entrance lined with Canons for protection.

FOUNTAIN OF HIPPOCRATES

We wandered back through tiny streets until we found the Fountain of Hippocrates and the shopping and restaurant area. This part of the city was crowded but we joined them anyway and got a few gifts for our children. We usually prefer practical gifts so I found the perfect T-shirt for my son which says: “It’s all Greek to me” and then lists and translate a whole lot of Greek words.

THE VIRGIN OF THE BURGH CHURCH RUINS

The remains of the 3 beautiful apses are all that remains of this ancient Gothic church which is found in the Jewish quarter of the city. We stopped and sat on a bench to admire the ruins.

We eventually exited through The Gate of the Virgin closer to the cruise terminal and turned right to head in the direction of the ship. By now the small low tide beach was packed with visitors and locals enjoying the Summer sun.

With tired feet we headed to the ship for a swim and a very late lunch and took a rest on a sun lounger before preparing for dinner.

The next day was going to be a big one as we were about to visit Santorini!

To see what we got up to in Kos click here: https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@zo3d/the-greek-isles-kos

[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 36.44391 lat 28.22843 long The Greek Isles: Rhodes d3scr))