RHODES ISLAND Rhodes town is the largest settlement and capital city of the island. It is famous as the ancient site of the Colossus (c 280BC), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and as the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Rhodes was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1988. Now about 6000 people live and work in the same buildings the Knights of St. John lived in six centuries ago. The total population of the city is roughly 100 000. Rhodes is one of the largest and most fertile of the Greek Islands, and is one of the most visited because of its combination of beaches, archaeological sites, and extensive medieval town. The climate is particularly good, with the weather typically sunny and mild. The island is usually counted as one of the Dodecanese, but due to its importance for travelers is considered separately here. The rock-rose is so prolific here that it has been named the 'Island of Roses,' though modern scholars doubt the ancient theory that the island's name comes from the Greek word for rose. While the northern coast is renowned for its lively tourist resorts the south offers tranquil beaches and a slower, simpler pace of life. Harbour gates in Rhodes city The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus, whose son unsuccessfully besieged Rhodes in 305 BC. According to most contemporary descriptions, the Colossus stood approximately 70 cubits, or 33 metres (108 feet) high—the approximate height of the modern Statue of Liberty from feet to crown—making it the tallest statue of the ancient world. It was destroyed during the earthquake of 226 BC, and never rebuilt. As of 2015, there are tentative plans to build a new Colossus at Rhodes Harbor, although the actual location of the original remains in dispute. Settlements Afandou - One of the big villages on the island. The golf course of Rhodes is situated in this area along with a long beach Archangelos or (Arhangelos) - The second largest town on the island with its traditional own dialect and long standing traditions. Faliraki - Rhodes' action resort. Go there to party, everything else is better somewhere else. The hotels north from Faliraki are much quieter. Hotels near the water park do not interest clubbers, and are really family friendly. Nice beaches, a lot less winds than on the west coast and really good public transport. Ialysos - Blue waters, a seemingly endless organized beach, big hotel complexes as well as smaller friendly ones, shops of all kinds, and many night-clubs. The ideal conditions of the region, important international windsurfing competitions often take place here. Ixia - West coast resorts, close to Paradisi and Tholos, nearby to the airport and Rhodes city. Kalithea - snorkeling and resort hotels and the fantastic Kalithea springs building. Kolumbia - Enjoy a flight over the village of Greece which instead of houses has only ... luxury hotels. Kolymbia Rhodes as they are called, they were built by the Italians as a model agricultural village but today are a popular destination which prefer thousands of tourists during the summer season. Kolymbia, from a rural village 50 years ago, became the "village hotels of Greece", a "must" destination for tourists (Greek or not) who want to spend their holidays like ... kings. Laerma - inland village near some monuments, contains a few restaurants, inland from Lindos via Lardos. This village has been continuously inhabited since the Pre-Hellenic period. the Monastery Taxiarchis Michail is 4km southwest of Laerma and is the largest monastery on Rhodes Pefkos - A smaller tourist resourt close to Lindos. Originally started as a small collection of farms and private residences, but has grown into a town in its own right. Rhodes city - The biggest city on the island and seat of the local government For the traveler, Rhodes City falls into four more or less distinct areas. Rhodes Old Town, still enclosed by its medieval wall. Rhodes New Town, north and west of the Old Town, is an extensive and fairly non-descript modern city. Commercial Harbor, New Town's eastern waterfront Mandhraki Harbor, the yacht and ferry harbour Elli Beach Acropolis of Rhodes, the ruins of the ancient city, are about 2 km southwest of the Old Town. In the Old Town, the primary method of travel are your feet. Medieval buildings, mosques, traditional fountains, oriental motifs, Byzantine and Gothic churches, shops and cafeterias are scattered throughout the Old Town of Rhodes, There are approximately 125 streets or lanes of which about 10% lie on the old Hellenistic street plan of 2400 years ago, that was a straight forward North/south and east/west street plan, with two hills, on one you find the Grandmaster´s castle, which is the busy northern part of town, and the other one opposite the first one two windmill remains, which is the quiet part of the old town. The rest of the streets are running also either north- south or east-west but for shorter lengths. So if you walk around noon in a quiet narrow street with the sun in your face, you are walking away from the crowd. If you walk away from the sun, then after while you see more and more people, keep on going for a few meters more and you enter a wide busy street with a lot of little shops, probably "Odos Socratous" or the Socratous street, to your right is the main square, to your left is the castle. But every one is getting lost sometimes ask a local for "Mandraki", the yacht harbour north of the old town, where the buses are when you came from out of town, the major taxi stand is also there, or "Ippoton" the street of the knights, which is also in the northern part of the town, and they point you in the right direction. Rhodes Old Town itself is surely the main attraction here. A UNESCO World Heritage Site , it is one of the best preserved and most extensive medieval towns in Europe. As you wander from the bus station, and over the outer wall and moat, it's like stepping back in time and reliving all your childhood dreams of being a knight and attacking exotic castles in distant lands. It is also the location of many monuments and several museums - make sure to get a good map. If you want to see it all, plan for at least a day, and two will not be amiss if you want to see all the museums. Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes - can be split into outside, courtyard, outside wall, first floor and second floor. Open in season till 8PM, entry is €6, outside wall is an additional €2. The first floor (photos prohibited) contains some artifacts of Ancient Rhodes but is closed. The Archaeological Museum offers more selection and allows photos. Second floor has a variety of later "artifacts" such as mosaics from Kos and other odd bits and bobs, but it has almost no descriptions (probably to force people to wait for a tour guide). The Palace of the Grand Masters was demolished by a gunpowder explosion in 1856 and reconstructed by the Italians as a summer residence for Mussolini in 1940. Take your photos outside, and come back to look inside when the ground floor exhibitions on Rhodes are open. Institute of Marine Biology (Aquarium) Archbishops Palace Annunciation church Central Post Office Town hall, Theatre and Government House (Italian architecture) Rhodes Archaeological Museum, Open in season till 8PM. It has two floors, and most of the exhibits are on the second floor, accessed by the monumental staircase. The museum operates a tour of the city walls Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8AM leaving from the Palace of the Grand Masters. Visitors are simply allowed up on the walls to walk along the top of them at their own pace. This walk offers views of the town not otherwise available and is the best way to get an idea of the size of the town and the variety of its architecture.It is not guided. €3. Museum of Decorative Art Gallery Other destinations Asklipio - inland village, site of an old church and a castle Castle of Monolithos - If you are staying on the east coast, drive to Gennadi. North of the village, take the road across the island via Vati to Apollakia. The drive can be windy for moped riders, but the beautiful vistas make up for the work. Apollakia is not very special but has a couple of nice tavernas if you feel like having a refreshment. South of the village is a gas station, which you should use in case you are on a moped. Go on to Monolithos. Behind the village there is the actual attraction, which you will see from the road: The Castle of Monolithos on a 240m-high rock. Do not forget to go to the actual site, which does not offer much architecture-wise, but provides you with splendid views across the west coast. To the north-west, you can see the Castle of Kalki. Gennadi Around 64 km from Rhodes Old Town and nearby to Prasonisi, attracts several keen surfers. Among the last unspoiled stretches of coastline left on Rhodes. Haraki (Charaki) - Small former fishing village located next to Lindos.