Dodecanese
Photo: Ahmet Çığşar / Pexels
The Verdict
The best choice for a late or early season island trip — and for travelers who want medieval history alongside beaches.
Why go
For Rhodes' medieval old town, Patmos' religious atmosphere, Symi's harbour beauty and a season that extends further into autumn than the Cyclades.
Understand the place
A scattered group near Turkey, blending medieval architecture, long beaches and a longer season than the Cyclades.
Where to swim
Beaches
What to eat & drink here
Food & drink
Pitaroudia
Crispy chickpea fritters packed with onion, tomato and mint. Dodecanese snack food made for eating on the move through medieval streets.
“Crispy, chickpea-based patties that define Dodecanese snack culture.”
Pitaridia
Handmade pasta boiled in meat stock, served with grated mizithra and toasted butter. Peasant pasta done right, simple ingredients doing all the work.
“Handmade pasta that is boiled in meat stock—a simple pleasure.”
Sfougato
Egg and vegetable bake, essentially a crustless quiche packed with zucchini or local greens. Light enough for a quiet dinner, not a showpiece dish.
“A local egg and vegetable bake that is essentially a crustless quiche.”
The old world
History & archaeology
The Acropolis of Lindos
A temple of Athena on a sheer rock above the village and bay of Lindos, with Hellenistic stoa and a Knights' castle on the same summit.
“The best ancient site in the Dodecanese, and worth the climb. Walk up before nine or after five, or ride a donkey and feel bad about it.”
Ancient Kamiros
One of the three ancient cities of Rhodes, on a hillside above the west coast, excavated into readable terraces of houses, temples and a reservoir.
“The quietest of Rhodes' ancient cities, and the one where you can actually read the town plan. Come here instead of queueing at Lindos.”
Palace of the Grand Master
The Knights' fortress at the top of Rhodes old town, rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s as a palace for Mussolini.
“Go for the medieval shell and the mosaic floors; ignore the fantasy reconstruction wrapped around them.”
Places within
Rhodes Town
The best-preserved medieval city in the Mediterranean: a walled Knights' town, an Ottoman quarter and a modern harbour city beside them.
“The only honest reason to start a Rhodes trip here rather than on the beach. Give the old town two nights and walk it after dark, when the cruise crowds are back on board.”
Lindos
A whitewashed village stacked beneath the acropolis of Lindos on Rhodes, overlooking a sheltered bay and a long sandy beach.
“Worth the detour for the acropolis and bay view, but the village itself is a summer tourist trap by midday.”
Rhodes
The largest of the Dodecanese — a walled medieval old town, long beaches, and a longer season than the Cyclades.
“The best Dodecanese island for a first visit — medieval history, family beaches, and a season that runs later than the Cyclades.”
Keep reading
All Greek islandsMore related places in Greece
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