Destinations Greece The Dodecanese
Greece · The Dodecanese

The Dodecanese

22 restaurants
16 hotels
13 things to do
6 islands

The Dodecanese runs along the Turkish coast. Start with Rhodes for the walled Old Town and Lindos, then stay overnight on Symi instead of taking the return boat at dusk. Patmos works from Skala up to the Monastery of St John. Kos, Karpathos and Kastellorizo cover the rest of the chain without pretending six islands fit into one week.

Last reviewed July 2026

Euros, with cash for the smaller islands. Go in May or June, or from September to early October. Fly into Rhodes; Kos and Karpathos also have airports. Allow €180–800 a day. Spend the first nights in Rhodes Town, add Lindos, then continue to Symi or Patmos. Faliraki is the party-resort strip.

A note from Hala

Rhodes has been run by the Knights of St John, the Ottomans and the Italians, and you can see all three within a few streets: the medieval walls, the mosques, the Italian quarter.

Fly into Rhodes (RHO), which runs direct from London and much of Europe between May and October. Symi is an hour and a half away by ferry at most, and two islands is a sensible week.

Rhodes for the medieval city, Symi for the harbour overnight, Patmos for the monastery.
Quick take

May, June, September and early October keep the Lindos acropolis climbable in the morning and the small hotels open. July and August reach 38°C inland on Rhodes, and the Lindos buses fill. November to April, most small hotels close, especially on Symi and Patmos.

The Dodecanese · Four rulers, one set of streets

What Rhodes kept

1309–1522 · 213 years

The Knights of St John

Crusader rule

The Knights of St John ruled Rhodes for 213 years. The Palace of the Grand Masters, Street of the Knights and old infirmary remain inside one of Europe's largest inhabited medieval walled cities. The Old Town has been UNESCO-listed since 1988.

1522–1912

The Ottomans

Ottoman rule

After Suleiman took Rhodes in 1522, mosques, hammams and minarets were built among the medieval lanes. Gothic and Ottoman buildings still share the same blocks in the Lower Town.

1912–1947

The Italians

Italian rule

Italy governed the Dodecanese from 1912 to 1947. The period left the modernist quarter in Rhodes New Town, the rebuilt Palace of the Grand Master and the Kallithea spa. The buildings are part of the record, including the Fascist government that commissioned them.

1947–today

Greece

Greek rule

The islands joined Greece in 1947.

Patmos · since 1088

Patmos

The monastery

The Monastery of St John was founded in 1088 and has stood above Chora for centuries. The monastery and Cave of the Apocalypse have been UNESCO-listed since 1999.

Patmos has a different history. The Monastery of St John was founded in 1088 and has shaped the island for centuries.

Four rulers, four centuries, one set of streets.

The Zones

Six islands to plan around

Rhodes needs three or four nights. Symi is better after the return boats leave. Patmos needs time for both Chora and Skala. Kos has the easiest northern connections. Karpathos is long, mountainous and exposed to wind at the south. Kastellorizo is one village beside the Turkish coast.

A hand-drawn medieval gate of Rhodes Old Town
South · UNESCO Old Town · Three to four nights
Rhodes

Base inside or beside the Old Town for the Palace of the Grand Masters, Street of the Knights, Archaeological Museum and Jewish Quarter. One of the largest still-inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe, UNESCO-listed since 1988. Lindos is about an hour down the east coast and needs an early start for the 4th-century-BC acropolis. Allow three to four nights.

Best baseCrusader UNESCO
North of Rhodes · Neoclassical harbour · Overnight
Symi

Yialos harbour is lined with pastel 19th-century neoclassical houses, with Chorio above it at the top of the 500-step Kali Strata. A 50–90-minute ferry north of Rhodes. Day boats usually leave by early evening. Stay overnight and have dinner after the harbour clears.

Sleep overnightKali Strata
Far north · UNESCO monastery · Yacht-week
Patmos

Chora surrounds the Monastery of St John (founded 1088, UNESCO-listed); Skala is the harbour; Sapsila is the bay just south. The Cave of the Apocalypse, where John the Divine is said to have written Revelation, sits between Chora and Skala. Ferries arrive from Kos and from Piraeus (8 hrs). Many hotels close from November to Easter.

Monastery UNESCOYacht-week
Second-biggest · Charter-flight hub · Asclepieion
Kos

The 4th-century-BC Asclepieion is 4 km outside Kos Town, and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates stands on Plateia Platanou. Kos Town is the practical base for the site, restaurants and onward ferries. The south coast is dominated by all-inclusive resorts.

HippocratesCharter hub
South-west · Mountain · Under-touristed
Karpathos

Karpathos is long and mountainous, halfway between Rhodes and Crete. Pigadia is the port and easiest base; Olympos is the cliff village in the north, where women still wear the regional dress at festivals; Afiartis at the southern end is exposed to the wind and used for windsurfing.

OlymposWindsurf
Far east · 2 km from Turkey · Tiny
Kastellorizo (Megisti)

Kastellorizo sits 2 km from the Turkish coast, with the town of Kaş visible across the strait. The village wraps around one horseshoe harbour, and boats run to the Blue Cave (Parastas); Lycian rock tombs are cut into the cliff. Mediterraneo (1991 Oscar for Best Foreign Film) was shot here. Flights from Rhodes take about 25 minutes; ferry service is limited.

Mediterraneo25-min flight from RHO
Where We Eat

The table

The restaurant list is concentrated in Rhodes Old Town and Lindos, Yialos on Symi, Skala and Sapsila on Patmos, and the main harbours of Karpathos and Kastellorizo. Reserve Mavrikos, Noble Gourmet, Benetos, Vegghera and Pleiades in advance. The Olive Tree works for lunch after the Kali Strata. Many seasonal rooms close between November and Easter.

Rhodes & Lindos

Mavrikos · Lindos

€€€

On the main square in Lindos village, under the acropolis: founded 1933, third-generation Mavrikos brothers, the institution every Greek-food writer cites first when Rhodes comes up. Modern Greek with Aegean detail; book a week ahead in summer. Reserve a dinner here on the Lindos night.

Lindos main squareSince 1933

Mama Sofia

€€€
Must orderslow-cooked lamb

Orfeos Street in the Rhodes Old Town, operating since 1967, the family-run Greek-Mediterranean room the regulars send you to. Slow-cooked lamb and fresh fish.

Rhodes Old TownSince 1967

Pizanias

€€
Must orderthe morning catch

A small fish taverna in the Old Town since 1970, the Pizanias family room, where the catch is what came in that morning and the menu is the conversation. Ask what came in that morning.

Rhodes Old TownFishBook

Tamam

€€€

Georgiou Leontos 1, Old Town: Greek-Eastern Mediterranean fusion in a room that nods to the chain's Ottoman past. Note: shares the name with the famous Chania (Crete) room but is unrelated. Use it for a Greek–Eastern Mediterranean dinner inside the Old Town.

Rhodes Old TownBook

Niohori

€€
Must orderthe day’s cut

A traditional Rhodes taverna since 1981, where the Niohori family runs the butcher across the road and serves what they cut that morning. Order from the cuts prepared by the family butcher across the road.

Rhodes TownFamily butcher

To Megiston

€€
Must orderpitaroudia

An Old Town ouzeri, family-run, the small-plates-and-ouzo room for the slow late-afternoon stop between the Palace of the Grand Masters and dinner. Pitaroudia (the Rhodian chickpea fritter), local cheeses, wine by the carafe.

Rhodes Old TownOuzeri

Noble Gourmet · Kallithea

€€€€€
Must orderthe tasting menu

At the Elysium Resort on the Kallithea coast, 10 km south of Rhodes Town: chef Giorgos Troumouchis and Spyros Kougios (ex-Maaemo, Oslo) running a "Progressive Rhodian Cuisine" tasting menu. Athinorama Toque d'Or 2022–2024, FNL two-star.

Kallithea · 10 km southBook ahead

Auvergne Café

Must ordera single-origin coffee

In a 16th-century Knights-of-St-John lodge courtyard on Megalou Alexandrou Square: a century-old ficus shading the tables, single-origin coffees, a small Greek wine list. Open from morning through the afternoon.

Rhodes Old Town16th-c. courtyard

Lindos By Night

€€
Must ordera sunset cocktail

Operating since 1982, three levels in a Lindos house with twin rooftops facing the Acropolis directly. Reserve the rooftop for a direct view of the acropolis. Book for 7:30 in summer; tables go early after.

Lindos villageSince 1982Book

Ktima Lindos

€€€

A garden restaurant on the Lindos hillside next door to Lindos Mare: Mediterranean cooking, mostly seafood, It works for lunch or an early dinner on the Lindos hillside. Seasonal May–October.

Lindos hillsideMay–Oct

Symi

Mythos

€€€
Must orderthe small Symi shrimp

Yialos harbour, chef Stavros's wood-oven kitchen on Yialos harbour. Slow-cooked meat from the oven, the sweet small Symiakos shrimp (the island's famous catch), an unfussy wine list. The Yialos dinner.

Yialos harbourWood ovenBook

Tholos

€€

On the edge of Yialos harbour walking out toward Charani (not Pedi; Taverna Tolis is the Pedi one), a quiet fish-and-mezze room. The terrace looks along Yialos harbour. Ask what fish came in that day.

Yialos · toward CharaniSunset

Manos Fish Restaurant

€€€
Must orderwhatever’s on the ice

The Yialos waterfront fish-meeting-point, long-running, the room the celebrity-yacht crowd cycles through. Order whatever's on the ice that day; share. Reservations help in season.

Yialos waterfrontBook

The Olive Tree

€€
Must ordershakshuka

At the top of the Kali Strata (the 500-step stone staircase from Yialos to Chora): English-run, breakfast-and-lunch only, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Excellent shakshuka and a small Greek-island wine list by the glass. Daytime only; closed for dinner.

Top of Kali StrataDaytime8:30–15:30

Patmos

Benetos

€€€€

Sapsila inlet just outside Skala: opened 1997 by Benetos and Susan Matthaiou, fourteen tables on a seaside veranda. Reserve at least a week ahead. Seasonal · closed Nov–Easter.

Sapsila · PatmosBook 1 wkSeasonal

Vegghera

€€€€

Twelve tables on the Skala marina, cooking modern Greek. It only opens in season, and you will need to reserve.

Skala marinaBookSeasonal

Giagko's Pantheon

€€

In Chora, in the literal shadow of the Monastery walls, the family taverna, the lunch to have after the monastery morning. Greek classics done well, the meal that defines Patmos for the people who make it up there.

Patmos ChoraLunchTaverna

Trehantiri · Skala

€€
Must orderaubergine in oil

A modest, affordable seafood taverna on the Skala waterfront, the casual second-night dinner after a Benetos or Vegghera splurge. Local fish, the Patmos-favourite aubergine in oil, retsina from the carafe.

Skala waterfrontCasual

Pleiades

€€€€
Must ordershrimp risotto with vanilla

Above Loukakia Beach in the Sapsila bay: chef Ettore Botrini (the same Botrini behind Etrusco on Corfu, who holds a Michelin star at his Athens restaurant) running a pool-side terrace kitchen. The menu includes shrimp risotto with vanilla and smoked-sygklino tagliatelle.

Sapsila · PatmosBook ahead

Karpathos & Kastellorizo

Acropolis Steak, Grill & Wine Bar

€€€
Must orderthe steak

Pigadia waterfront on Karpathos since 1989. Note: the name suggests Olympos village, but the restaurant is in Pigadia harbour, the capital. Steak, grill, and a longer wine list than most places on the island.

Pigadia · KarpathosSince 1989

Poseidon Blue Gastronomy

€€€
Must orderthe morning boat’s fish

On the Pigadia waterfront, attached to the Poseidon Blue Gastronomy Hotel: modern Greek cooking on the Pigadia waterfront. Ask for the fish off the morning boat.

Pigadia · KarpathosHotel kitchen

Faros Bar · Kastellorizo

€€
Must ordera sundowner

By the small mosque at the eastern end of Kastellorizo harbour, a former lighthouse converted into the island's day-swim-and-sundowner spot. Glass-clear water off the harbour rocks; Swim from the harbour rocks, then stay for a drink as the sun drops over Turkey.

Kastellorizo harbour · east endDay swimSunset
Where We Sleep

The stay

Rhodes has small hotels inside the Old Town and larger resorts along the coast. Symi's small hotels sit around Yialos, Nimborio and the Kali Strata. Petra is above Grikos on Patmos; Skala has simpler rooms beside the ferry. Sixteen properties here, and most seasonal ones close between November and Easter.

Smart & Comfortable · from €180

A seven-room boutique inside a restored Ottoman mansion in the Rhodes Old Town, brought back over twenty years by Giuseppe Sala and Efi Dede, each room its own painted-and-textiled set piece. Open April–October. The literary-traveller's address; the Marco Polo Cafe garden is the unsold breakfast.

What it's known for
Rhodes Old Town address
Restored Ottoman mansion
7 rooms, each its own set piece
Marco Polo Cafe garden
AddressRhodes Old Town 85100
Rate range€180–280/night
Best forThe literary-traveller's Old-Town stay · couples · character over scale
NearRhodes Old Town lanes · the Cafe garden on-site for breakfast and dinner
Good to know
Seven rooms; a 4–5 month booking lead in summer
Open April–October only
The Marco Polo Cafe garden serves dinner too
InsiderSeven rooms means a 4–5 month booking lead in summer. The Marco Polo Cafe garden serves dinner too; it's the easy stay-in night between Old-Town tavernas.
Book direct

Six suites inside a 600-year-old building in Rhodes Old Town, with vaulted stone ceilings, restored antiques and a small courtyard.

What it's known for
600-year Crusader-Ottoman building
Vaulted stone ceilings
6 suites only
Quiet Old-Town immersion
AddressRhodes Old Town 85100 (highest point of the medieval town)
Rate range€180–280/night
Best forQuiet Old-Town immersion in fewer keys · couples
NearRhodes Old Town · Palace of the Grand Masters and Suleiman Mosque minutes away
Good to know
Some rooms share courtyard access — confirm if you want private outdoor space
No pool; the Old Town is the property
On the highest, quiet point of the medieval town
InsiderSome rooms have shared courtyard access; confirm at booking if you want private outdoor space. No pool; the Old Town is the property.
Book direct

A family-run hotel in Skala, Patmos's harbour town, 50 metres from the ferry quay. Chora sits up the hill if the hilltop village matters more than ferry access.

What it's known for
50 m from the Patmos ferry quay
Family-run
Walk-everywhere Skala base
Entry-tier rate on a pricey island
AddressSkala, Patmos 85500 (50 m from the port)
Rate range€180–280/night
Best forEasy ferry-and-restaurant access · entry-tier Patmos base
NearSkala harbour and ferry quay · short cab up to Chora
Good to know
Harbour-side; reach Chora (the monastery village) by short cab
Closes hard Nov–Easter, like most of Patmos
Walk to Skala's tavernas and the Vegghera marina table
InsiderGet to Chora (the hilltop monastery village) by short cab; the property itself is harbour-side. Closes hard Nov–Easter, like most of Patmos.
Book direct
Boutique & Design · from €300

Six suites behind the walls of a 14th-century Knights-of-St-John residence at St John's Gate: restored by Angelos and Anna Trillis, each suite a different historical layer (Crusader, Ottoman, Italian), the Old-Town boutique the design-press cites first. The flagship Rhodes city stay.

What it's known for
14th-c. knight's residence at St John's Gate
Each suite a different historical layer
6 suites only
The Rhodes Old-Town flagship
AddressArch. Efthimiou 24, Medieval Town, Rhodes 85100
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forCouples · a restored Knights-of-St-John residence
NearSt John's Gate · the Old-Town lanes and the Palace of the Grand Masters
Good to know
Books out 6+ months ahead in season
No pool; the property is the room
Pair with Lindos Mare or Aquagrand for a beach half
InsiderBooks out 6+ months ahead in season. No pool; the property is the room. Lindos Mare and Aquagrand both have beach access for the second half of a Rhodes week.
Book direct

Adults-only design hotel on Rhodes's north-east coast at Kolymbia: bohemian-Mediterranean styling (the brand made its name), a serpentine pool spine, and it reposts well on the right Instagram accounts. 30 minutes from Old Town, 30 from Lindos.

What it's known for
Adults-only design hotel
Bohemian-Mediterranean styling
Serpentine pool spine
Kolymbia, NE Rhodes
AddressKolymbia, NE Rhodes 85103
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forAdults-only design stay · couples · pool-led days
NearKolymbia beach · 30 min to Old Town, 30 min to Lindos
Good to know
Verify season — Casa Cook can close earlier than the Rhodes-coast competition
The cab to Lindos is €40+; rent a car for the Lindos days
Adults-only
InsiderVerify the season; Casa Cook properties sometimes close earlier than the Rhodes-coast competition. The cab to Lindos is €40+, so rent a car for the Lindos days.
Book direct

Ten rooms at the base of the Kali Strata in a listed 19th-century commercial building. The rooftop Agora restaurant opened in 2023.

What it's known for
Base of the Kali Strata, Yialos
Greek National Monument building
10 rooms in a listed building
Rooftop Agora restaurant
AddressYialos, Symi 85600 (foot of the Kali Strata)
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forOur pick on Symi · couples · slow harbour days
NearYialos harbour · the Kali Strata up to Chorio · Mythos and Manos Fish
Good to know
Choose Yialos-harbour life or climb the 500 steps for the Chora air
Books out 4+ months ahead in season
The Agora rooftop is the on-site dinner
InsiderThe location at the bottom of the Kali Strata means you can choose Yialos-harbour life or climb the 500 steps for the Chora air. Books out 4+ months ahead in season.
Book direct

A central Yialos property with suites, gardens and a pool. It has more shared space than The Old Markets and is usually easier to book.

What it's known for
Central Yialos, Symi
A pool, uncommon on Symi
Colonnaded suites and gardens
Usually easier to book
AddressYialos centre, Symi 85600
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forPool-and-pool-deck days over a boutique · easier booking
NearYialos central square · Mythos and Manos Fish on foot
Good to know
The garden suites open onto the gardens
Walk-everywhere to Mythos and Manos Fish
Larger than The Old Markets than The Old Markets
InsiderThe garden suites are the upgrade; the pool-side ones are good, but the property's gardens are its real surprise. Walk-everywhere to Mythos and Manos Fish.
Book direct

SLH-member small hotel on the hill above Grikos beach on Patmos: 11 rooms, terrace-and-sea views, the Petra family running it since 1989. The reference Patmos boutique stay, walking distance to a quiet swim and a 10-minute cab from Skala for the Vegghera/Benetos dinner.

What it's known for
SLH member, above Grikos beach
11 rooms, family-run since 1989
Terrace-and-sea views
The reference Patmos boutique
AddressGrikos, Patmos 85500
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forThe reference Patmos boutique stay · couples · quiet swims
NearGrikos beach · 10-min cab from Skala for the Vegghera/Benetos dinner
Good to know
"Sea View Junior Suite" is the upgrade that justifies the rate jump
Closed hard Nov–April
Quieter than the Skala harbour properties
Insider"Sea View Junior Suite" is the upgrade that justifies the rate jump. Closed hard Nov–April. Quieter than the Skala harbour properties; rent a small boat for a Patmos day-trip out of Grikos.
Book direct

Thirteen apartment-style villas on the Sapsila bay just south of Skala (where Benetos sits): the Patmos pick for couples or families who want a self-catering kitchen and a slow bay rather than a hotel-shape stay. Walk to Benetos for dinner.

What it's known for
Sapsila bay, south of Skala
13 self-catering villa-apartments
All sea-view
Walk to Benetos
AddressSapsila bay, Patmos 85500
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forCouples or families wanting a self-catering kitchen and a slow bay
NearSapsila bay · Benetos on foot · Skala a 10-min cab
Good to know
Confirm specific villa category — units vary in size and outdoor space
Sapsila is the quieter Patmos micro-zone
Skala is a 10-min cab when you want it
InsiderConfirm the specific villa category at booking; the units vary in size and outdoor space. The Sapsila bay is the quieter Patmos micro-zone; Skala is a 10-min cab when you want it.
Book direct

Six rooms in Nimborio bay, 2 km from Yialos, run by Andrew and Claire. Water taxis handle the trip to town, and the rocks below the property are used for swimming.

What it's known for
Quiet Nimborio bay, 2 km from Yialos
Water-taxi access
Sea-rocks for the swim
Run by Andrew and Claire
AddressNimborio, Symi 85600
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forAway-from-harbour quiet · couples · the Symi yacht-crowd hideaway
NearNimborio bay · water-taxi to Yialos for Mythos or Manos Fish
Good to know
Six rooms; it books 6+ months ahead for August
As of 2023 it's offered for exclusive (whole-property) use — confirm at booking
No on-site restaurant; water-taxi to Yialos for dinner
InsiderSix rooms means it books 6+ months ahead for August. No on-site restaurant; you'll water-taxi back into Yialos for dinner at Mythos or Manos Fish.
Book direct

The only luxury-tier hotel on Kos worth a Hala-page paragraph: Small Luxury Hotels member, adults-only, above Lambi beach 4 km from Kos Town. The Kos base if you're doing a Hippocrates-and-Asclepieion morning and a Patmos-via-ferry hop, and don't want the south-coast all-inclusive strip.

What it's known for
SLH member, adults-only
Above Lambi beach, 4 km from Kos Town
The one luxury-tier Kos base
Tamaris Spa
AddressLambi, Kos 85300
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forThe Hippocrates-and-ferry Kos base · couples · adults-only quiet
NearLambi beach · 10-min cab to Kos Town · Asclepieion 4 km
Good to know
"Sea View" suites face Bodrum on the Turkish coast
The cab into Kos Town for dinner is 10 minutes
Skip the package-resort strip to the south
Insider"Sea View" suites face Bodrum on the Turkish coast. The cab into Kos Town for dinner is 10 minutes; skip the package-resort strip south.
Book direct
Top-tier & Architectural · from €550

A 142-room luxury hotel on the cliff above Vlicha Bay, two kilometres from Lindos village: the cliff-down funicular to a private beach is the design signature. Larger-scale than the Old-Town boutiques, with a big pool and a full dining estate. The Lindos-area base for couples who want resort polish.

What it's known for
Cliff above Vlicha Bay
Funicular to a private beach
142 rooms, big pool and full dining
Resort polish near Lindos
AddressVlicha Bay, Lindos, Rhodes 85107
Rate range€550+/night
Best forCouples who want resort polish near Lindos · pool-and-beach days
NearVlicha Bay private beach · 2 km / €15 cab to Lindos village
Good to know
The "Premium Suite with Private Pool" tier adds a private pool
Cab to Lindos village is €15
Do the village in the early morning before the day-bus crowd
InsiderThe "Premium Suite with Private Pool" tier is the upgrade worth taking. Cab to Lindos village is €15; do the village in the early morning before the day-bus crowd lands.
Book direct

An adults-only resort at Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos, with private-pool suites. Smaller in scale than Lindos Mare.

What it's known for
Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos
Adults-only
Suites with private pools
Smaller than Lindos Mare
AddressNavarone Bay, Lindos, Rhodes 85107
Rate range€550+/night
Best forQuiet and a big pool over resort scale · couples · adults-only
NearNavarone Bay · 1.5 km to Lindos village
Good to know
The property is built around the "Suite with Private Pool" category
Walk into Lindos at sunset rather than mid-day
Adults-only (16+)
Insider"Suite with Private Pool" is the booking; the standard rooms are good but the property is built around the suite tier. Walk into Lindos at sunset rather than mid-day.
Book direct

A five-star spa-and-villas resort on Rhodes's south coast at Lachania, close to Prasonisi at the southern tip (where the Aegean meets the Med, the kitesurfing beach). The Rhodes top-tier for travellers who want the south rather than the Lindos belt.

What it's known for
South-coast Rhodes at Lachania
Thalassotherapy spa
Villas with private pools
Close to Prasonisi
AddressLachania, south Rhodes 85109
Rate range€550+/night
Best forTravellers who want the south rather than the Lindos belt · families · spa
NearLachania beach · Prasonisi kitesurf spit at the southern tip
Good to know
The south-coast location is farther from Lindos than the east-coast hotels; rent a car
Villas come with private pools
The thalasso programme is the second
InsiderThe south-coast location is meaningfully more remote than the Lindos cluster, so rent a car. Villas come with private pools; the thalasso programme is the second.
Book direct

An adults-only property at Navarone Bay, up the road from Lindos village, with 70 rooms in a Lindian-Italian style.

What it's known for
Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos
Adults-only, 70 rooms
Lindian-Italian architecture
Full-service beach resort
AddressNavarone (Psaltos) Bay, Lindos, Rhodes 85107
Rate range€550+/night
Best forAdults-only over family-friendly · couples · the Lindos-Mare alternative
NearNavarone Bay beach · 5-min cab to Lindos village
Good to know
Shares the bay with neighbouring hotels; confirm which one has the suite category you want
Cab to Lindos village 5 minutes
Cab to Lindos for a 7 a.m. acropolis climb before the heat
InsiderConfirm which Navarone-bay property has the suite category you want. Cab to Lindos village 5 minutes; book it for a 7 a.m. acropolis climb before the heat.
Book direct

The only five-star on Patmos: Luxury Collection (Marriott) brand, 56 keys on Grikos bay, full spa and a proper restaurant. The top-tier Patmos pick if Petra's 11-room boutique is too intimate or sold out, with the brand-standard reliability the small properties can't quite promise.

What it's known for
The only five-star on Patmos
Marriott Luxury Collection
56 keys on Grikos bay
Full spa and a proper restaurant
AddressGrikos Bay, Patmos 85500
Rate range€550+/night
Best forBrand-standard reliability at the top tier · couples · families
NearGrikos bay beach · 10-min cab from Skala for the Vegghera/Benetos dinner
Good to know
The Honeymoon Suites face the bay directly; standard rooms are garden-set
Closes Nov–Easter; the season opens around mid-April
Reopened May 2026 as a Marriott Luxury Collection resort
InsiderThe Honeymoon Suites face the bay directly; standard rooms are garden-set. Closes Nov–Easter; the 2026 season opens around mid-April.
Book direct
What We Do

What to do

Twelve things, four categories. Rhodes Old Town and Lindos are the medieval-Crusader mornings. Allow a morning for the Monastery of St John and the Cave of the Apocalypse. Symi's Kali Strata is the walk. Kastellorizo's Blue Cave is the half-day-boat to the eastern edge of Greece.

Free

Rhodes Old Town · the walls morning

Rhodes Old Town

One of the largest still-inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe, UNESCO since 1988. Start at the Palace of the Grand Masters, walk down the cobbled Street of the Knights, end at the Archaeological Museum (housed in the old Knights' Hospital infirmary). Pair with the Jewish Quarter for the second half. Three hours; do it before 11 in summer.

€10 site combo
Ticketed

Lindos Acropolis · at dawn

Lindos · east coast

The 4th-century-BC acropolis on the white cliff above Lindos: Temple of Athena Lindia, the long view down to St Paul's Bay. €12 entry, climb up on foot. Note: donkey rides are regulated as of 2024 (max 60 min daily per donkey, no midday work); walk instead, both for the animals' sake and because the cobbled climb in the cool of dawn is half the experience.

€12 · pre-9 a.m.
Free

Kos · Asclepieion + Hippocrates's plane tree

Kos Town + 4 km

The 4th-century-BC Asclepieion, 4 km outside Kos Town, the ancient healing sanctuary where the Hippocratic medical tradition was effectively born. Pair with Plateia Platanou in Kos Town and the (likely-mythic) plane tree Hippocrates is said to have taught under. 90 min for the pair.

€6 site
Ticketed

Patmos · Monastery of St John + Cave of the Apocalypse

Patmos Chora

The 1088 fortified monastery on top of Patmos's Chora, UNESCO-listed since 1999, the most important Greek-Orthodox site outside Mount Athos. Halfway down the hill sits the Cave of the Apocalypse where St John the Divine is said to have written Revelation. Modest dress required (covered shoulders, long skirts/trousers); 9–13 daily. The Patmos morning.

€4 monastery · €4 cave
Ticketed

Symi · Panormitis Monastery

Panormitis bay · south Symi

At Panormitis bay on Symi's south coast, a 25-minute drive from Yialos: an 18th-century monastery dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The chapel has a gold-and-silver-leaf wall. Boats arrive here on some Rhodes day-tour.

€3 · 90 min
Ticketed

Rhodes Archaeological Museum

Rhodes Old Town

Housed in the 15th-century Knights' Hospital infirmary in the Old Town: Mycenaean gold, the famous Aphrodite of Rhodes (the Hellenistic statue emerging from a bath), the Lindos pediments. The pair with the Palace of the Grand Masters in a single Old-Town morning. Allow 90 minutes.

€8 · 90 min
Book ahead

Symi · ferry from Rhodes

Rhodes → Symi

The 50–90-min ferry from Rhodes harbour to Symi Yialos, the defining Dodecanese boat. Take an early ferry (~9 a.m.), stay the night, ferry back the next afternoon. The harbour at dusk, after the day-trippers have left, is the unsold experience the page is built around.

€25–50 · book
Free

Kastellorizo · the Blue Cave

From Kastellorizo harbour

A 90-min boat tour from Kastellorizo harbour to the Parastas Blue Cave, accessible only in calm seas; you enter lying flat in a small boat through a 1 m gap, and the chamber inside is filtered Aegean blue. Lycian rock tombs visible from the harbour. Combine with Faros Bar for the day.

€20 · weather-dependent
Book ahead

Karpathos · Olympos by boat

From Pigadia or Diafani

Olympos perches on a cliff at the north tip of Karpathos; the easier access is by morning caïque from Pigadia or Diafani up the east coast, returning by 1990s-jeep over the mountain. The cliff-top village still observes its own dialect, and the women wear traditional dress for festivals. Half-day on a boat; pair with a Pigadia waterfront lunch.

€30–50 · half-day
Free

Symi · the Kali Strata

Yialos → Chorio · Symi

The defining Symi walk: 500 stone steps from Yialos harbour up to Chorio (Symi Chora) at the top. 30 minutes up, 20 down, an hour to see the medieval Chorio and walk back. The Olive Tree at the top is the breakfast/lunch reward; sunset from up there is the unbeatable Symi-harbour photograph.

Free · 60 min
Free

Prasonisi · Rhodes south tip

South tip of Rhodes

The sand spit at Rhodes's far southern tip where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean: when the wind is up, the two seas run different colours, with waves on either side of the same beach. One of Europe's top kitesurfing beaches; lessons run from the Atrium Prestige side. Drive an hour and a half from Rhodes Town; pair with an Atrium Prestige lunch.

Free · kitesurf
Free

Karpathos · Olympos village wander

Olympos · north Karpathos

If you've made it up by boat-and-jeep, give Olympos two hours on foot: the windmill stub on the ridge, the church of Panagia, the women's bakery and the lace-and-textile shops. The local festival days (mostly Easter, mid-August) are when the dress comes out; the village has kept its pre-1950s dress and crafts.

Free · 2 hrs
Free

Valley of the Butterflies · Petaloudes

Petaloudes · SW Rhodes

A protected oriental-sweetgum (storax) woodland 25 km south-west of Rhodes Town: the only place in Europe where the Jersey Tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) congregates in millions to mate. Peak activity is late June through early September, with July–August the textbook window. Keep your voice down on the wooden trails; the moths rest on tree trunks and shouldn't be disturbed.

€5 · Jul–Aug peak
A fisherman working from his boat in Symi harbour, with the island's pastel houses behind him
Symi

Stay after the return boats leave.

7-Day Plan

Seven nights, Rhodes + Symi

Four nights on Rhodes (Old Town + Lindos), three on Symi (Yialos overnight, the boat-day, the Kali Strata at sunset), back to Rhodes to fly home. A Patmos-led week is set out in Worth Knowing.

  • 12:00
    Land at Rhodes (RHO): direct from London / European hubs, or 50-min connection from Athens. Transfer 20 min into the Old Town.
  • 13:30
    Check in: Marco Polo Mansion / Spirit of the Knights / Kókkini Porta Rossa: drop bags inside the walls.
  • 15:00
    First walk: the Old Town: easy orientation through Hippokratous and Sokratous to the Palace of the Grand Masters. Coffee at Marco Polo Cafe.
  • 19:00
    Sunset on the city walls: the dry moat walk circuit (free) is the underrated city view.
  • 21:00
    Dinner at Mama Sofia: an easy first dinner on Orfeos, and you should book ahead.
  • 09:00
    Palace of the Grand Masters + Street of the Knights: €10 combo ticket, 2 hours. Go at opening; by 11 the cruise tours arrive.
  • 11:30
    Rhodes Archaeological Museum: in the 15th-c. Knights' Hospital infirmary, the Aphrodite of Rhodes is here. 90 minutes.
  • 13:30
    Lunch at Pizanias: an Old Town fish-and-mezze room since 1970, and you should book ahead.
  • 16:00
    Slow afternoon: Old Town shopping (the leather-and-textile lanes off Sokratous), or a swim at Elli Beach 10 min walk from the walls.
  • 21:00
    Dinner at Tamam or Rex: book whichever you didn't do night one.
  • 07:00
    Drive to Lindos: 1 hour down the east coast. Aim for 8 a.m. on the acropolis steps.
  • 08:30
    Lindos Acropolis: €12, walk up (donkey rides regulated, walk anyway). 90 min on top; the Temple of Athena Lindia and the long view down to St Paul's Bay.
  • 11:00
    Lindos village wander: the white-cube lanes, the Captain's Houses with their pebble-mosaic floors. Stay ahead of the day-bus crowds that arrive 11–12.
  • 13:30
    Lunch at Mavrikos: on the Lindos main square. Book a week ahead. The dinner-quality lunch.
  • 16:00
    Swim at Pallas or St Paul's Bay: the two coves under the acropolis. Drive back to Rhodes at sunset.
  • 21:00
    Light Old Town dinner: To Megiston ouzeri for small plates if the appetite is lighter after the Mavrikos lunch.
  • 10:00
    Choose: south-coast day (Prasonisi + lunch at Atrium Prestige, 90 min drive) or pool-and-Old-Town day. The Prasonisi run is the most-rewarding drive on Rhodes.
  • 13:30
    Lunch: Atrium Prestige if you're down south, or Niohori in town for the meat-focused dinner-as-lunch.
  • 17:00
    Slow afternoon: drinks at the Cavalieri rooftop or the hotel bar.
  • 21:00
    Dinner: last Rhodes night, finish at Mama Sofia or the hotel restaurant.
  • 09:00
    Hydrofoil to Symi: from Rhodes Mandraki Harbour or the commercial port. 50–90 min depending on operator; book 1–2 weeks ahead in season.
  • 10:30
    Arrive Yialos: check in at The Old Markets or Iapetos Village. Drop bags.
  • 12:00
    Climb the Kali Strata: 500 steps up to Chorio. Slow pace; stop at The Olive Tree at the top for lunch.
  • 14:00
    Lunch at The Olive Tree: daytime-only; the reward for the climb.
  • 17:00
    Walk Chorio: the medieval village, the Symi Castle (Kastro) ruins, the church bells at 6.
  • 21:00
    Dinner at Mythos: Yialos harbour, the wood-oven kitchen, book.
  • 09:30
    Hire a small boat from Yialos: half-day around Symi's secret coves (Marathounta, Nanou, Agios Georgios Disalonas with the 100 m cliff drop into the water).
  • 13:00
    Beach lunch at Nanou or Marathounta: both have a single taverna on the sand; pick by wind direction.
  • 17:00
    Back in Yialos: shower, nap, the Panormitis-monastery option if you didn't combine with the boat day.
  • 19:30
    Sunset drink up the Kali Strata: the cocktail at the top is the Symi-harbour view everyone comes for.
  • 21:00
    Dinner at Manos Fish or Tholos: Yialos waterfront, the catch of the day.
  • 09:00
    Slow morning swim: Nos beach 5 min from Yialos for an easy harbour-side swim.
  • 11:30
    Hydrofoil back to Rhodes: 50–90 min to Mandraki / commercial port.
  • 13:30
    Lunch in Rhodes Old Town before the airport: Pomo d'Oro–calibre, or Starenio for a quick spanakopita.
  • 16:30
    Fly home from RHO: direct back to European hubs.
A colourful café display in the village of Zia on Kos
A café bar in Zia, on Kos.
Only in the Dodecanese

The Dodecanese table

Crusader, Ottoman and Italian centuries on the same islands, and the table shows it. Order these and you've eaten the Dodecanese.

Worth knowing

A few things

Six things that change the trip.

Symi works overnight

The day boats from Rhodes run about six hours and leave in the early evening. Staying the night at The Old Markets or Iapetos Village puts dinner on Yialos harbour after they have gone.

The Lindos acropolis climb

Donkey rides up to the acropolis have been regulated since 2024: a 60-minute daily maximum per animal, no midday work and route limits. The cobbled climb takes about 20 minutes on foot and is easiest at 8 a.m., before the heat. Entry is €12.

Patmos modest dress for the monastery

The 1088 Monastery of St John on Patmos is still a working religious site: covered shoulders, long skirts or trousers, no shorts. Shawls and wraps are available at the entrance but limited; wear long-sleeves to keep moving. The Cave of the Apocalypse below has the same rule. Open 9–13 daily.

Two airports for the chain

Fly into Rhodes (RHO) for the Rhodes and Symi week; direct routes run from London and European hubs May–October. For Patmos, fly to Athens or Kos (KGS) and ferry on (Patmos has no airport). Karpathos has its own airport (AOK) but mostly Athens domestic; Kastellorizo is 25-min flight from RHO.

The chain shuts hard Nov–Easter

Most boutique hotels on Symi, Patmos, Karpathos and Kastellorizo close November through Easter. Marco Polo Mansion is April–October; Benetos and Petra on Patmos are May–October. Rhodes Old Town hotels stay open year-round; Lindos resorts mostly close late October.

Where the resort strips are

Faliraki on Rhodes's east coast is the charter-party strip; Kos has an all-inclusive strip around Kardamena on the south coast. The hotels in this guide sit elsewhere: Rhodes Old Town, Lindos and Vlicha on Rhodes, and Kos Town on Kos.

More Greece The rest of the country, in any order.
Upon Request

Want it built around you?

Tell us when you're going to the Dodecanese, for how long, and what kind of trip you want: a Rhodes and Symi week, a Patmos-led monastery-and-Skala trip, a Karpathos week, or a Kastellorizo escape. We'll send a custom itinerary in 72 hours: hotels, restaurants (Mavrikos, Benetos and Mythos booked), the right airport, the ferry-or-flight routing, the Lindos morning logistics. two revision rounds included until it's right.

$85, one time.

Build my Dodecanese trip

Delivered in 72 hours · two revision rounds included