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Greece · The Dodecanese

The Dodecanese.

22 restaurants
16 hotels
13 things to do
6 islands

The Greek-island chain that hugs the south-west Turkish coast — twelve main islands strung from Patmos in the north to Kastellorizo in the far east, plus a handful of lesser ones. Rhodes is the headline: one of the largest still-inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe (UNESCO since 1988), the Crusader-Knights' fortress, the white village of Lindos under its 4th-century acropolis. Symi is the neoclassical-mansion harbour overnight everyone says they'll do as a day trip and then regrets not staying. Patmos is the religious island — the Cave of the Apocalypse, the 1088 Monastery of St John, the Skala harbour the yacht crowd discovered ten years ago.

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A note from Hala

The Dodecanese is the Greek chain that looks at Turkey, not at Italy — the one where the Crusader Knights of St John ran the show for 213 years (1309–1522) before the Ottomans, where the Italians ran it again 1912–1947 (under Mussolini, who left behind a fascist-modernist administrative quarter in Rhodes Town), and where the medieval-walled cities of Rhodes Old Town and the cliff-top Acropolis of Lindos sit alongside the half-Turkish, half-Italian rooftop of Symi and the monastic UNESCO-listed Patmos. The most layered Greek chain — and the one where the "headline island" (Rhodes) genuinely earns the headline.

Fly into Rhodes (RHO) — direct routes from London and most European hubs May–October — or Kos (KGS) if you're starting north. Symi is a 50–90-min ferry from Rhodes; Patmos is reachable via Kos or by overnight ferry from Piraeus. The chain is spread across 200 km of sea, so the right shape is two islands a week, not five. The flagship trip is Rhodes (4 nights) + Symi (3); the alternative is Patmos (4) + Kos (2) + Patmos (1 more).

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

The Dodecanese is the layered chain. Crusader, Ottoman, Italian and Greek histories on the same islands; the cooking shows it, the architecture shows it, the wine-and-coffee culture shows it. May, June, September, early October are the windows — Lindos Acropolis is climbable in the morning without collapsing in the heat, Symi's harbour rooms are open, Patmos is not yet over-yachted. July–August bring 38°C inland on Rhodes and full Lindos-bus chaos. November–April most boutique hotels close, especially on Symi and Patmos.

The Dodecanese · Why it's the most layered chain

Read the layers.

Most Greek islands had one or two rulers; Rhodes had everyone. In a single Old Town walk you pass a Crusader knight's fortress, an Ottoman mosque, a Mussolini-era modernist façade, and a Greek café — four empires, four centuries, one set of streets. The Dodecanese didn't get conquered so much as layered, and nobody ever scraped the last layer off. You don't tour Rhodes Old Town — you read it, top to bottom.

1309–1522 · 213 years

The Knights of St John

Crusader rule

213 years of Crusader rule built the walled city itself — the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Street of the Knights, one of the largest still-inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe. UNESCO since 1988. The bottom layer everything else sits on.

1522–1912

The Ottomans

After Suleiman took the city

When Suleiman took Rhodes in 1522, the empire laid its own layer over the medieval lanes — the mosques, hammams and minarets that still rise over the Crusader streets. The Lower Town is where Gothic and Ottoman sit on the same block.

1912–1947

The Italians

The Dodecanese under Italy — and, 1920s–40s, the Fascist administration

Italy ruled the Dodecanese from 1912; under the Fascist government of the 1920s–40s it left a modernist administrative quarter in Rhodes New Town, rebuilt the Palace of the Grand Master in the late 1930s, and built the Kallithea spa (1928–30). A layer of history to read, not a style to admire. The islands passed to Greece in 1947.

1947–today

Greece

The newest layer

The islands finally Greek — the cafés, the tavernas, the living city laid on top of all the rest. The newest stratum, and the one you actually sit in when you order a coffee under a minaret beside a knight's wall.

Patmos · since 1088

The monastic layer

A parallel kind of rule

A different power on a different island: the Monastery of St John (founded 1088, UNESCO since 1999) ran Patmos for 900 years — its own long rule on the holy island, a layer that never needed an empire.

This is why the Dodecanese feels denser than the rest of Greece: you're not on a pretty island, you're inside a thousand years of someone else's capital, all still standing.

Every other Greek island shows you one Greece; Rhodes shows you all of them at once.

The Zones

Six islands worth knowing

Rhodes is the headline; Symi is the overnight everyone misses; Patmos is the religious pilgrimage; Kos is the second-biggest but most package-y; Karpathos is the under-touristed mountain-and-windsurf alternative; Kastellorizo is the tiny easternmost dot two km from Turkey.

A hand-drawn medieval gate of Rhodes Old Town
I South · UNESCO Old Town · The headline
Rhodes

The chain's headline and one of the largest still-inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe — UNESCO since 1988. The Palace of the Grand Masters, the cobbled Street of the Knights, the Archaeological Museum in the old infirmary, the Jewish Quarter. The boutique-hotel cluster inside the walls is where to base. Lindos, an hour down the east coast, is the white cliff-village under its 4th-century-BC acropolis. Three to four nights minimum.

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

A 50–90-min ferry north of Rhodes — and the chain's most-photographed single image. Yialos harbour is a horseshoe of pastel-painted 19th-century neoclassical mansions stacked up the hillside, with the medieval Chorio at the top of the Kali Strata (a 500-step stone staircase). Most people see Symi for two hours off a Rhodes day-boat; stay overnight instead — the town empties at 6 p.m. and turns gold.

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

The religious island — the Cave of the Apocalypse where John the Divine is said to have written Revelation, the Monastery of St John (founded 1088, UNESCO-listed). Chora is the hilltop village around the monastery walls; Skala is the harbour the yacht crowd discovered ten years ago. Sapsila is the quiet bay just south. Ferry from Kos or overnight from Piraeus (8 hrs). Closed hard Nov–Easter.

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

The second-biggest, the most package-resort, and Hippocrates's birthplace — the 4th-century-BC Asclepieion (the healing sanctuary where the Hippocratic Oath was effectively born) is 4 km outside Kos Town. The plane tree of Hippocrates on Plateia Platanou is the (likely-mythic-but-still-photographed) tree he was meant to have taught under. Base in Kos Town; skip the south-coast all-inclusive strip.

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

Halfway between Rhodes and Crete — long, narrow, mountainous, the chain's least-developed major island. Olympos the cliff-top traditional village (where the women still wear the regional dress at festivals); Pigadia the port-and-base; Afiartis at the south tip — one of Europe's top windsurfing beaches. The pick for travellers who want a Greek island that hasn't been styled for Instagram.

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

The easternmost point of Greece, a one-village island 2 km off the Turkish coast (with the Turkish town of Kaş visible across the strait). Two streets around a horseshoe harbour, a Blue Cave (Parastas) reached by boat, Lycian rock tombs in the cliff. The film Mediterraneo (1991 Oscar Best Foreign Film) was shot here. 25-min flight from Rhodes (KZS), or a weekly ferry. The Greek island for people who don't want a "Greek island."

Mediterraneo25-min flight from RHO
Where We Eat

The table.

Crusader, Ottoman and Italian centuries left a different table on these islands. Twenty-one picks across four bases — Rhodes (Old Town + Lindos), Symi, Patmos, and the Karpathos + Kastellorizo south-east. Book Mavrikos, Noble Gourmet, Benetos, Vegghera and Pleiades a few days out; book The Olive Tree as a Symi lunch walk-up. Most rooms close Nov–Easter.

  1. I
    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. The dinner that justifies basing in Lindos for a night.

    Lindos main square
    €€€ · since 1933
  2. II
    Mama Sofia

    Orfeos Street in the Rhodes Old Town — operating since 1967, the family-run Greek-Mediterranean room the regulars send you to. Slow-cooked lamb, fresh fish, the kind of plate that arrives without ceremony and rewards.

    Rhodes Old Town
    €€€ · since 1967
  3. III
    Pizanias

    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. The Rhodes-fish dinner without the harbour-front mark-up.

    Rhodes Old Town
    €€ · fish · book
  4. IV
    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. The Old Town's most considered dinner outside the heritage tavernas.

    Rhodes Old Town
    €€€ · book
  5. V
    Niohori

    A traditional Rhodes taverna since 1981 — the Niohori family runs the butcher across the road and serves what they cut that morning. The right pick for the meat-focused dinner in a city built on Knights-of-St-John and Ottoman-empire fish recipes.

    Rhodes Town
    €€ · family butcher
  6. VI
    To Megiston

    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, an honest carafe.

    Rhodes Old Town
    €€ · ouzeri
  7. VII
    Noble Gourmet · Kallithea

    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. The Rhodes fine-dining anchor the Old Town doesn't quite have.

    Kallithea · 10 km south
    €€€€€ · book ahead
  8. VIII
    Auvergne Café

    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 but serious Greek wine list. The Old-Town morning-to-afternoon stop the locals send you to.

    Rhodes Old Town
    € · 16th-c. courtyard
  9. IX
    Lindos By Night

    Operating since 1982 — three levels in a Lindos house with twin rooftops facing the Acropolis directly. The cocktail-and-sunset bar of Lindos, by some distance. Book a rooftop table for 7:30 in summer; the queue is unforgiving after.

    Lindos village
    €€ · since 1982 · book
  10. X
    Ktima Lindos

    A garden restaurant on the Lindos hillside next door to Lindos Mare — Mediterranean cooking, mostly seafood, the lunch-or-early-dinner room when you don't want the village-square scrum at Mavrikos. Seasonal May–October.

    Lindos hillside
    €€€ · May–Oct
  1. I
    Mythos

    Yialos harbour — chef Stavros's wood-oven Symi kitchen, the room the harbour-front locals book and yacht crews squeeze into. Slow-cooked meat from the oven, the sweet small Symiakos shrimp (the island's famous catch), an unfussy wine list. The Yialos dinner.

    Yialos harbour
    €€€ · wood oven · book
  2. II
    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 with a long-view-down-the-harbour terrace. Sunset over the pastel mansions is the point; the fish is the supporting cast.

    Yialos · toward Charani
    €€ · sunset
  3. III
    Manos Fish Restaurant

    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 waterfront
    €€€ · book
  4. IV
    The Olive Tree

    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. The reward for the climb. Excellent shakshuka and a small Greek-island wine list by the glass. Daytime only; closed for dinner.

    Top of Kali Strata
    €€ · daytime · 8:30–15:30
  1. I
    Benetos

    Sapsila inlet just outside Skala — opened 1997 by Benetos and Susan Matthaiou, fourteen tables on a seaside veranda, the Patmos dinner every food writer who has been to the island writes about. Book at least a week ahead. Seasonal · closed Nov–Easter.

    Sapsila · Patmos
    €€€€ · book 1 wk · seasonal
  2. II
    Vegghera

    On the Skala marina — twelve tables, modern Greek fine-dining, the most considered kitchen in Patmos's harbour town. The booking that competes with Benetos for the yacht-week table. Seasonal.

    Skala marina
    €€€€ · book · seasonal
  3. III
    Giagko's Pantheon

    In Chora, in the literal shadow of the Monastery walls — the family taverna, the right lunch after the monastery morning. Greek classics done well, the kind of meal that defines Patmos for the people who get up there.

    Patmos Chora
    €€ · lunch · taverna
  4. IV
    Trehantiri · Skala

    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 waterfront
    €€ · casual
  5. V
    Pleiades

    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. Shrimp risotto with vanilla, smoked-sygklino tagliatelle, the kind of cooking the Patmos yacht crowd talks about. The third Patmos dinner if you've already booked Benetos and Vegghera.

    Sapsila · Patmos
    €€€€ · book ahead
  1. I
    Acropolis Steak, Grill & Wine Bar

    Pigadia waterfront on Karpathos since 1989 — note: the name suggests Olympos village but the restaurant is in Pigadia harbour, the capital. Steak, grill, a serious wine list for the island. The Pigadia dinner.

    Pigadia · Karpathos
    €€€ · since 1989
  2. II
    Poseidon Blue Gastronomy

    On the Pigadia waterfront, attached to the Poseidon Blue Gastronomy Hotel — modern Greek, the most-considered cooking on Karpathos. The fish off the morning boat is the right order.

    Pigadia · Karpathos
    €€€ · hotel kitchen
  3. III
    Faros Bar · Kastellorizo

    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; cocktails as the sun drops over Turkey. The Kastellorizo defining moment.

    Kastellorizo harbour · east end
    €€ · day swim · sunset
Where We Sleep

The stay.

Two flavours of stay across the chain: small boutiques inside the medieval walls (Kókkini Porta Rossa and Marco Polo Mansion in Rhodes Old Town; The Old Markets at the foot of Symi's Kali Strata), and a tier of beach-luxury along the Rhodes coast (Lindos Mare, Aquagrand, Atrium Prestige). Patmos is mostly small properties — Petra above Grikos is the SLH pick. Sixteen across three tiers; almost all closed Nov–Easter.

Considered & Comfortable · from €180
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Guest room
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The setting
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Garden / café
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Seven rooms inside a restored Ottoman mansion in the Rhodes Old Town — restored 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 ↗
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Suite
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The setting
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Courtyard
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Six suites inside a 600-year-old Crusader-and-Ottoman building in the Rhodes Old Town — vaulted stone ceilings, antique-and-restored detail, a small courtyard. The smaller, quieter alternative to Marco Polo Mansion if you want the same Old-Town immersion in fewer keys.

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 ↗
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Guest room
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The setting
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Pool / terrace
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A solid family-run small hotel in Skala (Patmos's harbour town), 50 metres from the ferry quay — the right walk-everywhere entry-tier base on an island where the boutique-luxury rate quickly climbs. Skip if you want Chora atmosphere; book if you want easy ferry-and-restaurant 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
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Suite
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The setting
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St John's Gate
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Six suites inside 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 forThe flagship Rhodes city stay · couples · design-led history
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. Pair with Lindos Mare or Aquagrand for the second half of a Rhodes-only week if you want a beach.
Book direct ↗
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Pool
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Adults-only design hotel on Rhodes's north-east coast at Kolymbia — bohemian-Mediterranean styling (the brand made its name), a serpentine pool spine, the kind of property that reposts 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 season — Casa Cook properties sometimes close earlier than the Rhodes-coast competition. The cab to Lindos is €40+; rent a car for the Lindos days.
Book direct ↗
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Guest room
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Agora rooftop
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Ten-room boutique at the base of the Kali Strata, in a Greek National Monument-listed 19th-century commercial building — restored, slow, design-led, the most considered Symi stay. The rooftop Agora restaurant (since 2023) is the dinner that pairs with The Olive Tree's lunch.

What it's known for
Base of the Kali Strata, Yialos
Greek National Monument building
10 rooms, design-led
Rooftop Agora restaurant
AddressYialos, Symi 85600 (foot of the Kali Strata)
Rate range€300–500/night
Best forThe most considered Symi stay · 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 ↗
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Suite
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Pool / garden
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A colonnaded suites-and-garden property in central Yialos with the rare Symi luxury of an actual pool — the alternative to The Old Markets if you want pool-and-pool-deck rather than a 10-room boutique. Larger, less design-press, easier to book.

What it's known for
Central Yialos, Symi
An actual pool — rare on Symi
Colonnaded suites and gardens
Easier-to-book alternative
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 are the upgrade — the gardens are the real surprise
Walk-everywhere to Mythos and Manos Fish
Larger and less design-press 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 ↗
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Sea-view room
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The setting
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Grikos terrace
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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 ↗
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Villa apartment
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The setting
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Sapsila bay
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Thirteen apartment-style villas on the Sapsila bay just south of Skala (where Benetos sits) — the right 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 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 ↗
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Guest room
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The setting
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Nimborio bay
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Six rooms run by Andrew and Claire in the quiet Nimborio bay 2 km from Yialos — water-taxi access in and out, sea-rocks for the swim, the kind of small-luxe stay the Symi yacht crowd quietly cycles through. The right Symi pick if The Old Markets is sold out or if you want away-from-harbour quiet.

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 ↗
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Suite
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The setting
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Spa / pool
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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 right Kos base if you're doing a Hippocrates-and-Asclepieion morning + Patmos-via-ferry trip 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
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Suite
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Pool / beach
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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 serious pool and dining estate. The right 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, serious pool and 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 is the upgrade that earns it
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 that earns it. Cab to Lindos village is €15; do the village in the early morning before the day-bus crowd lands.
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Suite
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The setting
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Private pool
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Adults-only luxury resort at Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos village — design-forward, suites with private pools, the most considered top-tier Lindos-area room. Lower-key than Lindos Mare; the right pick if you want quiet and a serious pool over resort scale.

What it's known for
Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos
Adults-only, design-forward
Suites with private pools
Quiet over resort scale
AddressNavarone Bay, Lindos, Rhodes 85107
Rate range€550+/night
Best forQuiet and a serious pool over resort scale · couples · adults-only
NearNavarone Bay · 1.5 km to Lindos village
Good to know
"Suite with Private Pool" is the booking — the property is built around it
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 ↗
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Villa
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The setting
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Spa / pool
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A serious five-star spa-and-villas resort on Rhodes's south coast at Lachania — close to Prasonisi at the southern tip (where Aegean meets Med, the world-class kitesurfing beach). The right 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 meaningfully more remote than the Lindos cluster — rent a car
The villa-with-pool tier is the upgrade
The thalasso programme is the second
InsiderThe south-coast location is meaningfully more remote than the Lindos cluster — rent a car. The villa-with-pool tier is the upgrade; thalasso programme is the second.
Book direct ↗
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Room
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The setting
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Pool / beach
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Mitsis Selection's adults-only Lindos-area property at Navarone Bay, 1.5 km from Lindos — 70 rooms, Lindian-Italian style, full-service. The alternative when Lindos Mare is sold out, or when you want adults-only over family-friendly.

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 neighbours — confirm which has the suite category you want
Cab to Lindos village 5 minutes
Book it 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 ↗
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Suite
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The setting
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Grikos bay / spa
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The only five-star on Patmos — Luxury Collection (Marriott) brand, 56 keys on Grikos bay, full spa and serious dining. The right 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 serious dining
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.
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What We Do

The moves.

Twelve things, four categories. Rhodes Old Town and Lindos are the medieval-Crusader mornings. The Patmos Monastery is the pilgrimage. Symi's Kali Strata is the walk. Kastellorizo's Blue Cave is the half-day-boat to the eastern edge of Greece.

01 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
02 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.
03 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
01 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 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
02 Ticketed

Symi · Panormitis Monastery

Panormitis bay · south Symi

At Panormitis bay on Symi's south coast, a 25-minute drive from Yialos — the 18th-century monastery dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the island's pilgrimage site. The chapel's gold-and-silver-leaf wall is the photograph; arrive by boat for the right approach if you're combining with a Rhodes day-tour.

€3 · 90 min
03 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 right pair with the Palace of the Grand Masters in a single Old-Town morning. Allow 90 minutes.

€8 · 90 min
01 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
02 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, the chamber inside is filtered Aegean blue. Lycian rock tombs visible from the harbour. Combine with Faros Bar for the day.

€20 · weather-dependent
03 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
01 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 at the top and walk back. The Olive Tree at the top is the breakfast/lunch reward; sunset at the top is the unbeatable Symi-harbour photograph.

Free · 60 min
02 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 have different colours and 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
03 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 is the rare Greek place still attached to its own pre-1950s identity.

Free · 2 hrs
04 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. Walk the wooden trails quietly; the moths rest on tree trunks and shouldn't be disturbed.

€5 · Jul–Aug peak
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. The most coherent Dodecanese week for first-time travellers. The alternative "Patmos-led" week is 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 — easy first dinner on Orfeos. Book.
  • 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 — Old Town fish-and-mezze room since 1970. Book.
  • 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 unforgettable Symi-harbour view.
  • 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.
Only in the Dodecanese

The Dodecanese table.

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

  1. I
    Pitaroudia

    The Rhodian chickpea fritter — soaked-and-mashed chickpeas mixed with onion, mint and tomato, formed into small patties and fried. Order them as mezze with ouzo. To Megiston in the Old Town does the textbook.

    Rhodes
    € · mezze
  2. II
    Symiakos shrimp

    The small, sweet shrimp pulled from the deep waters around Symi — eaten whole-fried, shells and all, dressed with lemon and salt. The dish the island built its name on. Mythos does the canonical version.

    Symi
    €€ · whole-fried
  3. III
    Melekouni

    The Rhodian honey-sesame bar — pressed sesame seeds, thyme honey, almonds and sometimes orange peel, traditionally served at weddings and christenings (the name comes from "honey" and "wedding"). Buy as the take-home from any Old-Town sweet shop.

    Rhodes
    € · take home
  4. IV
    Soumada (almond drink)

    The Dodecanese almond cordial — bitter-almond syrup mixed with water and ice, served at celebrations across the chain (especially Rhodes, Symi and Karpathos). The non-alcoholic alternative to ouzo for the afternoon.

    Across the chain
    € · summer afternoon
  5. V
    Rhodian wine · CAIR & Emery

    Rhodes has two producers worth knowing — CAIR (founded 1928 by the Italians, the sparkling specialist) and Emery (the Triantafyllou family at Embonas village, the indigenous Athiri and Mandilaria). Cellar visits to either are an easy half-day from Rhodes Town.

    Embonas / Rhodes
    €€ · the bottle
  6. VI
    Patmos cheeses · the monastery tradition

    The Monastery of St John ran the island's economy for 900 years — including the dairy. The local kopanisti (peppery aged whey-cheese) and the fresh petroto (a hard stone-pressed sheep's-milk cheese) are still made on small Patmos farms. Order on any Patmos taverna's cheese plate; buy from the Skala market.

    Patmos
    € · cheese plate
Worth knowing

A few things.

Six things that change the trip.

Sleep on Symi, don't day-trip

Most Rhodes-based travellers do Symi as a 6-hour day-boat tour, get fried shrimp on the harbour, leave at 3 p.m. — and miss the island. Stay overnight at The Old Markets or Iapetos Village. The Yialos harbour at 8 p.m., after the day boats have left, is the moment the trip turns golden.

Lindos Acropolis: walk, don't donkey

Donkey rides to the acropolis are regulated as of 2024 (max 60 minutes daily per donkey, no midday work, route limits) but still operating. The kinder move — and the more rewarding one — is to walk up at 8 a.m. before the heat. €12 entry; the cobbled climb is part of the experience.

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 + Symi week — direct from London / 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.

Skip Faliraki + the all-inclusive strips

Rhodes has Faliraki on the east coast — the British-charter party strip the chain is sometimes mocked for. Kos has the all-inclusive south-coast strip around Kardamena. Stay at the opposite end of either island: on Rhodes, the Old Town or Lindos/Vlicha. On Kos, Kos Town. The Dodecanese rewards the right base.

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

Five more ways into Greece.

→ IslandsThe Cyclades → CapitalAthens & the Riviera → IslandsCrete → MainlandThe Peloponnese → IslandsThe Ionian Islands
← All of Greece
Upon Request

Want it built around you?

Tell us when you're going to the Dodecanese, for how long, the kind of trip you want — the flagship Rhodes + Symi week, a Patmos-led monastery-and-Skala trip, a Karpathos-led under-touristed 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. Unlimited revisions until it's right.

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