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White-washed buildings and blue-domed churches are a frequent sight in Santorini
The Dodecanese
An Eastern-inflected island chain offers bustle and solitude
Close to the Turkish coast, the Dodecanese Islands had a turbulent history due to their strategic position. In the 14th century, the islands were ruled by the Knights of St. John, a religious military order affiliated with the Crusades, that constructed the mighty fortress of Rhodes Town as its main base on the largest island of the chain, Rhodes. The Ottoman Turks captured the islands in the 16th century, then the Italians seized them in 1912. The islands were reunited with the rest of Greece in 1947. Today, an intriguing mix of Eastern and Western cultures is still apparent in their architecture, food, and customs.
Rhodes, where you’ll most likely start your trip, teems with visitors (predominantly Americans, Europeans, and Russians) from spring through autumn. Yet staying there two days is worthwhile for the magnificent battlements and the charming town of Lindos. But it’s the smaller islands of Symi, Leros, and Patmos that can provide a sense of timeless calm.
Rhodes
On Rhodes, devote the first day to the impressive, UNESCO-listed old town, located within a massive fortress and ornamented with Ottoman minarets. Its pedestrian-only medieval streets can be packed, but visit the monumental Palace of the Grand Masters (Ipoto Street, old town; $8; 30/224-102-5500, odysseus.culture.gr). Inside, a museum dedicated to the history of the island serves as the entry point for walking a section of the city’s walls, overlooking terra-cotta rooftops and the sea.
Right in the old town, check into Marco Polo Mansion (Agiou Fanouriou 40-42, Rhodes Town; from $141/night in summer; 30/224-102-5562, marcopolomansion.gr), a 15th-century Turkish home with an interior courtyard garden and eight rooms furnished with antiques and textiles from Morocco and Turkey. For dinner, try Auberge Bistrot (Praxitelous 21, Rhodes Town; entrées from $20; 30/224-103-4292, bistrotrhodes.com), also in the old town, for sophisticated French Mediterranean cuisine served in a medieval courtyard.
Take one of the plentiful buses or taxis 29 miles southwest of Rhodes Town to Lindos, whose diverse attractions include a sweeping cove with a sand beach, a medieval fortress enclosing an ancient Greek temple, tightly packed whitewashed mansions, and streets paved with pebble mosaics. Although Lindos is full of day-trippers, a night at Melenos Lindos (Lindos; from $486/night in summer; 30/224-403-2222, melenos-lindos.com) is blissfully romantic. This mansion, renovated in a 17th-century architectural style, has 12 suites, each with a private terrace for sea gazing. For dinner, the hands-down favorite is Mavrikos (main square, Lindos; entrées from $8; 30/224-403-1232), which has been cooking up homey Greek classics like grilled octopus since 1933.
Symi
North of Rhodes, the small rocky island of Symi (a 45-minute trip by hydrofoil from Rhodes Town) deserves its reputation as one of the gems of the Dodecanese. We recommend staying there overnight. Unspoiled Symi Town is comprised of two settlements: the port of Gialos, where visitors arrive, and the hillside Horio. Gialos is set in a steep-sided fjord, surrounded by the pastel-colored 19th-century mansions of Horio, and the two are connected by stone steps. Stay in Gialos at the Aliki Hotel (Akti Gennimata; from $166/night in summer; 30/224-607-1665, www.simi-hotel-aliki.gr), a charming waterside mansion, and dine at nearby Mythos (by the harbor; entrées from $9; 30/224-607-1488), which serves delicious mezedes. From Gialos, water taxis shuttle visitors to the pebble beaches of the east coast. Of these, Symi’s Agia Marina gives onto sapphire-blue water and a tiny island, while Nanou is set in a sweeping bay backed by cliffs. Water taxis also run to the southern tip, where Symi’s top cultural attraction, the huge 18th-century Panormitis Monastery (30/224-607-1581), presides.
Leros
Northwest of Symi, Leros (a little more than a 3-hour voyage by catamaran) remains relatively undeveloped; enjoy its radical architecture and idyllic beaches for one or two days. Of Leros’ two ports, you’ll probably arrive at Agia Marina, which is guarded by an imposing medieval castle. From here, buses and taxis run to the other port of Lakki, notable for its monumental rationalist style of architecture, a relic of the ’30s, when Mussolini wanted it to serve as a model town and naval base. Station yourself in the low-key village of Alinda (reachable by taxi), home to Leros’ best beach, a long strip of pale golden sand. Just a 5-minute walk from the seafront, Hotel Archontiko Angelou (Alinda; from $128/night in summer; 30/224-702-2749, hotel-angelou-leros.com) is a stately 19th-century villa set in a leafy garden. In the early evening, return to Agia Marina to feast on simple Greek taverna fare at Restaurant Milos (waterfront, Agia Marina, Leros; entrées from $12; 30/224-702-4894).
Patmos
Northeast of Leros is the unspoiled but sophisticated island of Patmos (a 50-minute trip by catamaran), known for its religious sites. Spend at least two days in Grikos, a fishing village with a long sandy beach 3 miles southeast of Skala, a 19th-century port town. Stay at the Petra Hotel (Grikos; from $348/night in summer; 30/224-703-4020, www.petrahotel-patmos.com), a boutique hotel with 12 rooms and suites that can be reached by local buses or taxis. For dinner, reserve a table on the terrace at nearby Benetos (Sapsila Street; entrées from $23; 30/224-703-3089, benetosrestaurant.com). The Greek-American owner-chef Benetos Matthaiou, has earned a cult following with his modern approach to Mediterranean cuisine.
Patmos’ tiny capital, Hora, is made up of 17th- century mansions clustered around the indomitable walls and towers of the Monastery of St. John the Divine (Hora; 30/224-703-1234, odysseus.culture.gr). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 10th-century monastery’s courtyards and arcades are blissfully tranquil, and its walls are decorated with richly colored Byzantine frescoes. Walk along a cobbled donkey path to Patmos’ other UNESCO religious site, the Cave of the Apocalypse (Hora; 30/224-703-1234), which lies on a hillside halfway between Skala and Hora, and is believed to be where St. John made his home and wrote the Book of Revelation in the 1st century AD.
Getting There and Around
Direct flights from Athens serve Rhodes several times a day. Also an overnight ferry travels from Athens’ port, Piraeus, to Rhodes or Patmos. From Rhodes, daily high-speed catamarans and hydrofoils run through the Dodecanese all summer, so the region is particularly suitable for island-hopping. Taxis and buses are plentiful throughout the islands and are the best way to get around on them.
See Crete Travel Guide | See Mykonos Travel GuideSee Santorini Travel Guide
