West Coast and the Countryside

 

When leaving Rhodes town, make Ialissos your first port of call. The town is steeped in history and bears the name of one of Helios's grandsons. It was one of the first towns built on the island, along with Lindos and Kamiros. You can visit the ruins of the 13th century Acropolis, where you will find traces of the Athena Polias and Zeus Polios temples.

Filerimos can be found a few kilometres further down the road, nestled in the middle of a vast plain of cypress trees. It is still home to chapels marked with the cross of the knights and the coat of arms of Pierre d'Aubusson. You definitely must not miss out on the Church of Our Lady, which dates back to the 14th century and comprises four chapels, one of which can be traced back to the Byzantine period.

Continue along the road until you reach the Butterfly Valley, an idyllic natural setting home to a wide range of different species of butterfly. The valley stretches out along with a stream dotted with wooden bridges. The place is incredibly peaceful, provided that you get there before the hordes of tourists in the morning!

 

Your next stop-off will probably be at Kamiros, a place rich in Hellenistic remains. This ancient Doric town is home to the ruins of a temple dating back to the 3rd century BC, baths from the 5th century BC and an altar dedicated to Helios, the island's protector. According to the legend, Althaemenes, one of the grandsons of King Minos of Crete, was the founder, and one of Hercules's sons, Tlepolemos, lived there. The story also goes that two of his seven sons, Ochimus and Cercaphus, stayed in the area, whereas the five others, Macareus, Actis, Tenages, Triopas and Candalus, left the island for Asia Minor and Egypt.

 

Kamiros is the island's third primitive town. You will find a charming fishing port, where you can try out the excellent fish dishes. Not far from the village, you will come across the castle built by the knights during the 15th century.

 

Do not miss out on Kritinia castle and its white houses built into the hillside approximately 15 kilometres from Kamiros.

 

The quality of the remains of the Monolithos fortress built by Pierre d'Aubusson might leave much to be desired, by the climb is worth the effort due to the unobstructed view over the sea.

 

If you can spare the time, we would recommend that you stay over in Monolithos and head inland the next morning. This will give you chance to stop off at Sianna and try the honey and souma (grape alcohol), and Mount Attavyros, the highest point on Rhodes. The countryside also conceals several small chapels and picturesque villages. You could also carry on further south where the countryside and landscape are the most impressive.