Published On Oct 3, 2021
The video was recorded during a two-week vacation in the second half of September 2021 on the island of Rhodes and its neighbors - Symi and Halki. The film was made using the DJI Osmo Pocket camera and the DJI Mavic Air drone. This is our second stay in the Dodecanese Islands - we spent our vacation in Kos last year.
Rhodes is the largest island of the Dodecanese, situated at the junction of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. On the west coast you are on the Aegean Sea, while on the west side of the island you can swim in the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The highest peak of the island of Rhodes is Ataviros with a height of 1215 m above sea level at the foot of which there are many vineyards.
We chose a hotel in the capital of the island of the same name - Rhodes. Thanks to this, we had access to many monuments and tourist attractions, as well as good road connection with the rest of the island. Rhodes is quite big - that's why I decided to divide the movie into four chapters telling about the places we've been to:
00:00 - Rhodes Town
04:44 - West Coast
08:30 - East Coast
12:37 - Islands of Halki and Symi
Rhodes town
There are many monuments from different historical periods here. The most famous is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Medieval City of Rhodes. In the Middle Ages, the island was the seat of the Order of Joanites, which built numerous castles and defensive fortifications on it. The main monuments in the city of Rhodes include the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes and the city walls, as well as the Archaeological Museum, Mandraki Harbor and the Acropolis in the south of the city.
West Coast
There are many historical monuments on the west coast of the island. The largest is Ancient Kamiros - the ruins of a city that was destroyed by an earthquake. On this side of the island there are also ruins of medieval fortresses such as Kritinia Castle and Monolithos Castle. Not far from Rhodes town is Filerimos Monastery, where you can also admire the remains of the ancient village of Filerimos. Going into the interior of the island, you should visit two places - the first is the city of Embonas, which is the wine capital of the island, the second is Siana, which is famous for the production of olive oil, honey and souma. The last attraction worth seeing is the Butterfly Valley - unfortunately the "season" ended during our stay and there were really few butterflies.
East Coast
The west coast of the island is usually very windy, the water is more wavy and the beaches are mostly rocky. It is completely different on the east coast, where sandy beaches predominate, the water is calm and the weather is less windy. In my opinion, the most beautiful beach on the east coast is Agia Agathi, it is also worth stopping at Tsampika beach. The latter is at the foot of the Monastery of the same name. The East Coast is also perfect for starting your diving adventure - here I can recommend Rhodes Diving Academy - you are the best guys! Of course, there are also many places to visit here. First of all, you must see the city of Lindos with the Acropolis towering over it. It is also worth seeing the thermal baths in Kallithea or a typical Greek building in the town of Koskinou.
Halki and Symi islands
To the north of the island of Rhodes there are two smaller islands - Symi and Halki. They used to be famous for catching sponges, but nowadays the inhabitants mainly live from tourism. Here, attention for enthusiasts of snorkeling - there are the cleanest and quietest waters in the area! I especially recommend the island of Halki, which I would like to come back to :). In Symi, an additional attraction is also the Panormitis Monastery to which pilgrimages from all over Greece take place.
Soundtrack:
Rhodes Town: Aiyo - The Night Is Young ft. Willow
West Coast: Tape Machines - Evergreen Fields
East Coast: Thompson Town Flowers - Fresh From Yard
Islands of Halki and Symi: Tellow, Klara Larsson, COE - I Follow Your Heartbeat