The Dodecanese Islands have been tempting travellers from far and wide for centuries. Scattered across the easternmost portion of the Aegean Sea, they’re among the most historically rich and climactically warm rocks of Greece. Expect a whirlwind of mystical temple ruins, rustic mountain towns, and beaches baked by the Mediterranean sun.
At the heart of the Dodecanese lies Rhodes, an island renowned for its UNESCO-listed medieval old town and beautiful beaches, ideal for luxury villa holidays. Saunter through the town’s cobblestone streets in the Knights' Quarter to discover The Palace of the Grand Master, a one-time bastion of the Crusades. Down at the harbours are traces of an even more ancient era, in the spot where the great wonder of the Colossus of Rhodes once kept watch.
But you’ll want to leave behind the enthralling stone plazas and alleys of old Rhodes Town to break out to the coast here. The east shore is one of the most vaunted in the country, offering a real hodgepodge of bays and coves, from the rock-spotted snorkelling haven of Anthony Quinn Bay, all the way to sweeping Lindos Beach, which is topped by a whitewashed Greek village and an ancient acropolis.
Kos, the birthplace of Hippocrates, invites visitors to the therapeutic embrace of its natural hot springs. Hit Agios Fokas, and you’ll find healing waters bubbling up on the side of the Aegean Sea at Therma Beach. Above, Mount Dikeos lurches to the clouds. Drive the zigzag paths into its midst, and you’ll find moody villages like Pili and Lagoudi Zia, where flower-writhed tavernas spill onto the uneven squares.
For the perfect day trip, hire a private yacht and hop over to the creaking windmills of Symi. It’s been hailed as the single most handsome island in Greece, largely thanks to the symphony of colours that make up its pastel-painted Venetian harbour. Alternatively, you could get the adrenaline pumping on Kalymnos, an isle famed for its gnarly rock climbing routes and diving opportunities.
A villa rental in the Dodecanese offers the chance for a luxury Greek island holiday away from the crowds of the more well-known archipelagos of the Cyclades or Ionian Islands. Get in touch now to book your once-in-a-lifetime escape!
See
- UNESCO-attested Rhodes Town
- The charming village of Lagoudi Zia in Kos
- Pretty Lindos Beach and town
Experience
- Hike Mount Dikeos in Kos
- Go scuba diving off the coast of Rhodes
- Indulge in delicious seafood in the tavernas of Symi
