Remember the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding? If you have yet to travel to Greece you might think that it is all about big hair, big houses, big families. Oh, and the Athens and the Acropolis. There is so much more to experience! My Big Fat Greek Trip to Rhodes will give you an entirely different perspective.
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Rhodes, Greece. I can describe it in one word. WOW is the one that comes to mind. What an absolutely beautiful island. Rhodes is the largest island in the Greek Dodecanese group located in the south-eastern Aegean Sea. It’s nicknamed “the island of the Knights”, after the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem.
Traveling from Rhodes, our trip began with a one-hour excursion to the Acropolis of Lindos. The route winded along a road with amazing views beautiful beaches and clear blue water.
Upon approach to the Acropolis, you can see the village of white cubist houses at the foot of the steep rock. What a hike!! You begin the ascent to the Acropolis down in the village and just start climbing. So many stairs. You can reach the Acropolis on foot or in the summertime, by donkeys.
There are noticeably three different types of architecture, parts of which date back to the 6th century BC, to the 11th century and Medieval 15th century.
Rising dominantly on a steep cliff at 380 feet in height the Acropolis is like a podium overlooking the sea, framed by mighty fortress walls. From that elevation, it was windy at the top!! The wind gusts blew up to 50mph and we thought we would be blown off!!
The views of the bay of Saint Paul (named after Apostle Paul) are spectacular from the top. Paul visited the island while returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey.
Acts 21:1 (NIV) “After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.”
We entered the Medieval walled city of Rhodes. There is so much history here! The building of this city was so well planned, right down to the use of cobblestones in the streets so invaders could not ride in on horses to the buildings The alleyways are intentionally extremely narrow so if invading armies made it into the city, they couldn’t tell where they were. Ingenious!
The order of the Knights of Saint John was formed in the 11thth century and began as a religious order. Their primary objective was to look after the welfare of the wounded and ailing crusaders. The Knights of Saint John first came to Rhodes in the year 1309. During their 200-year rule of the island, the Ottoman Turks made several attempts to capture the island and with this, in mind, they soon got hold of a military order.
Gorgeous views, history, great food, and amazing people. There are so many incredible things to do in Rhodes that you’ll find it hard to choose so why not stay awhile?
As a travel agent and seasoned traveler I highly recommend a visit to Rhodes while you are hopping the Greek islands! Need a little guidance? Connect with me here.
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Hi, I’m Sandy Haddick, owner and Travel Dream-Maker of Dreams are Forever Travel. I’m a certified Travel Leaders Vacation Specialist with IATA credentials and several vacation destinations & vacation brands certificates.
With a degree in Business Administration & Marketing, over 20 years in Supply Chain and my passion for planning and travel, the move to open my own agency was a natural fit: instead of moving product, I move people.
Planning a vacation can be a daunting process. There are so many details–flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and activities. The internet is a great place to look, but not the place to book! Working with Dreams Are Forever Travel ensures everything is arranged, scheduled, and paid for before you leave the house, allowing you time to enjoy your vacation. Every detail is taken care of, so you don’t have to worry about a thing. There’s never a cost to use our services, all you have to do is pack your bags!
I love making travel dreams come true; let’s start planning YOUR next dream vacation!