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| Dodecanese |
| The frontier islands |
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| Fri, the harbor of Kassos. |
The twelve ("dodeca") islands ("nissia") that comprise the Dodecanese complex are Greece's southeastern frontier in the Aegean. Also, except for Rhodes and Kos, they are some of the last remaining unspoilt and tradition-bound corners of the country.
Rhodes is Greece's second most popular tourist destination, after Crete, and its castle-enclosed old town is one of the world's best preserved medieval towns. Kos is also fast becoming a major tourist magnet on its own right, besides being the cradle of medicine, with Hippocrates' Asclepeion.
Kalymnos is the island of sponge divers, and Symi, Tilos, and Chalki, the group of three tiny islands between Rhodes and Kos, are perhaps the most picturesque of all Greek islands.
Kassos and, especially, Karpathos, the southernmost islands of the Dodecanese, between Rhodes and Crete, are rugged rocks of incredible beauty, still "undiscovered" by the summer hordes of vacationers.
The islands are clustered together, and there is frequent connections between them, making island-hopping in this region not only feasible but also desirable. If you decide you can do without the inconvenience of changing hotels every 3 days, the big islands of Rhodes and Kos can be used as a base for exploring the nearby smaller islands. Local travel agents will help you with tickets and schedules for the daily, regular connections between the islands, and also with special cruises that make daily visits to islands off Rhodes and Kos.
After all, if you can see 4-5 islands at one go without, for example, leaving the comfort of your mega resort near Rhodes town, why not do so?
An extra attraction for the visitor is the ability to take a short trip across the straights to a Turkish harbor town and take in some of the local sights and sounds, including shopping for usually cheap leather goods and rugs. |
| The Highlights |
- The old town of Rhodes with the castle of the Knights of Saint John and the Palace of the Grand Master.
- The islands of Symi, Chalki, and Karpathos, for a peaceful and elegant hideaway.
- The new resort hotels and the windsurfing beaches of Kos.
- The Greek easter celebrations in Kalymnos.
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| We Recommend |
- Visit the old town of Rhodes and Lindos.
- Take one-day trips to Symi and Chalki, from Rhodes or Kos.
- Visit Karpathos and Kassos while they are still under the radar screen of almost everybody.
- If you can, take a sailboat cruise around the islands, mostly the smaller ones.
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| We Do Not Recommend |
- Visiting the smaller islands impromptu, without reservations, during August.
- Getting one of the older ferries from Athens to the Dodecanese. The trip can be excruciatingly long.
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| Useful Information |
| The country code for Greece is 0030 (from the US and Canada: 01130). |
| Tourist Info Office |
| The tourist info offices are usually run by the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) and are located at the harbor or near the police station of each island's capital town. |
| Police Station |
| There are police stations in every major and secondary town, usually at the central square or on main street. For emergencies, dial 100. |
| Hospital |
| There are hospitals in the larger islands and medical centers in the smaller ones. For emergencies there is helicopter service, operated by the National Health System, that transfers patients to major medical centers. |
| Pharmacy |
| Every island has pharmacies. Business hours are Monday through Friday 8 am to 2 pm. During off hours ask the front desk of your hotel for assistance. |
| Foreign Press Outlet |
| In the larger, tourist islands, there are foreign press newstands everywhere. In the smaller islands, foreign press is handled by the general press agency that is usually located near the center of the capital town. |
| Internet Cafe |
| These days there seem to be Internet cafes everywhere, and certainly in all major towns and some secondary ones. Many travel agencies offer Internet access, and not only to their clients. |
| Car Rental |
| All hotel front desks and all travel agencies will arrange for a car rental to be delivered to you, and will provide information on available options. Most of the international car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, etc) operate on the larger islands. |
| Bank |
| The larger islands, like Rhodes and Kos, host branches of all major Greek banks, and some foreign ones. All the small islands feature at least one branch of a major Greek bank, like Narional, Alpha, and Commercial. They handle all major transactions, such as money transfers, cash advances on credit cards, and money wires. Banking hours are Monday through Thursday 8am-2pm and Friday 8 am-2.30 pm. ATMs are ubiquitous, including the lobbies of many major hotels, in the larger islands. |
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