Travel is most enjoyable when there is a hint of its study, the element of discovery, visits to places that retain their traditional character and approach them in an unusual way. To some extent, all the Greek islands offer this, but no more than the beautiful and very diverse Dodecanese islands in the southeast Aegean Sea, which embrace the Turkish coast. These islands cover a variety of landscapes of beauty immunity, unforgivable coastal landscapes, picturesque settlements and many fascinating archaeological sites.
Dodecanese is easily accessible by daily boats and flights from Athens, as well as to the largest islands of South Dodecanese, Rhodes and Kos, also served by charter flights from North-West Europe in the summer season.
It's nice how to spend a week or so, swimming in the sun and sea of one island, there are more interesting ways to enjoy this part of the world. Destroyed between Rhodes and Kos, it is a series of more rarely visited small islands, each of which has its own character, each of which is scattered around historical and archaeological monuments, and each of them is exceptionally beautiful.
Traditionally, adventurous travelers explored this intimate sea world through "jumping from the island", literally jumping from one island to another, sometimes along a fixed route, sometimes completely spontaneous. But for those who want to visit the islands in style, without worrying about tickets and schedules, and not being able to come to terms with the limited charms of ferry terminals, ships in the form of a box and the atmosphere of mass transit, there is a great alternative.
For a number of years, it was possible to cruise the Dodecanese on Turkish gulets, an Aegean version of the schooner, and a hand-made wooden two-masted sailing boat. These luxurious and elegant vessels are equipped with all the necessary amenities and can accommodate from 2 to 24 people. Of course, there is no more pleasant way to move the Aegean Sea: imagine that it lies on a soft rear deck, listening to the sound of a squeaky tree and swinging sails; anchor at the whims of pristine coves for a quick swim or a brief solo exploration in a kayak, before enjoying delicious food prepared by the on-board chef of the freshest ingredients.
The best route through the southern Dodecanese will begin in the ancient port city of Kos, where an impressive medieval castle opens. Here you can explore a very attractive city, which was completely restored after the devastating earthquake in 1930 by the Italians (who then controlled the islands). They chose an unusual expressionist style, a combination of Greek and Italian building traditions. The city is interspersed with many archaeological parks, revealing a large Roman city below, more of which can be found in the beautiful museum of ancient sculpture and in the impressive Casa Romana, reconstructed Roman city house. One place that should not be overlooked is the famous Asklepsion Kos, one of the most revered healing sanctuaries of antiquity, located on a quiet wooded slope overlooking the city, the sea and the adjacent Turkish coast.
From the island of Kos it is a small sail to nearby Nisyros, a tiny island left untouched by modern mass tourism. Boats moored near the labyrinth island city, Mandraki. Coming from busy Kos, Nisyros is a revelation: a forgotten world of forests and rocks and whitewashed houses rising from the deep blue of the Aegean Sea. A trip to the center of the island shows its fascinating origin: the ancients believed that Nisyros was formed during a clash between the gods and the titans, when Poseidon, the god of the sea, cut through the stone to his attackers, catching them under them, but not killing them. Their groans and thunders could be heard. This picturesque story reflects the fact that Nisyros is actually a half-sleeping volcano. In Stephanie, visitors can stroll in one of the craters, now a quaint lunar landscape with heat and steam, overlooking the sleepy but beautiful village of Nikiya, located on the edge of the caldera.
From here, the next island that beckons across the blue sea is Tilos, one of the smallest and least populated islands in the group. Tilos is a wonderfully fertile island surrounded by no-man untouched beaches. Its main village, Megalo Chorio, offers a surprise: a small museum dedicated to the breed of elephant pigs that roamed the island 10,000 years ago.
The next transition will lead you to Halki. His port city, Emborio, is an amazing sight: a disorderly white 19th century house with beautiful neoclassical facades, located along a wide bay with incredibly sharp limestone mountains towering behind. The nearest peak is crowned with an impressive medieval castle built by the Knights of Rhodes, and its sides are covered with the harsh ruins of a ghost town: the old capital of the island, which was abandoned when residents decided it was better to live near the sea.
A long sail with a prevailing wind will lead you to the island of Symi. If you thought that Emborio is impressive, Yialos, the harbor of Simi, is an absolute miracle to contemplate. The row, after a series of beautiful traditional houses, each painted in slightly different pastel colors, rises above and around the narrow bay of the fjord. An excursion to the upper city, Chorio takes you back in time - its winding streets and countless houses packed in close cooperation perfectly preserve the character of a 19th-century village community.
The final sea crossing marks a return to a more lively world: the harbor of the city of Rhodes. Rhodes was already the main center of the region in antiquity, famous for its Colossus, which is now lost, which is not too far from the harbor where the gulets are mooring. Rhodes has many attractions, especially its lively medieval old town, which is dominated by buildings created in the XIV and XV centuries by the Knights of Rhodes, who also surrounded it with impressive fortifications that can still be seen today. Because of its ancient acropolis, crowned by the ruins of a small theater and several temples, Rhodes is clearly the result of thousands of years of dynamism.
If you have the time left after disembarking your gulet, you can continue exploring these rich cultural Greek islands. There is always more to see!
