The Dodecanese hug the Turkish coast in the south-eastern Aegean, and the layering shows: ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, the Knights of St John, Ottoman and Italian all left something. Rhodes and Kos anchor the group, but the smaller islands are where it gets interesting.
Rhodes
The Old Town is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe and a UNESCO site — four kilometres of walls, the Palace of the Grand Master, and the Street of the Knights running up to it. Stay inside the walls: the town empties in the evening once the day-trippers and cruise passengers leave, and it becomes a different place.
Lindos, an hour down the coast, has an acropolis on a headland above a whitewashed village and a bay. Go early. The ancient site of Kamiros on the west coast is the quiet alternative.
Kos
Flatter and easier to cycle than anywhere else in Greece, with the Asklepion — the ancient healing sanctuary associated with Hippocrates — above the town, Roman ruins in the centre and long sandy beaches.
Symi
An hour from Rhodes by boat and one of the prettiest harbours in Greece — neoclassical mansions in ochre and rust stacked up the hillsides around the port. Most people day-trip; staying overnight is much better.
Patmos
Quiet, religious and beautiful. The Cave of the Apocalypse and the fortified Monastery of St John are both UNESCO-listed, and the hilltop Chora is one of the most atmospheric villages in the Aegean.
The Dodecanese have a longer season than the Cyclades — May and October are both comfortably warm here. Rhodes and Kos have international airports, which makes the group easier to reach without routing through Athens.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.
- All things to do in Greece
- Greece travel guide — seasons, transport and trip length
- Greece tours — planned around real ferry sailings
- Talk to a Cooee travel specialist