In days of old when knights were bold they found the island of
Rhodes, close to the Turkish shore at the merging of the
Mediterranean and Aegean seas, and set it up as a fortress to
protect the Christian west from the invasion of the infidels from
the east. Today the island, the main one of the 12 making up the
Dodecanese group, is still subject to invasion, but now the
intruders are tourists, who come to revel in what is reputedly the
sunniest Greek island, and to have fun in the medieval city the
knights left behind. The town of Rhodes, on the northern point of
the island, has preserved its picturesque walled old city as a
playground for visitors. In ancient times the harbour here was
guarded by the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven
Wonders of the World, but now some statues of deer have taken its
place. Nevertheless the old part of the city has plenty of wonders
still to offer and the modern part of the town is just as vibrant.
The rest of the relatively large island offers miles of beaches,
interesting archaeological sites and natural beauty spots. The best
beaches are on the east coast, between Faliraki and Lindos. Lindos
is renowned as a particularly picturesque town that has been
designated a protected historic settlement.
