Rhodes is about 100 km long and about 30 km wide but very hilly. We hired a Nissan Note for the day, left hand drive, manual and air-con (a must). I was a bit concerned with the numberplate POX 4869. Andy hadn't driven for 3 months and usually drives an automatic, so the day was going to be interesting.
We managed to get out of the main town of Rhodes without too much fuss (most of the streets in the town are one - way and parking is a premium). We headed down the West coast of the island first.
I know why none of the locals indicate now, everytime I tried to indicate I managed to turn the windscreen wipers on! Changing gears was pretty good, occasionally I nearly opened the door instead of changing gear!
Our first stop was the Valley of the Butterflies. The Petaloudes Valley (Valley of the Butterflies) is home to thousands of the Rhodes subspecies of the Jersey Tiger Moth that cover the entire landscape after the wet season (late May) due to the high humidity in the area. The Oriental Sweetgum trees in Petaloudes Valley give off a scent that attracts the moths and creates a unique biotope. It was okay, very hot and humid but a bit underwhelming.
Second stop for the day was the ancient ruins at Kamerios. This was one of the 3 holy sites on ancient Rhodes. Lots of ruins and spectacular views out to the Aegean Sea.
The drive from Kamerios to our next stop, Kritinia Castle, was along the coast and the drive reminded us a bit of The Great Ocean Road. The castle above Kritinia, named Kastellos, was built in 1472 by Giorgio Orsini to protect the inhabitants of the village from the attacks of the Ottoman fleets. Once again spectacular views from the castle. Here we had a drink and some dip & bread whilst enjoying the view.
Our next place to visit was the castle of Monolithos, the drive there was very hilly with lots of twists and turns in the road. We decided not to climb up to the castle but just to take some photos..a good decision I think!
Next we drove to the furtherest point from the town of Rhodes to Prasonisi. Prasonisi is where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean Sea. There is a wide sandy beach area with two swimming areas (One in each sea) and a huge group of kite surfers and sailboarders. There is an area where there are about 50 campervans. This could have easily been an Australian beach scene. It was a pleasant change to feel sand underfoot instead of rocks and pebbles. One of the highlights of the day.
It was mid afternoon by now and we began our journey back to Rhodes along the East Coast. As we saw a lot of the East Coast the other day on the boat trip, our main point of call, was Lindos. Lindos is a place made for postcards.
Lindos is an archaeological site and a town with classical white buildings. It is about 50 km south of the town of Rhodes and its fine beaches make it a popular tourist and holiday destination.
We finished the day with a quick photo stop at Tsambika before driving back to Rhodes Town. Andy was dreading this part because of the traffic, one - way streets, finding a parking spot and only Kristin to guide him. Surprisingly it went very smooth and he even parked like a local, on a corner , all over the footpath and half sticking out into the narrow carriage way! The road trip was a successful day.
For dinner we returned to a restaurant, Niohori, which we ate at two nights earlier and had another lovely meal. Andy then tried his luck at the casino and won a good amount but not enough to keep up with Kristin's buying!
Cheers,
A & K.
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