from 12 reviews
7 hours
Daily Tour
4 people
English
Visit the main highlights of Rhodes town and the beautiful white village of Lindos with a stop at the picturesque Filerimos Hill. We have also included a relaxing stop at a traditional Greek tavern to enjoy a fabulous lunch.
Our private day excursion will start from the Old Town, the Mandraki harbour together with the area where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood. Then we will visit the ancient Acropolis of Rhodes. Next in our program is the traditional village of Lindos. There is one hour stay there which allows you to reach the beautiful Acropolis on the top.
We have also included a visit to a traditional Greek tavern for a fabulous lunch. From there we will cross the island from the east to the west side for a refreshment stop at the Butterfly Valley or the famous Fillerimos Hill. Then we will return back to your starting point.
We will start our excursion with a drive around the walls of the Old Town of Rhodes – the biggest inhabited medieval town in Europe. It was built in 1300s from the knights of the order of St. John. The Medieval Town of Rhodes is inscribed in the World Heritage Sites List of UNESCO. This list recognises the exceptional value of a cultural site so that it may be protected for the benefit of all Humanity.
If you want we can extend the duration of the excursion with 1 hour and you can have also some free time to go through the Old town and explore it on your own.
Mandraki port is situated in the new part of the town where you will see some very impressive monumental buildings built by the Italians. Here at the harbour entrance is believed that once stood the great statue of the Colossus of Rhodes – one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.
We will stop for pictures of the area and you will be able also to enter and see the Church of the Annunciation which is the most famous church in Rhodes Town. Located north of Mandraki, the old port of the town, this church was constructed in the 1920s, during the Italian occupation of the island.
The Church of the Annunciation celebrated on March 25th with a large religious festival.
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes was a gigantic statue of the god Helios. Erected by the sculptor Chares of Lindos, it was under construction from 292 BC till 280 BC and was considered as the tallest building of its time, standing at 30 feet.
Built in memory of the defeat of the Roman Army, which was trying to take control of Rhodes, this giant statue represented a man holding a bow on one hand and a torch of light on the other. The statue of Colossus was put in the port, with its two feet standing on the edges of the entrance. The ships would pass under him.
But in an area prone to earthquakes, the inevitable soon happened. In 226 BC, only 56 years after its construction, an earthquake hit Rhodes and the statue fell down. Snapping at the knees, the statue fell onto the land and broke in giant pieces.
A sad end for what must have been a majestic work of art.
Now we will continue through the city and see more of the great Italian architecture. We will stop for pictures also at the Northern tip of the island where the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas meet each other.
Then we will drive to Monthe Smith Hill where you can enjoy exceptional panoramic views of the city and the seashore, and also visit the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, the impressive open-air ancient Stadium and the Amphitheatre.
Next in our program is the famous Filerimos Hill. This place was used as the citadel of the ancient town of Ialyssos. The hill includes the foundations of the temple of Athena Polias, an Early Christian basilica, and a small subterranean Byzantine church.
There is a road that sets off from the square that leads to the westernmost point of the hill.
In order to reach this imposing cross and see the splendid view, you need to walk along a pathway known as "Golgothas". It is tree-sheltered, with a series of shrines and scenes of the Holly Passion.
At the end of the road of Martyrdom stands an 18 meters tall cross raised by the Italians in 1930.
For the Summer period between the end of June and mid-September, we can substitute the stop at Filerimos Hill with the beautiful Valley of Butterflies. The valley is a natural reserve, unique of its kind.
The coolness of this place, the flowing waters and the shade of the trees make it ideal to rest, especially during the hot summer days. Small, wooden bridges cross the river and an uphill path leads to the Monastery of Panagia Kalopetra. Your driver will wait for you on the other side of the park.
If you want to see both Filerimos Hill and the Butterfly Valley than we need to increase the duration of the excursion.
Now we will cross the island from the West to the East Coast of the island towards the traditional village of Lindos.
Little before we reach the beautiful village we will stop at a place for a panoramic view of the village together with its Acropolis on the top. Before the village we will also visit the picturesque St. Paul’s Bay.
It is claimed that St Paul landed here in the year 51 AD to preach Christianity to the Rhodians. There is a small church built thereafter his name. We will make a stop for pictures to capture this stunning view.
You will have at least one hour stay to explore the village and to visit its famous Acropolis.
The Acropolis in Lindos is the second most popular Acropolis in Greece after the Parthenon in Athens.
Now we will have a relaxing stop at an outstanding traditional Greek tavern.
We can also arrange a visit to a spectacular seaside tavern near the sea so that you can enjoy your lunch and the sea breeze.
Upon request, during your excursion, you can also have a stop at a pottery factory. You will be able to see how beautiful ceramics are made.
Rhodes has a long history of pottery going back many centuries at least to the time of the ancient cities.
Replicas of designs produced in those times are still been manufactured today together with new modern designs in a younger generation.
We will return back to the city of Rhodes and we can leave you directly to your hotel or ship or at any point of interest
Scott