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 The Dodecanese is
a complex of over 163 islands and islets, of which 26 are inhabited,
situated at the easternmost part of Greece, at the borders of Europe. Almost
every island has its Classical remains, its Crusaders Castle and its
traditional villages in a region where eastern and western cultures have
wonderfully blended for many centuries. The most popular tourist
destinations are Rhodes, Kos and Patmos, while the unspoilt Symi, Halki,
Leros and Kalymnos are equally delightful without being crowded. Karpathos,
Nisiros, Kastellorizo, Kassos and many other islands of the archipelago are
ideal places to experience traditional, serene island life.
The
Dodecanese group of islands lined up in the Eastern Aegean, whose
strategic position made them vulnerable to a
greater large list of invaders than the rest of
Greece: Egyptians, the Knights of St John, Turks
and Italians have all done their bit as
conquerors. Rhodes is the largest and most
cosmopolitan of the Dodecanese islands and its
capital town is the largest inhabited medieval
settlement in Europe. Other popular islands in
the Dodecanese include Kos, Symi and Patmos,
while the Lipsi and Tilos have
fantastic beaches without large crowds.
Agathonisi, Kastellorizo and Kassos are great
places to experience traditional, serene island
life. Several islands of the Dodecanese,
especially Rhodes, were settled by the ancient
Greeks and figured prominently in Hellenic
civilisation for many centuries. Nowadays,
tourism is of major economic significance to the
islands, as they all feature sunny skies,
beautiful beaches and perfect tourist
infrastructure and an endless list of holiday
choices. |
