Greece

Dodecanese

Region

The Dodecanese, a long chain of islands off the Turkish coast, only became part of Greece with the Treaty of Paris in 1947.

by Felix Gillen

The Dodecanese, a long chain of islands off the Turkish coast, only became part of Greece with the Treaty of Paris in 1947. More than elsewhere, the Knights Hospitaller, Ottomans, and Italians left their mark here, hence the architecture has little to do with the white cube houses of the Cyclades: knightly castles, mosques, fortified monasteries, and Italian administrative buildings.The group ranges from Rhodes, by far the largest and liveliest island, to islets with only a few hundred inhabitants. Visitors will find seaside resorts, ancient sites, and quiet harbour villages often just an hour's ferry ride apart.

The islands lie in the southeastern Aegean, stretching from Patmos in the north to Kasos in the south. Rhodes and Kos are the hubs, featuring international airports, large ports, and the highest accommodation density. Rhodes offers its medieval Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage site), while Kos has the Asklepieion.The chain's north includes Patmos with its Monastery of St. John, Leros with Italian architecture, and Kalymnos, known for sponge diving. Symi is a day trip from Rhodes; Karpathos lies off the beaten path between Rhodes and Crete. Spring and autumn are quieter than the July and August high season; many smaller accommodations open only from Easter.

kallerna / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Kos

Kos, the third-largest Dodecanese island, lies just a few kilometers off the Turkish coast near Bodrum. In the island capital, ancient ruins, a Knights Hospitaller castle, and 1930s Italian buildings stand side by side.

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Place 2 of 4

Karpathos

Karpathos, nestled between Crete and Rhodes, lies far from the usual ferry routes, preserving what has vanished elsewhere: a mountain village where older women wear traditional dress daily and a unique dialect is spoken.

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Place 3 of 4

Leros

Leros is an island whose main ferry port is shaped by Italian Rationalism: Lakki, then Portolago, was built in the 1930s as a planned town for the naval base, with round arches, arcades, and wide avenues.

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Patmos

Patmos, in the northern Dodecanese, has been a monastic island for nearly a thousand years: Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos granted it to the monk Christodoulos in 1088, and the monastery still shapes its architecture, land ownership, and daily rhythm.

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More places in Dodecanese

Rhodes (City)

The Old Town of Rhodes City is one of Europe's most completely preserved medieval cityscapes and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. It was shaped by the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled the island from 1309 to 1522, with mosques and baths later added by the Ottomans. Behind a roughly four-kilometer-long ring wall lie the Grand Master's Palace, the Street of the Knights, and a maze of alleys. Outside the walls are the New Town with Italian buildings from the 1920s and 1930s and Mandraki Harbor. Walk through the Old Town in the early morning or late afternoon; at midday, it's crowded with day-trippers.

Symi

Symi is located north of Rhodes, close to the Turkish coast, and is known for its harbor town Gialos, whose neoclassical houses in ochre, pink, and blue climb the hillsides. Restorations are subject to the regulations of the State Archaeological Service, which is why the townscape appears cohesive to this day.The town thrived on sponge diving and shipbuilding, which made the island wealthy in the 19th century and allowed its population to grow to over 20,000. Today, around 2,600 people live here. During the day, many excursion boats arrive from Rhodes; in the evenings, it becomes significantly quieter.

Lindos

Lindos is located on the east coast of Rhodes, about 40 kilometers south of the island capital, below a rock featuring an ancient acropolis and a castle of the Knights of St. John. White houses, pebble mosaics in the courtyards, and narrow streets define the village, whose center is closed to vehicles. Below are the main beach and the small St. Paul's Bay.

Sights in Dodecanese

Discover the most important sights and attractions

Mittelalterliche Stadt von Rhodos (Altstadt)

The Old Town of Rhodes is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. The Knights of St. John's city wall measures around four kilometers and is accessible in several sections. Within the walls, structures of the Knightly Order, Ottoman mosques, and residential buildings from all eras overlap. The Old Town is still inhabited today.

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Grandmaster Palace

The palace at the top of Ritterstrasse was the seat of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John and later an Ottoman prison. After an explosion in 1856, it remained a ruin until the Italian administration rebuilt it in the thirties as a residence for Mussolini. Inside are late antique mosaics, which were brought here from the island of Kos. The tour leads through about two dozen halls.

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Archaeological Museum of Rhodes

The museum is housed in the Knights' Hospital of 1489, a two-story building with an inner courtyard and a vaulted infirmary. On display are finds from the island's ancient cities, including the kneeling Aphrodite of Rhodes and tomb steles from Kamiros and Ialysos. The sculpture garden in the courtyard is part of the tour. It is located on Knights' Street, a few steps from the Palace of the Grand Master.

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Windmills of Rhodes

On Mandraki Harbour's pier are three stone windmills, formerly used for grinding grain. The Fortress of Agios Nikolaos stands at the pier's end. At the harbour entrance, two columns with deer mark the legendary site of the Colossus of Rhodes. The pier is freely accessible.

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St. John's Monastery on Patmos

The 1088 Monastery-fortress above Patmos' Chora appears like a fortress from the outside, which it also was against pirates. Inside are a frescoed courtyard, a treasury, and a library with Byzantine manuscripts. Together with the Cave of the Apocalypse and the Chora, the complex has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1999. Shoulders and knees must be covered.

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Acropolis of Lindos

On a 116-meter-high rock above Lindos are the 4th-century BC Temple of Athena, a Hellenistic stoa, and, above them, a castle of the Knights Hospitaller. Carved into the rock below the ascent is the relief of an ancient warship. The ascent is via stairs without shade. From the top, you gaze upon the Bay of St. Paul.

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Food and Drink

Aegean Tavern (Masouri, Kalymnos)

Located in Masouri on Kalymnos' west coast, this tavern overlooks the island of Telendos, specializing in fresh fish and seafood.

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Galini (Vathi, Astypalea)

The tavern stands on the shore of the almost enclosed Vathi Bay in the northeast of Astypalea; from the terrace, you look out over the water. Served are squid in its own ink and octopus stew.

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Food and Drink in the Dodecanese

The influence of the Asia Minor coast is evident on the plate: more spice, more pastries, and recipes brought by refugees after 1922.

Shrimp from Symi

Tiny Symi shrimp are fried whole and eaten with their shells, with just lemon. Sourced from deep island waters, they're uniquely prepared here. They're a starter on every menu in Gialos harbor tavernas.

Makarounes

Hand-rolled pasta from Karpathos, served with roasted onions and local fresh cheese. The dough consists only of flour, water, and salt and is rolled around a stick. In Olympos and Diafani, tavernas cook them according to family recipes.

Mermizeli

The Leros and Kalymnos farmer's salad is served on softened rusks, with tomato, onion, capers, and local fresh cheese Myzithra. It was originally the sponge divers' on-board meal. As a lunch dish, you'll get it in almost every taverna on both islands.

Pitaridia and Pastries

On Kos and Kalymnos, pasta sheets cooked in broth are served with cheese, a dish with Ottoman roots. Stuffed dumplings with herbs or pumpkin are also found. Village bakeries offer them fresh each morning.

Souma and local wines

On Rhodes and Symi, Souma is distilled, a clear pomace brandy traditionally produced only for a few weeks after the harvest. Rhodes also has its own viticulture around Mount Attavyros with the white Athiri grape. You can get both directly from the producers inland.

Culture, Art & History of the Dodecanese

Knights, Ottomans, ItaliansIn 1309, the Knights Hospitaller took over Rhodes and fortified the city; in 1522, the Ottomans conquered the island. In 1912, Italy occupied the island group and administered it until World War II. In 1947, the Dodecanese was awarded to Greece under the Paris Peace Treaty. Each of these eras has left visible traces.Buildings of the ErasOn Rhodes, the Old Town with its city walls, Street of the Knights, and Palace of the Grand Master, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, stands amidst mosques and a hammam from the Ottoman period. From the Italian phase come the administrative buildings at Mandraki Harbour and the rationalist planned city of Lakki on Leros. On Patmos, the Monastery of Saint John, the Cave of the Apocalypse, and Chora form another World Heritage site.Island LifeReligious life follows the Orthodox calendar; church festivals (Panigiria) in honour of local saints are celebrated with music and communal meals. On Kalymnos and Symi, the history of sponge diving is ever-present; on Karpathos, the mountain village of Olymbos has preserved its own traditional costume and dialect.

Exploring between the islands

The Chain from North to SouthThe Dodecanese stretches for about 200 kilometers along the Turkish coast, which is why it operates differently from the compact Cyclades. The main route leads from Piraeus via Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, and Kos to Rhodes, taking a full night and day in its slow variant. In summer, additional catamarans and small local ferries also operate between the islands, connecting Nisyros, Tilos, Symi, and Chalki. Symi is connected to Rhodes, while Karpathos lies off the main axis and is only served a few times a week.Airports and WeatherRhodes and Kos have large airports with direct connections from Central Europe; smaller ones are on Karpathos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kasos, and Astypalea, served from Athens or Rhodes. If you're heading for a secluded island, it's better to plan your transfer via flight rather than ferry. The Meltemi blows from the north from July to September and affects smaller ships first; Karpathos and Kasos are then most likely to drop from the schedule. On the islands themselves, KTEL serves the larger towns, with dense service on Rhodes and Kos, and only a few times a day on the small islands.

Nearby

Rhodes (City)

Symi

Lindos

Dalyan

Dalyan is a town on the river of the same name, located between Marmaris and Fethiye, about 30 km from Dalaman Airport. You come for the Lycian rock tombs above the river, the ancient city of Kaunos, and İztuzu Beach, where sea turtles lay their eggs. Boats connect the town with the beach, Köyceğiz Lake, and the thermal springs.

Fethiye & Ölüdeniz

Fethiye is a port city in Muğla province at the western end of the Lycian Coast, about an hour's drive from Dalaman Airport. You come for the Ölüdeniz lagoon, the Lycian rock tombs, and as the starting point of the Lycian Way. The city stands on ancient Telmessos; its center is the Old Town Paspatur by the harbor. Ölüdeniz, with its beach and lagoon, is located south of the city.

Food and Drink in the Dodecanese

The influence of the Asia Minor coast is evident on the plate: more spice, more pastries, and recipes brought by refugees after 1922.