Dodecanese travel guide: which island to choose and which route

The Dodecanese stretches along the Turkish coast, from Patmos in the north to Kastellorizo in the far east. Rhodes is the gateway, with the largest inhabited medieval city in Europe. Around it, some fifteen islands range from beach resort to end-of-the-world village.

Why visit the Dodecanese?

The Dodecanese is the easternmost Greek archipelago, part of Greece only since 1947 after centuries of rule by the Knights, the Ottomans and then the Italians. That layering shows in the architecture. Rhodes and Kos offer direct flights and developed beaches, while Symi, Tilos and Karpathos keep a pre-mass-tourism pace.

What to discover in the Dodecanese?

Rhodes, the city of the Knights

Rhodes holds most of what a first stay needs. Its fortified old town, a UNESCO site, is the largest inhabited medieval city in Europe: 4 km of walls, the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights. Allow a day for the town, half a day for the acropolis of Lindos 50 km south, climbing at the 8 a.m. opening before the heat. The Valley of the Butterflies and the site of Kamiros fill a second day. The windy west coast is popular with windsurfers, with steadier wind than in the Cyclades.

Kos, Symi and the northern islands

Kos, the second island of the archipelago, is explored by bike on its flat paths out to the Asklepieion, a healing sanctuary linked to Hippocrates, 4 km from town. Symi, an hour by catamaran from Rhodes, has one of the finest harbours in Greece: ochre and blue neoclassical houses tiered around Gialos bay. Further north, Nisyros with its still-steaming volcanic crater and Patmos with its Cave of the Apocalypse connect via the local Dodekanisos Seaways ferries.

The wild south: Karpathos and Kastellorizo

The south of the archipelago takes an effort to reach, rewarded with off-the-track islands. Karpathos, mountainous and windswept, is a world kitesurf spot at Afiartis; its ridge village of Olympos keeps its own dialect and dress. Kastellorizo, 2 km off the Turkish coast and 570 km from Athens, is a single horseshoe harbour that served as the set of the film Mediterraneo.

Cities to visit in Dodecanese

Featured destinations appear first.

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Dodecanese in pictures

The Dodecanese's must-sees

Named sites to spread across the islands you choose, from medieval city to ridge village.

Rhodes old town

The largest inhabited medieval city in Europe, ringed by 4 km of walls, with the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights.

Acropolis of Lindos

An ancient sanctuary perched on a crag above a white village and two bays, one where Saint Paul is said to have landed.

Gialos harbour, Symi

An amphitheatre of ochre and blue neoclassical houses around a bay, spared from concrete, reached on a day trip from Rhodes.

Asklepieion of Kos

A terraced healing sanctuary linked to the school of Hippocrates, 4 km from town, reachable by bike on a flat path.

Olympos village

A Karpathos village clinging to a ridge, long isolated, where older women still wear traditional dress on feast days.

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Dodecanese FAQ

Rhodes or Kos for a family holiday?

Kos for young children: a flat island, gently sloping sandy beaches, getting around by bike. Rhodes offers more to see, the medieval city and ancient sites, but requires a car to reach the southern beaches.

Can you visit Turkey from Rhodes or Kos?

Yes, boats link Rhodes to Marmaris and Kos to Bodrum in about an hour, returning in the evening. You need a passport, should check whether a Turkish e-visa applies to your nationality, and must allow time for customs formalities.

How long do you need on Rhodes?

Three days is enough: one for the old town, one for Lindos and the east coast, one for the interior (Valley of the Butterflies, Kamiros) or a beach. Add two days for a trip to Symi and one to Kos.

Is Karpathos worth the extra travel?

Yes if you want a lightly touristed Greek island with a strong identity: the Olympos village, wild beaches, hiking. No for a short trip, as the links are infrequent and the wind is often strong.

Was the Dodecanese affected by the 2023 wildfires?

Rhodes had a major fire in July 2023 in the wooded central and south-east areas, with evacuations. The old town, Lindos and the main resorts were not reached and the vegetation is recovering.

Plan your trip to Dodecanese

Day-by-day itinerary, budget, bookings and packing in a single app.