Rhodes: Endless stretches of coastline and pine forests on mountains, dotted with villages, archaeological sites and a medieval town of exceptional beauty.
The south of Rhodes is certainly not the most touristic part of the Greek island of the sun. Here you can find rough, natural beaches and cliffs to discover. Large parts are still unorganized, even in the summer months. Most (especially kitesurfing) tourists go to the Prasonisi peninsula, where a beautiful, large and wide sandy beach connects the island with Rhodes.

In this tour you start from Lachania and drive through the southern part of Rhodes. Lachania is located 70 kilometers from Rhodes town, at the foot of Mount Kopaná. It is a typical Greek village with white houses and blue doors. Because the village is quite high, it offers an excellent panoramic view of the eastern coast of the island and the sea. Worth seeing is the church of Agios Georgios, which dates from 1848. This church has a beautiful large bell tower. Right next to it is a traditional tavern, called Platanos with a terrace under the plane tree of the village square. Good to remember when you get back.

You leave the village southwards to visit the fishing port of Plimmitri. Because the beach is only a few kilometres from the village, it is also called Lachania Beach. The church at the beach is striking, built on the site of an old temple. A few columns are still visible. It is fun to rent a 'glass' boat for a trip along the coast, where you can also view the flora and fauna of the seabed. Or catch a fish in the renowned fish restaurant. The natural bay is of great ecological importance as it is a shelter for the well-known Caretta Caretta sea turtle. From here you drive towards Kattavia. On the way you can view the ruins of a freely accessible old Italian silk factory. Further on you pass a large power station to end up in the hustle and bustle of kite surfers at Prasonisi Beach, at least when the wind is strong.

Prasonisi is the southernmost point of Rhodes, about 92 kilometers away from Rhodes Town. The beach is a popular spot for surfers, kite surfers and other water sports enthusiasts due to the strong wind and good waves. The beach is a natural separation between the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. At low tide you can walk to Prasonisi (literal translation: green island) and admire the 14 meter high lighthouse of the small island. What makes Prasonisi very special is the fact that in winter, the narrow strip of sand (500 meters long) that connects the island to Rhodes disappears. During the winter, the sand strip is washed over by the sea and it is impossible to reach it by land.

Back on the mainland of Rhodes you can visit the archaeological site of Vroulia. It is one of the most important early settlements with an organized urban plan that has been found in Greece. Continuing your way you will pass Kattavia, a small village where local traditions are still maintained. Tourism plays only a small role here and the approximately 500 inhabitants live mainly from cattle breeding, agriculture and weaving. You will therefore only find a few restaurants and taverns. Traditional Greek meals are guaranteed! There are a number of beautiful buildings in the area that date back to the time of Italian rule.

On the southwest side of the island there are hardly any villages and if you want to have the beach to yourself there are enough possibilities here. Only at Apolakkia there is local activity again. Here is a quiet beach, Limni Beach, with a kind of inland lake. The beach is not very organized; although there is a small cantina in the summer months. Still, you are wise to bring your own food and drinks. You can have lunch in Apollakia, the neat village with less than 500 inhabitants. There are also possibilities to spend the night in Apolakkia in a small-scale accommodation. Along the road locals sell their honey, herbs and other regional products. On the village square there are a few taverns, which mainly depend on the tour buses on their way to or from Monolithos. But outside the town you will hardly meet anyone.

You leave Apolakkia in a northerly direction to the interesting mountain Monolithos with a castle and a chapel from the Middle Ages. Monolithos means 'single rock', but also 'rock of a type of stone'. The view over the blue Aegean Sea completes the picture. The village of Monolithos itself is also nice to visit. There is a beautiful church with a mausoleum and there are beautiful views over the sea. It is very quiet and not many people live there (about 150). It is an agricultural village and the people live mainly from the cultivation of olives and the production of souma and honey. Souma is the famous alcoholic drink of Rhodes. You must have tasted it once when you are here. After visiting, following the road inland, you will automatically come through the village of Siana. The village where the souma may be legally distilled by the inhabitants according to an old decree. The St. Panteleimon church is worth a visit. This 14th-century church is richly decorated with gold ornaments, frescoes and a detailed painted ceiling.
Now you end up in the real inland of Rhodes. Here the roads sometimes still need some maintenance and the surroundings are black and barren from the forest fires that regularly ravage the landscape here. After Siana you come to a route where many tabernacles (Greek Orthodox chapels) are located along the road. Do not hesitate to visit them, because there are some gems among them (see link). Then, in the middle of nowhere, 'Achilles' appears: a well-stocked wooden hut with local products. Definitely worth a stop to drink good coffee there. On to Laerma, a sleepy village in the inland of Rhodes.
As mentioned earlier, there are many churches and monasteries along the way, especially in these quiet areas. You are now approaching the important Greek Orthodox monastery of Moni Thari. For tourists, Moni Thari, dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel, is the only reason to come here. The monastery dates from the ninth century and was built on the foundations of an Apollo temple, which is said to date from the fifth century. The domed church contains a number of beautiful frescoes that are praised in all the guidebooks. The monastery of Thari is one of the most important monasteries on the island. The church is said to have been built in the 12th century, next to the church are chapels dedicated to John the Baptist, Agios Eleftherios and Agios Nektarios.

Towards the coast you will pass a relatively large town Asklipio, a fairly traditional village. The Greek Orthodox Kimissis Theotokou church in the small centre is worth seeing. Inside you will see beautiful frescoes from the 17th century. This church in Byzantine style dates from the 14th century. Next to the Theotokou church on the village square is a small folklore museum. The entrance fee to the Asklipio museum is €2 per person. Inside you can see an old olive press and religious objects. You can also park your car on the square and you will find two traditional Greek taverns here. A walk through the old village behind the aforementioned church is a tip. Walking through the alleys you will see some beautiful houses here. The ruins of the Asklipio castle are also a crowd puller here. This old castle is located slightly east of the village.

The coast is now close by. You head south past Gennadi with a beautiful olive press museum, back into the mountains. On this road you pass a number of chapels again, a water source and a ruined windmill in Vatio. Here it immediately becomes clear that the fight against forest fires must be a regular activity. Parched or scorched land and heavily irrigated fields with vegetables alternate. Soon you reach Arnitha, a picturesque village with small white houses. At the end of the village, you take the road up the mountain, to the small tabernacle of Saint Niconosâ (13th century). From there you have a panoramic view of the sea, but also of the mountains of Mesanagros and the monastery of the Virgin Mary "Skiadeni", where you are now going to drive through the mountains.

The famous Moni Skiadi Monastery offers a great view of the coast. Here the icon of Panagía ("Mother of God") Skiadiní is kept, considered the most valuable icon of Rhodes. The monastery was founded in the 14th century.
As mentioned before, the area is often ravaged by forest fires, nature hardly gets a chance to fully recover and shrubs rarely get the chance to grow into sturdy trees. Bare rocky slopes, patches of irrigated vegetable farms, desolate blackened strips, dusty paths and a few refreshing patches of forest become the main ingredients of the environment.

At the entrance to the 'forgotten' village of Mesanagros is an abandoned old church dating back to the 13th century, where you can still see some small fragments of frescoes and built on the remains of an older Christian basilica from the 6th century. Of this you can still see walls and parts of mosaics. There is a fence around it but it is open, so you can go and have a look. Mesanagros is a quiet little village with narrow streets and old houses as well as a kafenion (Gr. coffee house).
You now continue your way to the village of Lachania, where this tour ends on the terrace with a drink under the large plane tree.