Rhodes for a week
Many years ago, we visited Malta on an Italian tour. I was fascinated by the Knights of Malta at the time and devoured many books about them.
A Wee History Lesson
The Knights of Jerusalem weren’t just fighters — they were a blend of monks, doctors, warriors, and priests, bound by religious vows, serving pilgrims and protecting Christian holdings in the Holy Land. The Hospitaller Knights were healers first, warriors second. The Knights Templars were the reverse — warriors first, monks second. But Malta became the Hospitallers’ last great home.
Starting as the Knights of St. John in Jerusalem in the 11th century, they began as a religious order, then militarized to protect pilgrims and Crusader territories. After being forced out of Jerusalem, they spent 400 years in Rhodes until the Ottomans defeated them, and they relocated to Malta.
In 1565, in the Great Siege of Malta saw the Knights and Maltese resist a massive Ottoman invasion. Their victory made them legendary defenders of Christendom. But by 1800, Napoleon had taken Malta and expelled them once again. Today, the Order is headquartered in Rome and has shifted fully toward humanitarian and medical missions.
So, in short: the Knights of Malta started as medieval hospitalers, became naval warriors, lost Rhodes to the Ottomans, lost Malta to Napoleon, and now operate as a sovereign humanitarian organisation with global reach.
After a delayed flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul, we missed our connection to Dalaman. A late taxi ride to Fethiye made for a long day, and by the time we caught a quiet late Sunday ferry to Rhodes, we were ready to settle in. Unfortunately, my Airbnb choice was a mistake.
The neighborhood felt suspicious, the taxi driver wouldn’t leave us alone, and when we finally got inside the apartment, we discovered the kitchen couldn’t be used (despite being shown in the photos), and the bedroom ceiling was so low Philip couldn’t stand upright. We stayed one night, enjoyed a late dinner in the Old Town at a restaurant our daughter Hannah had recommended called ‘Ta Kardasia’ then we left the next morning.!!! Airbnb were fantastic — providing a refund, a voucher, and complete understanding of our situation. Luckily, we soon found a wonderful apartment 20 minutes up the road near Faliraki, just a minute’s walk from the beach of Kathara Bay.
We returned to Rhodes Town and spent hours exploring the gloriously restored Old Town. The Grand Master’s Palace still radiates elegance and splendour, thanks to Italian restoration. The Street of the Knights, the main church under restoration, and the winding alleyways transported us beautifully back in time. As we explored Rhodes during the week, the ruins of their strongholds helped explain the Knights’ role and influence on the island.
We then spent four nights in Archangelos, a humble, typical Greek town. Our Airbnb was spacious, with a lovely rooftop deck overlooking their lit-up castle. The surroundings were rustic — olive trees, goats, and cluttered local yards — but ‘authentic’.
Our “adopted” German children, Inga and Julien who holiday here often, recommended excellent restaurants. Stegna Kozos, a lively seafood taverna by the beach, was so good we went two nights in a row. Taramosalata, traditional saganaki with seafood in tomato sauce and feta, fried local fish, and seafood pasta all made us very happy — especially with the vibrant atmosphere and attentive staff.
A surprise highlight was Taverna Paraga in a mountain village. Run by a family — mother and daughters serving, father cooking — it’s renowned and deservedly so. We lunched on a wild greens tart, cheese filo with sweet preserved grapes- grandmothers recipe evidently and their special lamb. Portions were enormous, but we managed a pretty good effort eating most of the succulent lamb.
On the island’s windy west coast, kite surfing thrives. We met Lars at his kite school in Theologos, which was a treat. But the real spectacle was at Prasonisi, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. Hundreds of cars, kite schools, surfers, and colourful sails filled the beaches and skies with sail boards and kite sails— exhilarating chaos and energy. After a swim in the extraordinarily warm Mediterranean we enjoyed a meze lunch overlooking the vast sandy beach. Driving back, we passed small, picturesque villages with whitewashed houses and beautiful Greek Orthodox churches, before coming across sprawling coastal resorts built to cater to Rhodes’ three million plus annual visitors.
The island’s second biggest town, Lindos, was packed with tourists — more than 30 buses were parked when we arrived. Still, the whitewashed town sprawling around the bottom of the mountain with its acropolis perched above is undeniably beautiful. I had secretly hoped to ride a donkey up the steep steps, but alas, I was too heavy! Instead, we climbed on foot, rewarded at the top by sweeping views and the impressive acropolis ruins.
Over a week, we crisscrossed Rhodes, took a ferry to the quiet gorgeous island of Chalki where we could explore and swim, rested, sampled its delicious food, met its friendly locals, and placed the Knights of St. John in their historical context.
The dry hot climate is evident throughout this rocky island none more devasting than the 2023 fites that destroyed 13,500 hectraes of the native forest trees , Pinus Brutia - resistant to drought, cold and winds. The extent of the fires was breathtaking and incredibly sad.
Rhodes is a place we’ve always wanted to visit — and now, one we would certainly highly recommend.
XX Judith