Rhodes – The Most Colossal of All Greek Islands
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Rhodes Island
Rhodes is a wonderful greek island. It's famous for its picturesque views
Rhodes is the biggest from the twelve islands of Dodecanese. The name of this group of islands can be traced back to the Greek word “dodeka” meaning “twelve”. Most of the readers will know Rhodes because of the Colossus of Rhodes, which was built in the year 290 B.C. Being one of the Seven Wonders of the World it was built in honour of Helios, the sun-god and the guardian of Rhodes, and used to be the highest statue of the ancient world (over 30 metres high). The patron saint protected the island of Rhodes from the Macedonian conquerors. After just 63 years of fame, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake and fell into the sea. Nowadays, there are many speculations about the exact place where the statue stood. Some of them presume that the Colossus stood with his legs apart just above the port entrace of Mandraki, so that all ships could go under his legs when entering the port. The others are of the opinion that the statue stood on the main square in the old town of Rhodes. The govering mayor of Rhodes is now gathering donations from all over the world to build a copy the Colossus of Rhodes true to the original, which shall be a symbol of peace between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. For charter guests, Rhodes is one of the favourite destinations because of its unique art treasures combined with dreamlike bathing bays with perfect sand and shingle beaches. Because of the great beaches, the island has even got the sobriquet “Aegean Majorca”! Anchoring with a charter yacht in one of the bays, one can relax and forget about the everyday problems, enjoy snorkeling or just sunbathing in the Mediterranean sun. During the summer months, the Meltemi prevails in this region, bringing good sailing wind. Those who want to experience Rhodes from the inside shall explore the island afoot. In the interior, there are mountainous landscapes, untouched valleys and beautiful sand dunes. Walking along the wander paths, you will see with your own eyes why the island is so famous for its unique vegetation – the diversified flora benefits from the winter rains, which provide for huge carpets of flowers in spring. Thanks to its variety, the island of Rhodes is an attractive destination for charter crews when cruising through the Aegean Sea. According to the Greek mythology, the island was named after the nymph Rhodi, who was a wife of the sun-god Helios. Rhodi means “rose”, that is why the island is often referred to as the island of roses.
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