DODECANESE TRIP 2006

THE HOTELS THE ISLANDS

This is a record of a trip round the Dodecanese from the 17^th May to 7th June 2006. I am 62; my wife is a little younger. We like swimming, eating, walking round town and along waterfronts. We also like a reasonable degree of comfort. So the comments here will be relevant to those who are looking for something similar, and who are travelling in low season. In peak time, things are very different.

After our very successful trip around the Cyclades in 2003, we were tempted to repeat it. But the lure of other islands was too much to resist, so I planned a trip to the Dodecanese as this is the other obvious group for island hopping.

We flew to Rhodes from Birmingham (Air Malta) and visited Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Kos, Symi, and Rhodes again. We also took a day trip to Bodrum from Kos. We liked Rhodes – the Old town is lovely, and the somewhat maligned new town is really attractive with the Mandraki harbour, windmills and fort. Kos is also impressive, though too many tourists (terrible people like us) even in May. Kalymnos was not enjoyable – even with an attractive waterfront, there are too many scooters, motorbikes and cars racing round. This is often a bit of a problem in the Greek islands, but very bad here. Leros in contrast is very quiet and peaceful, and we found a lovely hotel. Patmos was very pleasant, though not our ideal Greek island as the Lonely Planet thinks. Symi harbour is almost ridiculously attractive, but it was baking hot there, and not much to do after a day or so. On balance, our favourite was probably Rhodes, we would go back there; but also to Leros for the Paradise Hotel.

General comments about travel from our Cyclades trip apply, though perhaps things were not quite so easy. Rhodes and Kos are quite big and busy, Leros and Patmos very quiet and small. Symi is a bit of an oddball, with everyone crammed into the harbour so hotels and rooms are scarce and relatively expensive. We still prefer the Cyclades – Paros and Naxos are just the right size, enough to do for several days, but not too big or touristy.

The weather was once again almost perfect – wall to wall sun for 19 of 21 days, and a little cloud for a couple of days. The only problem in fact was that it was getting a bit too hot – unusually for this early. Maybe this was partly because there was less wind than in the Cyclades, but this was an advantage in a way. Symi in particular was just too hot – the harbour is a rock basin that soaks up the sun and so is hotter than the other places we visited. Rhodes town in contrast is on a low lying north east tip which gets sea breezes and keeps cooler.

Hotels We moved up a bit in class since the Cyclades, partly to get swimming pools because of the hot weather – not always available in the cheaper places. Room owners met the ferry at Rhodes, Kos, Patmos and Symi. We had a bit of a problem finding a hotel in Kos with a pool. Our guide books (Lonely Planet and Thomas Cook island hoppers) did not bother about pools much. Luckily, we got advice from a local trader and found a nice hotel not far away.

Ferries The big car ferries in the Dodecanese either start at night in Athens, and arrive in Rhodes early morning, or start early morning in Rhodes. So if you want to travel at reasonable hours, you have to use the catamarans of the Dodecanese Express (the Express and the Pride). These are very nice ships, quiet fast and comfortable – the Pride is a bit newer, but both are fine. Even the food is quite good – nice baguettes. They have a little outside seating area upstairs if you don’t want the aircon comfort inside. They are about twice the price of the old ferries (e.g. Patmos – Kos €44 for two), but you don’t have a lot of choice. We did manage to use an old ferry from Kalymnos to Leros – I’m not sure which ship it was, but it did roll a bit. We also had to use a hydrofoil of the Flying Dolphins from Patmos to Kos because the Express had broken down in Kalymnos. This we did not like – no aircon, stuffy, a bit cramped, very little outside standing only space, and bounced around like a plane in turbulence. Not recommended.

Buses and Taxis In Rhodes and Kos you buy tickets before getting on the bus (though you seem to be able to get them on the bus if you don’t). In Patmos, you buy tickets on the bus from the driver. There is only one driver on Patmos. There is only one bus. It took us a little while to figure this out, as there are several different routes, but we kept seeing the same driver, and after a while it dawned on us. There aren’t many buses on Leros, so we used taxis. The bus to Lindos from Rhodes town took 1hr 20 min and cost €4 each way. Taxi to Rhodes town from the airport was €15. Other taxi rides were usually just the minimum, sometimes €3.5, sometimes €5.

Joe’s tip The bigger islands have green men at traffic lights - do not believe them – Red means take your life in your hands, green means proceed with great caution.

Internet Cafes and ATMs are everywhere, though we didn’t look for the net on Leros.

Food is pretty much Greek island standard fare, with maybe a bit more Italian influence – these islands belonged to Italy between the world wars. We were a bit more successful with fresh fish this time – Dorada (or Bream) was available at a reasonable price, though Red Mullet is over priced (sometimes €60 / kilo, though I did see it for €40). In Kalymnos we ate grilled Dorada that we saw the taverna owner carrying across the street from the harbour – still wriggling! Kleftico is often not cooked in foil – not the real thing, but we did get the genuine article in the Horidion taverna in Kos (one street back from the front towards the marina) wrapped in paper, and delicious.

THE HOTELS WE STAYED AT

Rhodes: Spot Hotel is in a great location in the heart of the old town – shops and tavernas spitting distance away, but still quite quiet. The room (6) was basic but clean, though the beds could be more comfortable, and the bathroom was miniscule. I almost banged my knees on the opposite wall sitting on the loo, and I am only 5’ 6”. Heaven help you if you are over 6 feet. We payed €50 including a fairly basic breakfast. Aircon costs another €10. Despite the great location, I would personally recommend instead the hotel we stayed in on our return – the Best Western Plaza in the new town. Location is quite good, near the new harbour and 10 minutes from the old town. Rooms are very smart and comfortable – we had a balcony over the decent swimming pool. With a good buffet breakfast we payed €70. The owner sat and talked with us over free coffee about Symi – his home island - and then offered us a free buffet dinner for the first night, which was pretty good and reasonable (€10).

Kalymnos We were met by the enthusiastic Giorgos who showed us a couple of rooms, which we took. They were quite spacious (2 bedrooms) and newly completed, but as mentioned, the walk to the port was a hazardous run owing to the scooters and motorbikes. We payed €65 for two nights. Giorgos was going to take us to the ferry, but as it was 6 am (!) we got a taxi instead. The rooms were quite comfortable, but not special – no views.

Leros We were lucky here. Took a taxi from Lakki port and he took us to the Crithonis Paradise Hotel, which was really nice. On the sea, lovely gardens, beautiful swimming pool, nice room with balcony views to the sea, good food, lovely dining terrace, very nice staff – top marks. And only €60 per night including a good buffet breakfast. Our favourite hotel of the trip, and worth going back to Leros for. It is very quiet and peaceful, not much to do, but you can walk along the coast to Agia Marina, or the other way to Alinda. Also take a taxi up to the castle with great views, walk down to Platanos and then Pandeli.

Patmos There were several room owners touting for business when we arrived on the Express via Lipsi at 13:45 – a little late. We took a chance and settled for rooms at Hellenis, run by two lovely Greek ladies. It was quite a long walk from the harbour, but quiet (double glazed), modern, clean, comfortable and with a nice balcony giving lovely views back along the front. We payed €35 a night, and were well pleased.

Kos We felt like a little luxury here, and definitely a good swimming pool, as the weather was pretty hot. Our guide books were not a lot of help, but with some advice from a local sponge seller on the waterfront, we found just what we needed at the Kos hotel about 400 metres along the front near the Marina. (Suggest you are careful about the many room owners who meet the ferries). We had a comfortable suite (221) with two balconies looking out to sea, and payed €60 per night including a good breakfast. As we were one of the few guests there was no buffet, but the nice barman prepared whatever we wanted and produced an enormous tray loaded with breads and cakes as well as bacon and eggs. The staff are very nice, and the pool was very enjoyable, with a good seating area around. The hotel has a mini market downstairs which was handy for water and snacks.

Symi is quite expensive compared with the other islands as there are a limited number of rooms available, and quite a lot of demand, though many visitors are just day trippers. I had a look at the hotel Nireus along the front, but they wanted €80 for a back room with no view, and may have had a sea view room for €100, so we let the owner of the Opera House rooms drive us there. We had a 2 bed apartment (11) with some views, aircon in the bedrooms, and payed €60 per night room only (the rate for 1 bed). It was a little walk from the front, not too far, but seemed further because it was HOT - maybe 40C. We met a couple staying in Dino’s rooms along the front, and if I returned I would try for one of those.

THE ISLANDS WE VISITED

 Rhodes has plenty of character in the Old Town – you can take a good walk along the walls through winding cobbled streets (good shoes needed), and it is full of shops and tavernas (and tourists) without being spoilt. We ate well (at Sintrivani on the evolution square greek salad moussaka stifado 3/4 red wine water bread €35). The son et lumiere (€6) was worth going, in a lovely setting. Check out the days and times for English language version. Lindos is also worth a visit (bus €4 single), watch out for Greeks barging in front in the queue – the bus was crowded, and you need a seat for the 1 Hour 20 min journey. The Knights Palace is an impressive building, but inside it has mainly mosaics nicked from other islands, though there is quite a good museum inside.

Rhodes Fort	Harbour Entrance	A Hidden Alley
Knights Palace	Lindos	Mandraki Harbourfront

Joe’s tip walk along the new town harbour towards the fort and you can buy fresh orange juice from a stall for €1.20, they also do other juices and ice creams.

Kalymnos we did not enjoy much, though we had some good cheap food (at Pizza Mia, Opaka), and had a pleasant day at Vathy. As we missed the early (7:50) bus, we took a taxi (€10) along a nice winding road by the sea with good views once you get past the industrial bits. We had lunch at hotel Galini, - English breakfast, fresh orange, greek salad, fish, tzatziki bread 2 glasses wine, yogurt honey, hellenikos €15 then free fresh light mini doughnuts with honey - very good food and value. Caught the bus back (ticket from shop) at 14:30 which wandered round village until 15:00 (the driver stopped to buy yogurt and lettuce from a roadside stall) and got back 15:30. I tried swimming on the small beach, the water was cold but clear and refreshing. Actually, this sounds pretty good now, and it would have been apart from the very busy traffic belting along the front and through the town.

Joe’s tip the restaurants / tavernas are all along the left hand end of the front (facing the sea), the other end is mainly cafes and bars.

Galini at Vathy	Blue House	Only in the Greek Islands

Leros doesn’t have a great reputation, but we enjoyed it a lot. This was perhaps mainly due to the lovely hotel, but it was a pleasant green and quiet island, and we enjoyed walking along the sea, and going up to the castle. We had the lunch special at the Paradise hotel, luckily we shared one between us (greek salad, beef in tomatoes €10) because it was easily enough for us. We had dinner at the little taverna by sea across the road which was also good – the food is probably better in the hotel, but the wine is expensive by the bottle. There was Greek dancing at the hotel (probably for the Saga guests) which was good fun.

Joe’s tip take a taxi to the castle (€5), and walk down to Platanos, stop for a drink, the down to charming Pandeli, and have lunch at Psarapoula, 2 metres from the sea. The chatty owner will call you a taxi back (€3.5)

A memory from Leros A Greek lad with dark glasses and attitude squealing wheels in his Golf after failing to pick up a couple of girls.

Leros castle	Hotel Paradise

Patmos You can see why people rave about Patmos, its a nice size, with some lovely views and a good waterfront. It has an impressive monastery above the port (in the Hora) and some other little villages (Grikos, Lampi). We found it just a bit small and limited for us – Kambos is a one taverna village, and Grikos isn’t much bigger, but we enjoyed it and would probably go back. If you go, eat at Panteli (or Pandeli), free starters, sometime free desert, very fast efficient service, one street back from the front, so it is not so noisy (but still the occasional scooter skimming past), good food and value. This place is family run and has been going for 30 years, and you can see why. They write out your bill on the table cloth. You can also get a good English breakfast at the Plaza for €6 (2 eggs, 4 bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, 4 bread, cake, jam, coffee, juice! Too much, but nice.). Patmos, however, had one drawback for a Greek island – you could not get a Gyros for lunch (at this time of year) – tragedy!

Joe’s tip try the local speciality cheese pie – its like a soufflé, very light and tasty.

Patmos from Hora	View from Hellenis Rooms	Monastery
Patmos – Pandeli	View from Kos Hotel	And at Sunset
Now is that a Bouganvillea or what	Kos Castle	Zia in the mountains of Kos

Kos is a bit similar to Rhodes – quite large, busy, lots of tourists and tourist shops, but also attractive with good historic interest. We liked it, and would probably return. There are some trips worth taking – particularly recommended is a bus to Zia (€1.4) – you have to go to the long distance bus station behind the town, not the local one on the front. The ride to Zia is up in the central mountains, and very attractive. Zia itself is a pleasant little place with quite a large choice of tavernas (we tried the ‘Village’, and were served by a nice Bruce Willis type who offered us a free coffee when we walked back) and you can take walks from here – it was too hot to walk far when we went, but a bit cooler than in Kos town. It’s also worth taking the 15 minute toy blue train to Askleipion – there isn’t a lot there, but the views are good. I don’t really recommend a trip to Bodrum – Bev wanted to go, so we booked on the slow boat with a town tour included. The boat (Knossos Kos) was an hour late leaving, with no explanation. We also had to pay Greek (€2.6 ) and then Turkish (€3) taxes on top of the boat fare, which was only apparent when we arrived at the port. Bodrum itself is OK, but not nicer than Kos - it didn’t help that the temperature was well over 30C, the kind of day you have to eat your ice cream fast before it melts. We did have a good kebab lunch though, at the Badana, and an excellent chewy ice cream (the one that melted fast). In Kos we eat three time at Muses near our hotel – the dolmades there are just the best – made from fresh vine leaves, and the meat grills are excellent. They will try and force large free ouzos on you after the meal, but you can negotiate alternatives such as brandy or coffee. We also ate a couple of time at Horidion (in the Lonely Planet), where the food quality is consistently high, and free brandies are provided. Sit round the side away from the road – its quieter. There were some places in the depths of the old town in some kind of price war – one was offering beer and gyros plate for €4, and another for €3 – silly prices, but we didn’t feel hungry at the time, so I can’t comment on the quality.

Symi is different, though we only stayed in the port, so can’t comment on the beaches which are apparently nice. The port is a photographers paradise, Bev and I both took a large number. Food is good here, with a large choice, including a couple of very upmarket and expensive (by Greek island standards) ones. We did very little as it was baking hot. I got up at 6am for the steep walk up to the Hora, and was sweating within minutes. Symi town tends to get hot as it traps the sun in the rocks around the harbour. If I went back there, I would try and go earlier in the year (or late) – we were just into June by then, but it was unusually hot for this time of year (‘Summer’ the Opera house owner said as we walked past him ‘not spring’). We ate at Bella Napoli (for a change) and had excellent pizza and pasta, then at Neraida where I had very good grilled tsipoula.

Symi Harbour	Symi from Hora	Café at Harbour Entrance
Symi Harbour Entrance	Sponge Fisher Statue	Dodecanese Espress

West Med Cruise Trip Report

Back to List of Essays

Back to Home Page