Island of Rhodes Ρόδος

The largest of the twelve islands of the Dodecanese in the Southwestern Aegean

Sometimes called "The Island of the Roses"

Regional Unit of Rhodes (Rhodes (Ρόδος), Halki (Χάλκη), Kastellorizo (Μεγίστη / Kastellorizo), Symi (Σύμη) and Tilos (Τήλος)

The island of Rhodes is located in the eastern Aegean Sea and has a slightly cooler winter and summer than Athens. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands (with Kos being the second largest). Most of the island’s population resides in the city of Rhodes, which has approximately 53,000 inhabitants, while the total population of the island is 117,007. The northeastern tip of Rhodes points toward Turkey, and the mainland is visible from there.

Two other important cities on Rhodes are Lindos (pop. 700) and Archangelos (pop. 7,000) Some of the villages on Rhodes are: Faliraki, Kremasti, Haraki, Pefkos, Afantou, Koskinou, Embona (aka Attavyros), Paradisi, and Trianta.

The island is approximately 226 miles (363 kilometers) from the Greek mainland, but is only 11 miles (18 kilometers) from Turkey. A ferry boat journey from Athens/Piraeus to Rhodes is on average 12.5 hours.

Rhodes is a famous destination for vacations, the island recording on average over 300+ days of sunshine per year. The island has numerous beaches and tourist-oriented businesses catering to foreign nationals, and vacationers average at nearly 3 million per year.

Outside of the city of Rhodes, the island is dotted with small villages and beach resorts, among them Faliraki, Lindos, Kremasti, Haraki, Pefkos, Archangelos, Afantou, Koskinou, Embona (Attavyros), Paradisi, and Trianta (Ialysos).

Map of Island of Rhodes

The Famous Colossus

Rhodes was the location of the 'Colossus of Rhodes', one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a massive sculpted figure whose legs spanned the opening of the islands harbor. This structure was created to celebrate the failure of the island of Cyprus' siege on Rhodes during the war between the two islands in 305 BC. The sculpture was built between 292 and 280 BC. It was destroyed by earthquake in 226 BC.

The Ottoman Empire ruled Rhodes for four centuries, and Italy took it in 1912 during the Italo-Turkish war. During the Second World War, Germany anticipated that the Italian troops on Rhodes would defect to the Allies, and so occupied the island in 1943. Shortly thereafter they began the abduction of the some 1,800 Jewish inhabitants of the island and sent them to extermination camps in Europe. Only approximetely 160 or so survived the war. The Rhodes Jewish community had a history dating back more than 2,000 years.

Rhodes was officially reunited with Greece in 1947.