As the Airbus banked for its final approach, the island of Rhodes lay below in pink sunlight, its ochre peaks draped with gullies like underfed lions cooling in an azure sea. The intoxicating aroma of night-scented oleander flowers filled the air as we exited the airport, releasing pollen in the heat of the night for moths to collect.
An Island of Conquerors and Tourists
Rhodes, the largest of Greece's Dodecanese islands, sits below the western Turkish coastline. Its history is one of conquering, sieges, trade, and culture, having passed through the hands of Dorians, Romans, Ottomans, Knights of St. John, Turks, and Italians before becoming firmly Greek. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.
We stayed at the Princess Andriana resort, a five-star all-inclusive hotel that offers a reverse gear on all responsibilities of daily life. With seven restaurants, eight bars, a gym, waterpark, tennis courts, amphitheatre, beach, and spa, it provides everything for the truly weary.
Exploring the Mountain Village of Apollona
We drove through mountain hairpins past deep ravines with lakes and valleys filled by gin-clear rivers to Apollona in the foothills of Mount Profitis Ilias. There, a traditional bakery run by village women served sweet melikuna made of sesame, honey, and secrets, spoon-sweet jams, honeys of astonishing floral qualities, and fried pastry with honey and nuts.
Our guide Addy led us through the village, pointing out lemon verbena, mulberry, peach, carob, and avocado trees. Most houses have allotments and external bread ovens for slow-cooking goat during Michaelmas, a Christian festival observed in Eastern traditions.
Wine Tasting and Traditional Cooking
At the family-run Piperis winery, we tasted dry to sweet whites, rosés, and reds, all expertly balanced, some barrelled in oak. Greek wines have long been a favourite, and these met expectations. At Yiarenis Taverna, we learned to make dolmades, tzatziki, and cheese pies, which became a staple during our trip.
Lunch was a lengthy affair with goat stew and cats stroking our legs. Afterwards, we sat in a former men's-only coffee shop called Kapenion, filled with Turkish rugs, taxidermy, and antique ephemera, drinking thick, sweet coffee under a huge holm oak.
Dolphin Encounters and Deserted Islands
We drove through central mountain ridges past olive groves, black goats, and red earth to the northeast coast, where fishermen work and the pace is slow. There, marine biologists at Bluetopia, a family-run fish farm turned ecotourism destination, took us offshore. A pod of five curious bottlenose dolphins danced on our bow wave and jumped in great twisting arcs around us.
We snorkelled amongst black spotted sea bream fish farms and met parrot fish, damsel fish, and blue star fish. Then, we sped to Alimia, an island with a pristine anchorage, monastery, chapel, and abandoned village. One of the two inhabitants, Kostas, rebuilt the monastery during lockdown and grilled us red sea bream over olive wood while Mina made salads. We sat in the shade of olive trees drinking cold Assyrtiko white wine.
On the way back, my son said with sincerity: 'I think that may have been the best day of my life.'
Guy Venables was a guest of the Princess Andriana resort. Five days in a family room with a sharing pool on an all-inclusive basis starts from £1,939.
