In the centre of the village there are a couple traditional cafes (kafenia) and taverns which offer the best view to the visitors. Skala Kamirou is located in a short distance from here where it offers direct access to the nearby picturesque Chalki Island. Follows a nice video of Kritinia produced by Savvaidis & Associates.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).

Lying on a narrow, fertile and flat coastal plain, backed by some green hills the village of Afandou (or Afantou Greek: Αφάντου)¹ is one of the biggest villages on Rhodes (pop. 5500). It is the seat of the Municipality of Afantou, located on the east coast of the island at about 18 km south of the capital and 20 km from Diagoras International Airport.

The name of the village derives from the Greek word afanto which means invisible, and for a good reason. There were times when Mediterranean islands were overrun by the pirates. The villagers in order to protect themselves from the excursions choose wisely the position their village close enough to the beach but in a place not noticeable from the sea.

Although it is not considered among the top tourist spots on the island, Afandou has recently begun gaining popularity for its fabulous 4 km long beach and its vicinity with the famous Faliraki (5 km). Like any other place in Rhodes, this village is also all natural beauty but at the same time you can find everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable vacation in a relaxing atmosphere. At the village square you can spend night and day, enjoy drinks and watch people passing by and still not get bored. There are stores and shops of every kind. You can find great stuff and get gifts from the souvenir shops to take home like the hand-made carpets, a local speciality or the beautiful hand decorated ceramics (notably painted plates bearing a deer the symbol of Rhodes).

In the village and the surroundings of Afandou, there are a number of modern holiday villas, apartments, hotels and studios that one can book to stay. Afandou beach is perfect for kids, being wide, at a safe distance from the busy traffic and offering calm and clear water. The miniature “train” that runs between the village and the bay makes it very easy to access the beach and it is bound to appeal particularly to kids. If you like walking there are several paths you in the olive and orange tree orchards that surround the village or you can take a walk up to the hilltop church of Profitis Ilias, offering impressive sea views. On the main road that leads down to the beach stands the small but very old church of Pagagia Katholiki with 16th-century frescoes, built on the remains of an early Christian basilica.

There is a number of activities which you can practice during your holidays in Afandou, mainly a choice of water sports down on the beach-front. Golfers will particularly enjoy the 18 holes 72-par golf court designed by Donald Harradine, overlooking the sea, at Afandou Golf Club.

1. A common problem when dealing with Greek names is how to render them using latin characters. The letters nt (ντ) are pronounced more like d in the local Rhodian idiom. Notice that the letter d, although it originates from the Greek δ, has no phonetic correspondent in Greek.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).

Kritinia (Κρητηνία) located in the southern part of the island, at a distance of about 50 km from the capital city of Rhodes. It is a small picturesque village (pop. 650) with lovely sea views and a little harbor, Kamiros skala, at 4 km that connects with the island of Halki. Here at this charming place, the authentic Greek islands feel emerges. Surrounded by the beautiful landscape you will really enjoy your visit.

The local economy is based in farming as Kritinia along with Embona and Mandriko, are the most productive agricultural areas of the island.

The main attraction is the medieval Castle of Kritinia, located just outside the village, stands proudly overlooking out across the bay atop a pine clad hill. In the nearby small monastery of St. Ioannis you view paintings dating back in the 16th century. There also some small secluded beaches like Kalami and Paliochora, a good choice if you want to avoid the crowd ones but keep in mind that this part of the island can be particularly windy.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).

Koskinou (Greek: Κοσκινού) with a population of 3.224 is a beautiful village at 7 km from the capital, built atop of a hill overlooking the east coast of Rhodes. Although it is located in one of the most developed residential areas on the island, the village is a protected settlement still retaining its traditional character. Koskinou is one of the oldest villages on the island, byzantine coins and other artefacts indicate that the village existed well before the 15th century. Walking around the village you will find traces from the ancient Greek and the Byzantine eras.

How to get here

If you’re coming from Rhodes town in the north, get onto the Rhodes-Lindos highway and head in to Faliraki. You will drive passing the outskirts of the town and the industrial zone of Asgourou. Continue on this road for another 2 km and when you arrive at a large intersection with no traffic lights, turn left and follow the winding road towards Koskinou.

Narrow winding streets with beautiful neoclassic houses painted in bright, vibrant colors, lead down to the lively, main square of the village. In a typical village house you enter through a highly decorated door into a courtyard full of flower pots, jasmine trees and bougainvilleas. In many houses you will find impressive, stone made, arched portals and heavy wooden doors. The floors in both the courtyards and the inside of the house are covered with black and white pebble mosaics bearing Rhodian motifs (hohlaki). Inside the houses the walls are full of amazingly decorated ceramic dishes and hand-woven wall hangings. Wooden raised bed platforms with a storage room underneath are positioned near the walls with no windows.

Around the village there are a number of interesting attractions. You can start with the small, domed church of Aghia Irini (more than 200 years old) and Aghios Lukas a tiny, early 4th century Christian Basilica temple. Then there is the church of the Virgin Mary, the biggest temple in Koskinou village. A small Knights’ castle is located on the outskirts of the village. The views from here are stupendous. In addition, many ancient graves, some set into boulders, can be seen scattered around the village.

The unique colors and impressive facades of the traditional houses of Koskinou have always been the subject of many coffee-table books. In fact Lindos, Koskinou would be the second most photographed village (after Lindos). There are a large number of small-scale, private holiday accommodations for those who wish to stay here and experience the traditional mood of the village. Koskinou enjoys the most spectacular views of the sparkling blue seas in the distance and it is very close to Kalithea Springs and to the famous resort of Faliraki. The village is well known for its traditional cuisine, there are many popular restaurants and tavernas here. There is a major festival on July 17th when the village celebrates the name day of St. Marina with traditional song and dance events, a banquet of food and drink, as well as stalls selling various goods.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).

Monolithos (Μονόλιθος) is a small mountain village at 77 km from the capital, on the south-western part of the island of Rhodes. It has a population of 134 inhabitants and its name derives from a 240 m. high, rock (lithos in greek) with a castle on its top that dominates the view. The village and its beautiful nature that surrounds it, still remain mostly untouched from the tourist development. This area is ideal for off the beaten track excursions.

The village lies amphitheatrically at the foot of Mt. Akramytis, which at an altitude of 825 m. is the second highest mountain in Rhodes. Entering Monolithos, you get a clear sense of the way life used to be some decades ago – little seems to have changed over the years. The settlement itself is made up of mostly single or multi-tiered, built from stone houses with light flat roofs and small courtyards full of flowers, with great splashes of color lent by the rows of flower pots and the bougainvillea that cascade over garden walls and doors. Scattered among the village dwellings there are various graceful structures of Italian architecture, such as the only village school and a very elegant Police station. The locals are occupied mostly with agriculture so it is not uncommon to see elderly villagers riding their little donkeys to work. Olives, honey, wine and the strong aperitif, souma, are the main products in this village and can be bought from the taverns and little shops. Food is very good here, at very reasonable prices. Ask for the traditional local dishes like the lamb-on-the-spit.

The closest village to Monolithos is Sianna at about 5 km while the seat of Attavyros Municipality, the village of Embonas is at about 17 km. There are a few attractions around the village like the castle of Monolithos with its two small medieval chapels with lovely frescoes and outstanding views, the monasteries of Aghios (Saint) Isidoros, Aghios Ioannis and Aghios Georgios and the Apolakià Damn at about 10 km from the village and a fine pine forrest. Close to Monolithos there are two beautiful beaches the beach of Glyfada and the beach of Fourni. The well known beach of Prassonissi is at about 30 km to the south.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).

Excavations in the broader Archangelos area brought into light the existence of many small settlements dating back to the Hellenistic times. Most of them are concentrated on the coastal area while others are more inland. After the 7th century AD most of the settlements near the coast were abandoned due to the frequent pirate invasions and their inhabitants moved to more secure areas. Over the time the various settlements were merged, forming the village of Archangelos.

In later times, between the years 1454 – 1476, the Knights of Rhodes – also known as the Knights of Saint John or Hospitallers – that were defending the island from the Ottoman invasions, built a fortress on top of one of the Archangelos’ nearby hills, incorporating parts preexisted Byzantine castle, to offer protection to the village inhabitants. Today some ruins remain with a 7 m tall fortification wall and the small chapel of Aghios Ioannis.

In the villager center the church of the Archangel Michael, patron of the village, and its old campanile built in 1845, dominates the view. The houses are full of vibrant, apparently contrasting, colors creating an intriguing combination that never fails to impress the visitors. A walk in its narrow streets will reveal a very active community that like to keep alive the Greek traditions, beliefs and celebrations whose roots are embedded in the depth of centuries. Of particular interest is the Carnival of Archangelos, a three day long celebration that involves traditional customs and events like the mouzoma, where participants paint their faces in black using ash.

There are several interesting attractions around Archangelos like the nice beach resort of Stegna (2km), the marvelous sandy beach of Tsambika (3km), and the peaceful fishermen pamphlet of Haraki (7km). A cave, located 3 km away on the peak of the hill Koumelou, is of considerable archaeological and speleological interest. Recent excavations have brought to light vases and other artifacts dating from the Neolithic and Mycenaean periods, thus attesting to the very ancient origins of human habitation in the area.

¹ A common problem when dealing with Greek names is how to render them using latin characters. The correct way would be by using transliteration, a method that converts the words written in one writing system into another writing system. Using this method the Greek word Κάμειρος would be rendered as Kàmeiros or Kameiros. We think that most of the times this type of conversion will create problems with the actual pronunciation. So instead in this site we try to use the phonetic Greeklish method because we feel it’s simpler and when pronounced is better to understand by the Greeks.

Discover Rhodes - Your holidays guide on the Greek island of Rhodes (Rodos).