Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While in Lahania, stop for lunch at
Taverna Platanos
(mains €5-7)
tucked behind the
church in the main square. With traditional decor and a flower-filled patio, it's a great
place to take a break.
The main coastal road continues south past countless chapels to
Kattavia
, Rhodes'
most southerly village. It's a friendly place that doesn't see a lot of tourists. Stop at
Penelope's
(mains €7-12)
in the main square for fresh fish and handmade chips.
From Kattavia, a windswept 10km road snakes south to remote
Cape Prasonisi
, the
island's southernmost point. Joined to Rhodes by a narrow sandy isthmus in the summer
months, come winter higher water levels completely isolate it. Thanks to the Karpathian
meeting the Mediterranean here, wind conditions are favourable for kitesurfing and there
are a couple of outfits kitted out to help you, including
Pro Center Kristof Kirschner
(
22400 91045;
www.prasonisi.com
)
. If you're looking for lunch or a bed, there's a resort
here that caters to windsurfers and has surfer-dude-style restaurants and hostels. Outside
of the summer season it's totally shut.
Kattavia to Monolithos Κατταβιά προς Μονόλιθο
Lonely and exposed, Rhodes' southwest coast doesn't see many visitors. If you have
time it's a beautiful place to visit with an edge-of-the-earth feeling. About 10km north of
Kattavia, a turn-off to the right leads to the serene 18th-century
Moni Skiadi
, with terrific
views down to the coast. Monolithos itself is a whitewashed amphitheatre of houses
crouched beneath the pine-shrouded
kastro
(castle) far above on the hill.
HALKI ΧΑΛΚΗ
POP 310
Arriving on Halki is like stepping into a composite of everything Greek; an old fisher-
man shelling prawns under a fig tree, an Orthodox priest flitting down a narrow alley,
while boats bob colourfully at the dock. All the limited action of this former sponge-
diving island is based around its neoclassical harbour of Emborios. For the most part the
island is rocky, but there are some temptingly quiet beaches wrapped in aquamarine wa-
ter to sun yourself. And keep your eyes peeled - there are 14 types of butterfly, and over
40 kinds of birds.
Getting There & Away
There is a daily boat (€10) from Skala Kamirou on Rhodes with a connecting bus to
Rhodes Town every day except Saturday and Sunday. Walk 150m from the Skala
