Interesting facts about Rhodes…

Rodiaki NewsRoom

Rhodes, Rodos, Rodi, Rhodos, Ródhos is situated in the South-Eastern Aegean Sea, on the borders between two worlds, east and west, which sealed the Islands fate of a troubled but extremely interesting history, thanks to its great potential as the commercial crossroads of three continents, namely Europe, Asia and Africa.

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Island - capital of the Dodecanese prefecture - in terms of both land area and population, with an area of approximately 1408 km2, maximum length 80 km, maximum width 38 km and a coastline of approximately 220km with a population of approx. 120,000. 30,000 reside in Rhodes Town itself and the remainder in the 44 villages around the island.

The majority of the terrain is mountainous on the island, with limited plains, unlike most of the other Aegean islands. The highest mountain is Atavyros at 1,215m above sea level followed by Akramytis 825m and Profitis Ilias 798m. The coastlines of Rhodes alternate between the gentle shores on the east and the sheer rocky promontories and headlands, in contrast to the pebble beaches on the west.

The island has a mild climate, rich in vegetation, thanks to the exceptionally high number of hours of sunshine it receives and to the humidity. As a result the island is a particularly pleasant place to reside with positive rewards for the agriculture industry. The limited rainfalls during the winter do not detract from the agreeable climate, in fact, the summer temperatures are often cooled by a refreshing, often strong, breeze.

Forests of pine and cypress trees cover 37% of the islands territory thus Rhodes is also known as the “Emerald Island”. The forests are home to a particular type of deer called the “Platoni” - scientific term “Dama-Dama” - rare in Greece, the emblem of the island, a protected/endangered species.

Rhodes is a well-developed holiday destination, surrounded by the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Tourists arrive by airplane, cruise ships and private yachts. The tourism market is the primary source of income accounted for 75% of the total island's economy. Other industry sources include; agricultural goods, stockbreeding, fishery, dairy products, winery & beer corporations.

Historically, Rhodes is famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In 1988 the Medieval Old Town of Rhodes – was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Today a visit here will not fail to amaze you...how can an island that have seen so much war and history but remains so beautiful?

One of the most amazing places in Rhodes is the butterfly valley. In the summer, an incredible number of them are flying, you still have time, the butterflies will be around for another couple of weeks.