RHODES, Greece, is the Crusader Isle, steeped in ancient history and boasting 300 days of blue skies a year. Rhodes lies at the southern end of the Dodecanese island chain that skirts the Turkish coast and is one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the Mediterranean.
Rhodes' resorts, such as Faliraki, are now devoted to package tourism and anyone expecting a Greek goatherd is in the wrong place. Bar touts and club bouncers make up the local 'colour' these days and locals display an avarice that only an unending supply of free-spending tourists can sustain.
But Rhodes is big enough to swallow all types of travellers - from beach holiday families to independent backpackers. Rhodes offers some of the best beaches and the best bargain accommodation at Rhodes hostels.
The most popular beaches, packed with holiday hotels - lie to the west and south of Rhodes City. To the west a maze of high-rise conference centres towers over narrow, shingle beaches while, to the east, replicated rows of holiday hotels are stacked along the coast like deck chairs.
Many visitors now opt to fly to the island direct, there being so many cheap flights to Rhodes on offer. But only south of Lindos do the crowds thin out and does a more authentic glimpse of Greek island life emerge.
The island of Rhodes offers holiday visitors near year-round sunshine and a holiday to Rhodes is something not to miss.
Rhodes takes in more annual holiday visitors than virtually any other Greek island. The attraction is not just the many hotels in Rhodes, the long summer season and the sandy beaches but also the remarkably well preserved medieval city of Rhodes itself.
The island's classical past can be explored at the ancient sites of Kamiros, Ialyssos and Lindos. Medieval fortresses to rival any in the world can be found at Rhodes, Lindos and Monolithos. Castles galore come courtesy of the Crusaders.
Parts of Rhodes suffer tourism of almost frenzied proportions, laced with rampant commercialism. Those looking for a quieter Greek holiday will head south where the island quickly dissolves into a backwater of dirt roads and unspoilt villages.
For an all inclusive hotel holiday of sun, sand and noisy clubland nightlife then the popular Rhodes' holiday hotspots are pretty hard to beat.
Rhodes Airport is 16km west of the city and handles about 3.2m annually. As well as holiday charters there are domestic flights to many islands and to the mainland.
Ferries run regular daily services to Piraeus (Athens), Santorini and Crete. There are daily catamaran services to other Dodecanese islands, including Kos and Kalymnos.
Rhodes has good road links but public buses are rare south of Lindos and car hire is essential away from the main resorts.
The north and east coasts of Rhodes are mostly back-to-back high-rise hotel complexes with the attendant bars, clubs and neon nightlife.
Crowded holiday hotspots like Faliraki and Lindos dominate the east coast but there are still small, sandy coves to be found. South of Lindos the crowds thin out dramatically.
The west coast Rhodes is barren mostly barren cliffs and rocks and has no holiday resorts or beaches to speak of.
Rhodes island is the largest in the Dodecanese at 1,412sq km. It lies off the coast of Turkey about four hours flight time from the UK.
Rhodes is about 90km long and 40km wide and has a population of 117,000. The interior is mountainous and the west coast is mostly rugged cliffs.
Sunny days are virtually guaranteed from June to September. Temperatures often soar well above 30°C.
