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Greece: The Dodecanese Islands

Overview

Nearest Airports – Kos and Rhodes (international), Leros (domestic).

The Dodecanese (pop. 162,000) form an archipelago of 12 main islands off the west coast of Turkey and are Greece’s southernmost and most recent territorial acquisition. The islands’ history and architecture reflect their previous occupants who range from the Knights of St John and the Ottomans to the Italians, although each island has a distinctive landscape. Many are popular with tourists, particularly Rhodes and Kos, while others are barely touched by modern life and many of the local women still wear traditional dress. The islands are a paradise for water-sport lovers and divers, although scuba diving is strictly controlled in some areas.

As with all Greek islands, transportation is mainly by boat, and services are frequent in summer but few and far between in winter, or cancelled altogether when the weather is bad. Rhodes is the hub of the inter-island ferries, which also serve the mainland. The islands have three international airports, on Rhodes, Karpathos and Kos, which also have domestic connections. The larger islands have good bus services, but these are limited on the smaller islands. Private transport can be useful, although some of the islands have poor to non-existent roads.

Rhodes (pop. 68,000) is an alluring mixture of sun, sea and beautiful landscapes, and is the best known of the islands and the most popular with tourists and holiday homebuyers. Rhodes is less popular as a package tour destination nowadays and has done much to shake off its ‘lager lout’ image. It enjoys a unique climate with over 300 days of sunshine annually (it’s the sunniest spot in Greece) and excellent beaches on the east coast. Most of the island has been heavily developed for the flourishing tourist trade, although Rhodes Town, a World Heritage Site, remains one of the architectural treasures of the Mediterranean with its medieval walls and monuments, and blend of churches, mosques and synagogues. It also has an exciting nightlife. The city of Lindos – with its stunning Acropolis – in the south-east is an attractive car-free resort. Rhodes has strict building regulations and there’s little apartment-type property available. Prices start at €140,000 for a two-bedroom townhouse and from €90,000 for a village house. Property here is a good investment and there’s excellent rental potential.

Kos (pop. 21,500), birthplace of Hippocrates the father of medicine, has the second-largest population in the Dodacanese islands. It’s one of Greece’s most beautiful islands, essentially flat and fertile with some of the country’s best beaches. It’s popular with tourists and has many resorts, although it isn’t as developed as Rhodes. Property prices on Kos are higher than on the other Dodecanese islands, although it’s a good investment.

Other islands of note in the group include Karpathos with its excellent beaches; Kálymnos (reached by boat from Kos), a centre of sponge fishing with its attractive port of Póthia and increasingly popular with foreign property buyers; Symi, known as the ‘jewel of the Dodecanese’ due to its well-preserved, 19th century, neo-classical architecture and good beaches; Tílos with fine beaches and excellent hiking; and Níssyros, one of the most fertile islands thanks to its dormant volcano.

© Survival Books Limited 2005

“Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd Edition, Joanna Styles.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on buying a home in Greece can be found in “Buying a Home in Greece” 3rd edition, by Joanna Styles.

For extensive information about buying a property in Greece, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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