Between Rhodes and Turkey (5 June -October 2023)
One of the great things about living on a boat is that you often receive visitors on board with whom
you visit different places. This year many of our good friends could join us again as the Covid
restrictions were lifted worldwide. All our friends who came on board arrived in Rhodes as it is well
connected with Belgium and other major European airports. The new marina of Rhodes always has
room for visiting boats so we were sure we could welcome them easily on board. From there you can
navigate to the islands around Rhodes, or you can go to Turkey.
Around Rhodes
If you rent a boat in Rhodes, most likely you will visit the surrounding islands such as Nizyros,
Symi, Tilos and Chalki. These islands are very different from each other and separated by a
distance of 20 to 30 miles which is about one day’s sail or 4 to 5h motoring. Most of the time the
wind comes from the east, so the first leg will be motored, but once you arrive in Nizyros, the wind
is more favorable for sailing.
We had visited this region already in 2022 and liked it very much so we had no regrets about
returning to these places with our friends this time. The first stop was Symi island which has a big
port with many luxurious yachts from Turkey. Needless to say, it is always funny to see the crews
of those superyachts spending the whole day cleaning the boats. On Terus, which is definitely is
not a superyacht, we went to a little marina south of the main harbor. Not only was the place much
quieter, but we could easily go to the main harbor on the hourly shuttle bus. At the south end of
Symi there is a great bay, Panormitis, that is a very good place for mooring as it is well protected.
From there you can visit a nice monastery. During the day a lot of boats bring tourists to the
monastery, but after 5pm they are gone and the place is extremely quiet.
Nizyros is a volcanic island that is very interesting to visit. There is a nice harbor that can
accommodate many visiting yachts from where you can rent a motorbike or a car. The harbor is
very quiet and several taverna’s are available should you wish to dine. Next to the harbor there is a
sandy beach were children and adults can swim.
After Nizyros we moved to Tilos, an island from which noisy tourists are kept away. There are no
high-rise hotels, no discos, but nice beaches and next to the harbor you can swim in very clean
water.
Chalkis is the most southerly island we visited where there is a small village with small houses and
tavernas as well as fishermen. During the day you can swim in the super translucent water or walk
around exploring the beaches. From Chalkis, depending on how much time you have and the weather,
you can sail to Symi, or go Rhodes if you wish to visit that island.
New sites in Rhodes
Several of our guests had expressed a desire to visit the classical museum of Rhodes which is a
must to visit if you have not been there before. But for us it was also the occasion to visit new
places we had not seen before.
The archeological site of Camiros was discovered in 1929 and is located not far from the airport.
The place was occupied in the 11th century BC and was one of the three major settlements on the
island of Rhodes. In the years between 400 and 300 BC the city was at its peak, but then started
to decline as the city of Rhodes became more and more important. Sadly, in 226 and 142 BC,
earthquakes seriously damaged the city, but they did not mean the end of the town. Today the
ruins allow you to realize how important this place was. You can easily see the temple of Apollo, the
baths, the public place as well as many houses and shops.
After Camiros, we went down the west coast of Rhodes and came upon the ruins of the Monolithos
castle built in 1480. Today only ruins are left, but if you walk to the ruins you can enjoy a unique
view of the sea. In fact, the castle was built to watch the sea and warn the people if pirates were
approaching. It is is about 100 meters above sea-level, so you have a good view of quite a large
area. From there we could see islands of Chalkis as well as the southern part of Rhodes.
After the castle we moved to the east side of the island. The road is mountainous and lined with
big trees. Unfortunately, three weeks later this part of the island was reduced to ashes by big
forest fires. This is really a disaster as a few people died but also because a beautiful landscape
went up in smoke. Nature will restore this area eventually, but it will be a long time before it is as
beautiful as we saw it.
A unique place on the island is the butterfly valley. A little river flows into a valley and keeps the
temperature very pleasant during the summer. This place attracts millions of butterflies from mid-
June until the end of September. The tiger moths, scientifically called, Panaxia Quadripunctaria,
come from all over Europe to this place and cover the trees and rocks giving the impression that
everything is covered in triangular black and white tiles. During the day they rest, but a night they
are more active. They mate shortly before returning to their point of origin and laying their eggs.
At the end of July, we started to have issues with our gearbox and found that it needed to be
removed and repaired in Athens. The repairs took 10 days, but luckily they could be done while we
had no guests on board, so no holiday plans were affected. Once the gearbox had been repaired, we
decided to move to Turkey.
you visit different places. This year many of our good friends could join us again as the Covid
restrictions were lifted worldwide. All our friends who came on board arrived in Rhodes as it is well
connected with Belgium and other major European airports. The new marina of Rhodes always has
room for visiting boats so we were sure we could welcome them easily on board. From there you can
navigate to the islands around Rhodes, or you can go to Turkey.
Around Rhodes
If you rent a boat in Rhodes, most likely you will visit the surrounding islands such as Nizyros,
Symi, Tilos and Chalki. These islands are very different from each other and separated by a
distance of 20 to 30 miles which is about one day’s sail or 4 to 5h motoring. Most of the time the
wind comes from the east, so the first leg will be motored, but once you arrive in Nizyros, the wind
is more favorable for sailing.
We had visited this region already in 2022 and liked it very much so we had no regrets about
returning to these places with our friends this time. The first stop was Symi island which has a big
port with many luxurious yachts from Turkey. Needless to say, it is always funny to see the crews
of those superyachts spending the whole day cleaning the boats. On Terus, which is definitely is
not a superyacht, we went to a little marina south of the main harbor. Not only was the place much
quieter, but we could easily go to the main harbor on the hourly shuttle bus. At the south end of
Symi there is a great bay, Panormitis, that is a very good place for mooring as it is well protected.
From there you can visit a nice monastery. During the day a lot of boats bring tourists to the
monastery, but after 5pm they are gone and the place is extremely quiet.
Nizyros is a volcanic island that is very interesting to visit. There is a nice harbor that can
accommodate many visiting yachts from where you can rent a motorbike or a car. The harbor is
very quiet and several taverna’s are available should you wish to dine. Next to the harbor there is a
sandy beach were children and adults can swim.
After Nizyros we moved to Tilos, an island from which noisy tourists are kept away. There are no
high-rise hotels, no discos, but nice beaches and next to the harbor you can swim in very clean
water.
Chalkis is the most southerly island we visited where there is a small village with small houses and
tavernas as well as fishermen. During the day you can swim in the super translucent water or walk
around exploring the beaches. From Chalkis, depending on how much time you have and the weather,
you can sail to Symi, or go Rhodes if you wish to visit that island.
New sites in Rhodes
Several of our guests had expressed a desire to visit the classical museum of Rhodes which is a
must to visit if you have not been there before. But for us it was also the occasion to visit new
places we had not seen before.
The archeological site of Camiros was discovered in 1929 and is located not far from the airport.
The place was occupied in the 11th century BC and was one of the three major settlements on the
island of Rhodes. In the years between 400 and 300 BC the city was at its peak, but then started
to decline as the city of Rhodes became more and more important. Sadly, in 226 and 142 BC,
earthquakes seriously damaged the city, but they did not mean the end of the town. Today the
ruins allow you to realize how important this place was. You can easily see the temple of Apollo, the
baths, the public place as well as many houses and shops.
After Camiros, we went down the west coast of Rhodes and came upon the ruins of the Monolithos
castle built in 1480. Today only ruins are left, but if you walk to the ruins you can enjoy a unique
view of the sea. In fact, the castle was built to watch the sea and warn the people if pirates were
approaching. It is is about 100 meters above sea-level, so you have a good view of quite a large
area. From there we could see islands of Chalkis as well as the southern part of Rhodes.
After the castle we moved to the east side of the island. The road is mountainous and lined with
big trees. Unfortunately, three weeks later this part of the island was reduced to ashes by big
forest fires. This is really a disaster as a few people died but also because a beautiful landscape
went up in smoke. Nature will restore this area eventually, but it will be a long time before it is as
beautiful as we saw it.
A unique place on the island is the butterfly valley. A little river flows into a valley and keeps the
temperature very pleasant during the summer. This place attracts millions of butterflies from mid-
June until the end of September. The tiger moths, scientifically called, Panaxia Quadripunctaria,
come from all over Europe to this place and cover the trees and rocks giving the impression that
everything is covered in triangular black and white tiles. During the day they rest, but a night they
are more active. They mate shortly before returning to their point of origin and laying their eggs.
At the end of July, we started to have issues with our gearbox and found that it needed to be
removed and repaired in Athens. The repairs took 10 days, but luckily they could be done while we
had no guests on board, so no holiday plans were affected. Once the gearbox had been repaired, we
decided to move to Turkey.
Crater
Port de Chalkis
Ecaille Chinéé
Tiger moths
Port of Niziros (Palo)
Our Journey: 2023
