So when it came to choosing where to go we picked Rhodes. You can read about the hotel we stayed at, Mitsis Rodos Village, in my previous post. The resort was lovely and contained everything we needed, including a beautiful beach, wonderful pools and fabulous food but we did find that we had to go a little further afield in search of family excursions.
Before departure, I spent a lot of time researching the island and compiling a list of all the places I really wanted to visit. Admittedly, I think my list was ambitious for a week long stay with two children but I was able to prioritise and combine a number of our activities - anything I wasn't able to achieve on this visit is a reason to return in the future!
Our first excursions were the Bee Museum and Lindos, followed by a high speed boat ride and trip to Rhodes Old Town which you can read about next time.
Our first excursions were the Bee Museum and Lindos, followed by a high speed boat ride and trip to Rhodes Old Town which you can read about next time.
The Bee Museum of Rhodes
OK, this may not be the most exciting place to visit but on the Wednesday we visited there was an awesome storm. Torrential rain, huge forks of lightning, grumbling rolls of thunder... the full works of Zeus were unleashed upon the island...
And so we decided to hire a car and explore a little further afield than we had originally planned. Hiring was easy as there was a Marathon desk conveniently located in our hotel with small cars and booster seats available from approximately 40 euros. They delivered the car direct to the hotel within 10 minutes and we were quickly on our way.
Unsurprisingly for island that typically sees less than 60 days of rain per year, most activities on the island are outside but the small and perfectly formed Bee Museum was well undercover and quite busy when we arrived. Entry was only 3 euros each for adults and children were free.
The exhibit was interesting and full of fascinating facts about the history of bee keeping (and ancient jars with dubious bee paintings - pictured because... willies), the landscape and pollination. There were some interactive games for the children to play, giant bee sculptures on the ceiling (made to look like a hive) and an area where you could have a glimpse into the hive itself which really interested Ollie.
The museum can keep you busy for an hour or two, depending on how long you spend in the exhibit and the shop where you can sample lots of honey and honey products, including honey liqueur (which I bought, obviously).
Lindos
The weather improved a little by the time we left the museum and we had most of the day left to explore. It was still too stormy to visit some of the other places on my wish list like the Seven Springs or the Valley of the Butterflies, but we decided to travel back towards our hotel and spend the afternoon in Lindos.
Lindos was high on my list and came highly recommended by everyone we spoke to at home. A beautiful town set into the hill above a sparkling blue bay, it was a must see. If you arrive by car then I would recommend parking in the huge car park at the top of the cliff, we didn't realise and so attempted to drive down the hill and this was pointless and time consuming. After turning around and driving back up we were able to park for free and the walk down was relatively easy, even on the little legs (mine and the kids).
On arrival, I was a teeny bit disappointed. The less than ideal weather was grey and overcast and the little square was blocked due to all the cars attempting to park. However, stepping into the covered labyrinthine streets of the town was just like I thought it would be. I was amazed by the winding, covered streets and the plethora of shops and restaurants.
By this time, the kids were really hungry and Matt was getting hangry. I always feel a little overwhelmed when visiting new places and deciding where to eat. I can be fussy, we need to find somewhere suitable for the kids, it needs to be reasonably priced and ideally I want somewhere beautiful or atmospheric so that I can look back on it and remember exactly what it was like to eat somewhere so different.
Luckily, on this occasion, I didn't dither too much and let Matt choose Roof Burger Lab. It was bright and modern but it started to rain a little as we arrived and took our seats. No big deal until the heavens opened once again and we were subjected to another huge storm. The restaurant staff were lovely, helping us move under cover and still going about their business despite a brief power cut and a swimming pool sized puddle appearing in the middle of their beautiful terrace. One lovely customer lent Lily and Ollie a large pashmina to huddle under when they got a little chilly and the food was delicious - Matt's club sandwich was ridiculously big and the handcut fries with truffle oil got a big thumbs up from me.
When the second storm had passed we found the sun came out properly and Lindos really came into it's own. It was so bright and cheery you wouldn't have realised that 10 minutes previously had been a torrential downpour. We explored the streets, so many beautiful, picturesque streets and shops filled with souvenirs, jewellery and phallic shaped bottle openers. It was a bit pricey and I wish I had more money to spend because some of the clothing, especially for kids, was beautiful. I could have easily spent a fortune there.
On our way in, Ollie had spotted the donkeys and was desperate for a ride. We realised it would be pricey for all of us to do it and so Matt and I did the responsible thing and let the children ride whilst we hurried to keep up behind, meandering through the maze of streets and up the hill to the Acropolis of Lindos.
Disappointingly, we didn't go inside the ancient castle. There was a long queue and the children were beginning to tire which meant the 12 euros each seemed like a waste of money for dragging two whinging children around some ruins. I know it was the right decision for us to make at that time, but it hurts and I really want to go back and do this another time.
Even without going inside, the views from the hill by the Acropolis were stunning and well worth the donkey trek (which the kids adored). By this point the sun was beating down and the waters were sparkling in the (vaguely) heart shaped bay, it was wonderful and I'd definitely recommend it.
After a lot of walking around, I'll admit that the thought of walking back up the hill to the car did not appeal to me in the slightest. We had seen a shuttle bus but there was no sign of it by the time we came to make our return journey and so we braved the steep incline back up to the top. Fear not, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I expected it to be and even the children didn't complain.
I feel like there is so much more we could have done in Lindos if we'd had just a bit more time. If you're planning a visit then it's worth considering a day there, wandering down to the beach, grabbing some cocktails on a roof terrace (without a storm) and really exploring all the shops as well as the Acropolis itself.
Still, it wasn't the last of our adventures and there was still so much in store for us when we visited Rhodes Town on the Friday of our trip. You can read about that next time. To read more about our holiday and where we stayed, you can read more here.
I do hope you'll be back!
Luckily, on this occasion, I didn't dither too much and let Matt choose Roof Burger Lab. It was bright and modern but it started to rain a little as we arrived and took our seats. No big deal until the heavens opened once again and we were subjected to another huge storm. The restaurant staff were lovely, helping us move under cover and still going about their business despite a brief power cut and a swimming pool sized puddle appearing in the middle of their beautiful terrace. One lovely customer lent Lily and Ollie a large pashmina to huddle under when they got a little chilly and the food was delicious - Matt's club sandwich was ridiculously big and the handcut fries with truffle oil got a big thumbs up from me.
When the second storm had passed we found the sun came out properly and Lindos really came into it's own. It was so bright and cheery you wouldn't have realised that 10 minutes previously had been a torrential downpour. We explored the streets, so many beautiful, picturesque streets and shops filled with souvenirs, jewellery and phallic shaped bottle openers. It was a bit pricey and I wish I had more money to spend because some of the clothing, especially for kids, was beautiful. I could have easily spent a fortune there.
On our way in, Ollie had spotted the donkeys and was desperate for a ride. We realised it would be pricey for all of us to do it and so Matt and I did the responsible thing and let the children ride whilst we hurried to keep up behind, meandering through the maze of streets and up the hill to the Acropolis of Lindos.
Disappointingly, we didn't go inside the ancient castle. There was a long queue and the children were beginning to tire which meant the 12 euros each seemed like a waste of money for dragging two whinging children around some ruins. I know it was the right decision for us to make at that time, but it hurts and I really want to go back and do this another time.
Even without going inside, the views from the hill by the Acropolis were stunning and well worth the donkey trek (which the kids adored). By this point the sun was beating down and the waters were sparkling in the (vaguely) heart shaped bay, it was wonderful and I'd definitely recommend it.
After a lot of walking around, I'll admit that the thought of walking back up the hill to the car did not appeal to me in the slightest. We had seen a shuttle bus but there was no sign of it by the time we came to make our return journey and so we braved the steep incline back up to the top. Fear not, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I expected it to be and even the children didn't complain.
I feel like there is so much more we could have done in Lindos if we'd had just a bit more time. If you're planning a visit then it's worth considering a day there, wandering down to the beach, grabbing some cocktails on a roof terrace (without a storm) and really exploring all the shops as well as the Acropolis itself.
Still, it wasn't the last of our adventures and there was still so much in store for us when we visited Rhodes Town on the Friday of our trip. You can read about that next time. To read more about our holiday and where we stayed, you can read more here.
I do hope you'll be back!
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