Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands that lies approximately 18 km west of Turkey, between the Greek mainland and the Cyprus island. There are about 130.000 people living on the island, 60.000 of which are the permanent citizens of Rhodes - the main commercial and administrative center as well as the capital of the Dodecanese district. The island is 79 km long and 38 km wide and has the shape of a spearhead, while its coast is 220 km long. As for the island's nature, its more similar to the Turkish flora and fauna than to the Greek one. The island's mountainous inner part is sparsely populated and covered with forests where deer can be found. The Rhodes island is famous for its extremely beautiful landscapes, the most prominent of which are Valley of the Butterflies where tiger moths gather in summer and magnificent Mount Attavyros 1215 meters high - the island's highest point and a scenic place with seven springs. Though the most part of the Rhodes' coast is covered with rocks, sandy arable sands can be found here as well, with citruses, grapes and other plants that are so typical for the Mediterranean climate planted on them.
Tourism is the main source for the island's income and all its economics is based on it. In medieval times knights of the Saint John Order constructed a fortress here aimed to defend the Christian world from the Eastern pagans' invasion. It is the other invasion that the Rhodes island faces these days - this is the invasion of tourists willing to have fun in the rays of the most sunny Greek island. The picturesque centre of the Rhodes city is surrounded with a wall and is registered as the UNESCO cultural heritage. In ancient times, local harbour was guarded by the legendary Colossus of Rhodes - one of the world's seven wonders. However, nowadays its place is occupied by several deer's statues. Nevertheless the old city still boasts lots attractions while its modern part is the place where life seethes animatedly.
The other territory of this comparatively large island is occupied by kilometers of beaches, interesting archeological monuments and picturesque landscapes. The territory outside the Rhodes city is taken up with the Faliraki resort as well as the Lindos, Archangelos, Embona and other tourist zones. Faliraki is the most developed Rhodes tourist centers famous for its sandy beach which is 2 km long. Its overfilled with chaise longues, sunshades and other attributes of the beach recreation and gives an opportunity to test your strength in any kind of water sports, from paddling to diving. Tourists are offered to make sea excursions around the other smaller Faliraki bays, including a visit to the most beautiful Catar bay with a nudist beach in its most remote part. There are also several wonderful beaches with crystal clean water located between Faliraki and Lindos. As for entertainment, Rhodes is an absolute winner in this sphere among the other Dodecanese islands. Lots of bars, discos, nightclubs and taverns are concentrated in the modern part of Rhodes. Faliraki is also renowned for its nightclubs that are especially popular with the youth.
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