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The gorgeous Rhodes has been welcoming its visitors since unknown times. The island well amalgamates the sheer essence of medieval age and the abundant natural beauty. This is why the island has become a must-visit for the travel-freaks from all around the world. Top five Rhodes travel destinations that work as magnet for the business and leisure tourists from all over the world are:

Medieval Town

The great medieval town of Rhodes with all its diversities and antiquities warm welcome the history scholars from all over the planet. UNESCO has marked it a World Cultural Heritage Site recently. The Medieval Town can help you get back to ancient times when the glam and glory of the town reached its highest point. The town encompasses a two-part fort which itself is one of the much sought-after Rhodes attractions. The other places to see in this medieval town are Pili Eleftrias, Simis Square, Byzantine Museum, The Minaret of the Old City and the famous Great Hamam.

Rhodini Park

Rhodini Park, last but not the least, is the place for mixing and mingling with people from all across the world who come to city attracted by the historic significance and panoramic elegance of different Rhodes attractions. The park is considered as the first landscape park on this planet. The ever-charming spritz, the wooden architecture that embellish the park are like natural ornaments to it. The mini zoo and the spacious playground that accompany the park are also must-visit for nature and animal lovers.

Pastida is a distinctive traditional Greek village. Located inland of the cosmopolitan north of the Rhodes Island, shadowed by the mountain of Filerimos , solely 15 minutes away from the sophisticated Rhodes Town, the village of Pastidais an haven of Greece legitimacy, environed by lavish olive groves and citrus.

Pastida village probably took its name during the Turkish Invasion as “bastida” means fortress. The  population of the village is around 1,800 , which is continuously increasing.Small  Whitewashed homes , and narrow backs street, the traditional where locals gather in the coffees shops to discuss different things every afternoon – Pastida has a typical  Greek village life

The church of Aghios Nikolaosis the famous place to visit in Pastida. Also Pastida does not have a beach although most hotel and apartment accommodations have outdoor swimming pools. As a peaceful and unspoiled village of Rhodes, There is a small seaside resort of Kremasti . And some tavernas and restaurants in Pastida to enjoy

Symi Island, although very beautiful in its own respect, is a bit far from the Rhodes island. Located roughly about 2 hours of boat ride away from the Island of Rhodes, this place is worth a visit if the time permits. The Symi island is known for the sponge diving and harbors with crystal clear waters. However, this island is the personification of a Greek Island that believes in keeping its cultural roots alive and maintains most of its traditional customs.

This island is now very thinly populated, however, it was once home for more than 22,000 people and was famous for its prosperity among the Dodecanese islands. Symi was famous for its boat building centers, sponge fishing and thereby was also a major commercial island. This island, like all others in the surrounding, is not very big and ranges of about a 100 odd sq. kms with Vigla which stands at approximately 600 mts which is the highest point on the island. The island had major geographical advantages like being surrounded by Turkey on three sides, proximity to the Asia minor region and a relatively sheltered location, which provided ideal breeding conditions for a prosperous island like the Symi. The island was pre-dominantly a part of the Ottoman empire, until the beginning of the 20^th century where it was occupied by the Italians after the war with Turkey in 1912. During World War II both Allies and the Axis groups bombed the islands as it remained under the British Military occupation. After 1947, the island was finally incorporated in modern Greece until the present times.

There is a wide range of food available at the Island. This includes the famous Greek tavernas, which are more culture oriented, to the more modern cuisine. There are plenty of restaurants that serve only breakfast and have no other food options. There are self-catering living options which have the most basic of fittings to the more lavish setting of a barbeque. Most tourists also indulge in some small cooking lessons, which include ingredients from the local market and cooking fish that is brought in from the boat, just off the crystal clear waters.

The beaches of this island are simply picture perfect which gets couples to have this as the wedding venue. If there is enough time on hand, civil weddings can be arranged at the town hall, the venue for blessings – one perfect beach.

Halki Island island is geographically one of the smallest of all Dodecanese islands and barely covers an area of about 28 sq. kms. This island is arguably one the most beautiful islands and is one of the closest to the Rhodes Island. The Halki island, is famous in all parts of the world known as ‘The Center of Peace & Friendship”. This island has a lot in common with the Rhodes, one of the primary similarities being the mountainous terrain of the island. Halki is close to the Kamiros port on the Rhodes island and is at a mere distance of about 3.5 nautical miles.

Although being so close to the Rhodes island, history has very little mention of the Halki island. The history of this small island can only be drawn and it would always be incomplete without the complementary reference to the Rhodes island. Centuries worth of historical changes have only remained as major con-incidences with events on the Rhodes island and the history of the Halki island seems to have been lost out somewhere down the past. During the more recent times, at the beginning of the 20^th century, the island was under the Turkish rule which saw the most prosperous reign for this territory. With the change in governance, there was tremendous degrade in the life on this island until finally by the 1923, the entire island and a few surrounding islands were under complete Italian rule.

In the present times, the small island has just one settlement which is also called Halki. This settlement came into being during the early 19^th century, which saw police boats completely eradicating the threat of piracy in this region and thereby giving a way for human settlements in the coastal regions. There is one village of Chorio, which was then the only settlement on the island. This settlement, however, gradually lost it’s way and has been deserted for over a century.

The feast of St. John of Alakara is the biggest feast on the island and is celebrated on the 29^th of August. This festival is also a major destination for many pilgrims and serves as a cause for all Halkites, from around the globe, to gather in their native village for a celebration. All festivals on the island a very traditional in nature of celebration and has very bright colors that form a major part of decorations.