The sun glitters on the clear blue waters, theres not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze makes the heat bearable.
Suddenly theres a shout from the captain: “Anyone for some tunes?”
The familiar chimes of The Weather Girls suddenly boom from the speakers, the engine is revved to full speed and by the end of Its Raining Men, the string of tavernas and medieval churches dotting the coastline are a blur in the distance.
We are circumnavigating the most popular of the Dodecanese islands, dropping anchor at the prettiest spots to snorkel and to marvel at gigantic caves that can only be reached by boat.
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VIEW: Climb the hill and you'll get a birds eye view over the towns sugar-cube houses (Pic: A Brown)
BEACH PARTY: The beach is a hive of activity (Pic: Getty)
Chartering the yacht from the Rhodes Rib Experience, a half-day trip includes drinks, a huge buffet of sandwiches and fresh fruit – as well as the services of a hilarious captain who keeps the party going.
Back on dry land, we spend the rest of the day in Rhodes Town, the Greek islands historic capital.
Walking around the old town is like stepping through a time machine – the medieval streets are as they were centuries ago, only the cars and visible super-yachts break the illusion.
Surrounded by a gigantic fortress with 40ft thick walls, the giant stone balls used to crush invading soldiers from the Ottoman Empire are still visible.
These walls were built by the Knights of St John, a religious order who made the island their home during the Crusades.
They lived in the Palace of the Grand Master, which dates back to the 7th Century, and now houses ancient sculptures of Greek gods, as well as one of the worlds oldest collections of ceramics.
CASTLE:The fortifications of Rhodes and The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes (Pic: Getty)
From here it is a short stroll to the Hospital of the Knights.
This is where the knights would treat the sick and often refuse to eat so they could give their food to the patients.
Its now an archaeological museum with an ornate garden.
For lunch, we head to Auvergne CafeRestaurant, set in Great Alexander Square in the centre of the old town.
Eating fresh bruschetta and grilled octopus, we cool off in the shade of the trees and are able to enjoy several performances from local musicians.
We spend the afternoon in the Valley of the Butterflies, a 600-acre park which is home to millions of colourful insects that come here to mate over the summer.
WARM: The tranquil infinity pool uses new technology to keep water at a constant temperature (Pic: A Brown)
Sheltered from the sun and full of dark trees and muddy terrain, we tread carefully over bridges straddling gaping rivers so as not to disturb the delicate creatures that rest on every tree, log and plant.
We drive to the village of Vati, where we sit down for dinner at Taverna Restaurant Platanos, a small family-run restaurant in a secluded courtyard.
The authentic Greek dishes, lovingly prepared by the owners mother-in-law, include grilled aubergine in a spicy salsa and braised goat cooked in tomato, wine and lemon.
For the first leg of the trip, we stay at the Electra Palace, a gleaming white five-star abode, on the north-west coast a few miles from Rhodes Town.
Its right on the waters edge, where there are a private beach and wooden sun deck, perfect for watching the sunset. Theres also a large freshwater pool, a luxury spa, plus the opportunity to take part in Greek language classes.
CENTRE: The town centre is awash with fabulous bars and restaurants (Pic: EyesWideOpen/Getty)
The next day we head south to the historic town of Lindos.
Its famous for its acropolis, with large ruined walls surrounding a crumbling temple of Athena, dating all the way back to 4BC.
Once youve hiked to the top youll be rewarded with a birds eye view over the towns sugar-cube houses spilling down to the turquoise bay.
Despite its population of just 700, Lindos comes alive at night, with dozens of family-run restaurants and lively rooftop bars.
We grab a table at MavriRead More – Source
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