Destination: Greece

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Eastern Island Run

THREE WEEKS / RHODES TO ALEXANDROUPOLIS

Furthest from the Greek mainland, this leisurely trip through the Dodecanese to the islands of the Northeastern Aegean covers about 800km.



This route takes travellers island hopping north from Rhodes through the islands of the Dodecanese and the Northeastern Aegean, finishing in Alexandroupolis.

You’ll need to spend a few days on Rhodes, exploring the atmospheric old city and visiting the spectacular Acropolis of Lindos, before setting sail for Tilos. This laidback island is a great place for walkers and those seeking uncrowded beaches and, unlike its neighbours, it is one of the few islands in the Dodecanese to have escaped the ravages of development. The next stop is Nisyros, where the eruptions of Mt Polyviotis have created a bizarre volcanic landscape that will take your breath away. You’ll need to call briefly at Kos to pick up a ferry onward to Patmos, an island that St John the Divine found sufficiently inspiring to pen his Book of Revelations.

Patmos has good connections to ultra-laid-back Ikaria, where you can laze at some of the Aegean’s best beaches before continuing to Chios and the fabulous villages of the south. The next stop is Lesvos (Mytilini), birthplace of the poet Sappho and producer of Greece’s finest olive oil and ouzo. Limnos is little more than a transit point on the journey north to Samothraki and the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. The final leg is to the Thracian port of Alexandroupolis, where travellers will find good transport connections to Athens and Thessaloniki.

Travelling to Greece?
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