The Dodecanese are the twelve main islands (plus dozens of smaller ones) that run along the Turkish coast in the southeastern Aegean.
About Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are the twelve main islands (plus dozens of smaller ones) that run along the Turkish coast in the southeastern Aegean. Rhodes and Kos are the largest and most visited, with medieval towns, organized beaches, and year-round infrastructure. Patmos, Symi, and Kalymnos draw a quieter crowd — pilgrims to the monastery, daytrippers from Rhodes, sponge divers and climbers. Further out, Karpathos, Tilos, and Leros keep rhythms closer to what the entire group looked like before package tourism.
The Italian occupation (1912–1943) left its mark in Art Deco public buildings, harbor architecture, and a road network that still defines how you move through these islands. Ferries connect the chain north to south, with Rhodes as the hub. In summer, the meltemi blows hard and steady from the northwest — a fact windsurfers love and beach umbrellas do not. The Dodecanese are not one experience but a spectrum: from Rhodes' old town to a stone house on Lipsi where the ferry comes twice a week.
Getting there
- Rhodes and Kos have international airports with direct summer flights from across Europe; Leros, Astypalea, and Karpathos have smaller airports served by Athens.
- Blue Star Ferries and Dodekanisos Seaways run the main north-south routes connecting the islands; smaller lines and catamarans serve shorter hops in summer.
- On larger islands, buses connect main towns and beaches; on smaller ones, expect a single bus timed to the ferry, or rent a scooter.
- Inter-island travel can be slow — check schedules carefully if island-hopping, especially outside July and August.
When to visit
BestMay · June · September · October
AvoidAugust (peak crowds and heat) · November through March (limited services · rough seas)
Suggested itineraries
3 days
Fly into Rhodes. Spend two days in the old town and along the west coast beaches, then take a day trip by boat to Symi or by bus to Lindos.
5 days
Rhodes as a base for three days, then ferry to Kos for two — split time between Kos town's castle and harbor, and the quieter southern beaches or mountain villages.
7+ days
Start in Rhodes, ferry north through Symi, Tilos, and Nisyros (for the volcano), then across to Kos. Or fly into Kos, work your way south through Kalymnos, Leros, and Patmos, ending in Rhodes. A week gives you time to stay overnight on smaller islands rather than just passing through.