It Only Takes a Block or Two to Escape Rhodes’ Tourist Frenzy
Days 105-106, 2025 European Odyssey
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, 2025; Rhodes, Greece, and Kusadasi, Turkey.
Rhodes is an easy port to explore on your own. It takes about five minutes to walk from the ship to the Virgin Mary Gate, the closest opening in the massive walls that surround the medieval city.
But if you don’t watch it after entering, you’ll get caught up in a wave of tourists, never venturing farther than the bustling pedestrian walkway lined with sidewalk cafes and shops selling leather goods, jewelry and a range of Greek souvenirs.
That’s pretty much what happened to me two weeks ago, after returning to the old city from my walk to the Fortress of Saint Nicholas. My goal in walking on the breakwater toward the fortress was to see and perhaps paint three iconic windmills along the way. On my first visit in 2007 I bought an oil painting of them. (Had I been there just prior to 226 BC, I could have seen the Colossus of Rhodes, destroyed in that year by an earthquake.)
On this, the second of three stops at Rhodes this fall, I sought to get away from the tourist frenzy, and it wasn’t hard to do. After entering the gate, I quickly turned left at the first opportunity. Within a block or two I was alone. Well, except for the ever-present cats.
The narrow walkways twisted and turned, passing residences and short-term rentals. Occasionally a resident would peek out a doorway or a small group of like-minded tourists would pass by.
It was easy to find a quiet position to stand for almost an hour and sketch a flower-covered trellis, a stone archway and a turn in the path. I’m not fast, as I usually struggle with proportions and placements, frequently erasing and starting over. Eventually I got a pencil sketch I liked and switched to my ink pen. Painting waited for later back on board.
After reaching the Palace of the Grand Master at the top of the old city, I returned on a different path, discovering clusters of shops selling what looked to me like better jewelry and goods. Following my rule of only buying things I would pack for a cruise, I found a nice necklace that will match a dress I have and remind me of Greece.
My lunch of souvlaki was better than the tasteless gyro I had two weeks ago, but still not memorable. I did enjoy watching a couple of kids climbing the walls of a ruin – the younger sister determined to follow her brother even while wearing a dress and flimsy shoes. Eventually their father talked them down.
Just as I finished writing the first draft of this post, fellow cruiser Kari posted her review of their day in Rhodes and put me to shame. She and her husband do a great job of researching the ports and planning their day. If you want to know more about Rhodes, just see the review she posted in Cruise Critic. She’s also a great writer and really should publish a blog!
The next day most passengers took off from our Turkish port of Kusadasi to visit the ruins at Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary and perhaps the Temple of Artemis. In April I revisited Ephesus, seeing ruins newly excavated since my first visit almost 20 years earlier.
My objective today was to get in some exercise, so I dodged the many carpet shops and stores to walk down the promenade along the bay, almost reaching the distant lighthouse. Frequent stops for photographs spoiled any intentions of actual aerobic exercise.
Kusadasi is a popular tourist town for Turks, and lots of families were enjoying the fall break from the summer heat. We are typically experiencing mornings in the high 50s or 60s and afternoons in the 70s. I am surprised to see a lot of people sporting light puffer jackets.
I didn’t see anything sketch-worthy until I was almost back to the ship and looked in the opposite direction. Pigeon Island with its Byzantine fortress lies at the end of a relatively new breakwater and marina. I found a restaurant table overlooking the island and paid for my hour of sketching with a meal of fish and chips. I’ll add the sketch to my stack awaiting an afternoon of painting.
