MOSCHATOS TRAVEL, RHODES - GREECE

Filerimos

Filerimos is situated on a hill (267m high) covered by a dense pine forest, near the village of Trianta on the west coast, and was in ancient times the acropolis of the city Ialyssos. The precise location of Ialyssos itself in Archaic and Classical times is unknown; however the "city" probably consisted of rural settlements sharing common organization and a common acropolis.
Ialyssos was one of the three famous ancient cities of Rhodes island which created Rhodes Town in 408 B.C. In the surrounding area relics of occupation have been found going back to the end of the 3rd millennium B.C. and there are also settlements and cemeteries dating from the Mycenaean-Minoan period.
The view from Filerimos is amazing. The hill took its name from a monk who came from Jerusalem in the 13th century bringing with him an icon of the Blessed Virgin painted by the Apostle Luke. The small church he built later became a basilica and in the 14th century the St-John Knights founded a large monastery with bell tower which can still be seen today. There are also remains of a Greek temple and of the first Christian basilica.
In the 20th century, during Italian occupation, the monastery and the church were renovated and partly rebuilt and supplied with a beautiful "Way of the Cross" which leads to the end of the hill where a big cross overlooks the coast.

Petaloudes Valley

In the peaceful, humid and green environment of the valley, life follows its own rhythm. After watching for a while, one could note that nothing really exciting happens in this part of land. However, there are certain things that should attract your attention: the yellowish-brown motionless veil on the rocks and on the trunk of the trees.

"Petaloudes": The name means "butterflies". This is one of the island's most known areas of natural beauty. The narrow valley, about 1 km long, with a stream flowing down its center and flush with trees and undergrowth, harbors clouds of a special kind of butterfly that can be seen between June and September. All butterflies which belong to the species Panaxia Quadripunctaria are nocturnal, and therefore they rest and sleep during the day. They develop in biotopes far away from the valley, but choose the latter for their mating, because of its humidity and its vegetation. In this way they are forced to migrate twice a year and often have to make long, tiring and energy demanding trips.

During a visit at this natural museum of the Valley of the Butterflies, you have every right to enjoy the charm of a unique environment while you participate to the "mystery" of the nocturnal butterflies, but at the same time it is the visitor's duty to protect these vulnerable creatures which for the last few years have been diminishing to an alarming extend. Please avoid making noise and waking up the butterflies in order to make them fly. With your help and sensitivity the "Petaloudes" of Rhodes will be able to survive in the future.

Kamiros

Thirty kilometres west of the city of Rhodes is situated Ancient Kamiros, one of the island's three most powerful cities of ancient times. It was built around the 7th century B.C. and rediscovered in 1929.
Today, after nearly 3000 years, the remains of a very rich and advanced civilization can still be seen.
It was built according to the system of Hippodamus in three levels, including the acropolis over the hill, the settlement on a second level and a bit lower the Hellenistic temple, the Doric fountain, the market and the square.
This remarkable system from Hellenistic times includes wells, underground tanks and irrigative tubes made of clay.