• Day 1 Samos - Kusadasi
(15 miles)
• Day 2 Kusadasi - Didyma
(45 miles)
• Day 3 Didyma - Asin
Bay
(20 miles)
• Day 4 Asin Bay - Bodrum
(40 miles)
• Day 5 Bodrum - Knidos
(20 miles)
• Day 6 Knidos - Datca
(18 miles)
• Day 7 Datca - Marmaris
(50 miles)
• Day 8 Marmaris - Rhodes
(25 miles)
EMBARKATION: SAMOS
DISEMBARKATION: RHODES
SAMOS is the closest of the Greek islands to
Turkey - just a mile across. Thick pine forests cover most of the lower
slopes and villages perch precariously on small plateaus. There is a grandeur
and grace to Samos unequalled elsewhere. In ancient times Samos was known
as Parthenoarroussa for its beauty, Dryoussa for its oaks, Anthemis for
its flowers and Hydrele for its abundant springs. Although an island ravaged
and pillaged by corsairs in years gone by it is neither run down nor poor
in spirit. On the contrary, the island leaves you with a feeling of happiness
and friendliness. The muscat wine is superb.
KUSADASI (Turkey) is a booming tourist town built on the site of
ancient Neapolis of which nothing remains. With numerous carpet shops,
souvenir shops and restaurants it is the gateway to the nearby ancient
ruins of Ephesus. The ruins are Hellenistic with a Roman overlay after
Rome made Ephesus the capital of the province. The site is impressive
for its size and for the clarity with which you can picture the ancient
city. You can walk down the Marble Street and see the ruins of a theatre,
the agora, library, odeon, stadium, gymnasium, and even a so-called brothel.
DIDYMA was a religious sanctuary to Apollo, famed for its oracle,
long before that at Delphi became prominent. Didyma was famed for its
huge temple which was destroyed by the Persian Darius in 494 B.C. and
until Alexander the Great arrived, lay in ruins. What is left of the Ionic
temple today, dates from 300 B.C. and the sufficient columns that remain
in place give a powerful impression of its size.
ASIN
BAY an almost land-locked cove was the ancient harbour for Iassus.
A short walk will take you to the ruins of ancient Iassus that lie amongst
olive groves with donkeys and cows grazing in the ancient agora and temple.
The city was supposed to have been funded by Peloponnesians from Argos.
The fort on the top of the craggy hump was built by the Knights of St.
John. The site is enchanting.
BODRUM is an enchanting and thouroughly likeable town. It has something
of a reputation as a Bohemian town, a reputation it acquired when a number
of dissident artists and writers were exiled her. The castle of St. Peter
dominates the town and houses the excellent Hall of Underwater Archaeology
which has finds from wrecks around the coast from the Bronze Age to the
Ottoman period. The ancient name for the city is Halicarnassus. Herodotus,
the father of written history, was a native of the city.
KNIDOS was renowned for two things. Its statue of Aphrodite and
the scientist Eudoxos. The statue of Aphrodite was by Praxitelis, one
of the greatest Greek sculptors. In the 4th century B.C. the statue was
one of the first of naked woman. Eudoxos was an astronomer and mathematician
of the 4th century and is considered one of the founding fathers of Greek
geometry. The solitary ruins of Knidos are scattered about the slopes
above the ancient harbour in a delightful setting.
DATCA is a pleasant deepy little spot. It was the capital of the
peninsula until the strategic position of Knidos was realised and it became
the capital. There are few ruins of the ancient city to the north of the
present village.
MARMARIS is a booming tourist resort. The setting in the pine clad
triangular bay is magnificent. The town of Marmaris was devastated by
an earthquake in 1958. What little remains of the old village and a mediaeval
fortress built around a rocky knoll, is picturesque.
RHODES is an island that hums and bustles as only the most important
tourist centres in Greece can. Hotel stretch along the coasts from Rhodes
city where sun and sandy beaches create an irresistible lure for sun-starved
visitors. The city consists of two distinct parts. The old city surrounded
by walls built by the Knights and the new town largely built by the Italians
during their occupation of the island. Mandraki harbour was probably used
by the Knights to keep their swift galleys in. Here in ancient times the
Colossus of Rhodes may have stood - the bronze statue of Helios the sun-god,
one of the seven wonders of the world. Lindos, with its small winding
streets between mediaeval houses and the castle perched on a rock summit,
is uniquely beautiful.
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