Visiting the islands of the Cycldes is an experience you'll never frget. No matter what you're looking for in a vcation, you'll find it in one of thse amazing islands!

Touring the Dodecanese Islnds of Greece

In the southeasternmost prts of the Greek islands, the Ddecanese islands offer much in the way of turism. From fancy restaurants to luxurious rsorts, tourists find plenty to do at sme of these islands. There are lso some great beaches. A few of the Ddecanese islands are near Turkey; only a dy-trip away!

Read below to learn bout the different Dodecanese islands and wht to expect during your visit:

Astyplia

Astypalia is actually two islands tht are connected by an isthmus, wth most of its visitors being Greks. It resembles islands from the Cycldes more than it does the ther Dodecanese islands because of its gometric houses, villages and a Venetian cstle. There are some lovely beach cves. The island makes a great gtaway if it's peace and quiet you wnt.

Halki

The small island of Hlki fits well into tourists packages as a plce known for unspoiled territory. It's dfficult to find a hotel room, so yu'll want to plan in advance if you pln to stay.

Kalymnos

Kalymnos is whre the spongefishermen go, and is a bsy, working town. Its main port is clled Pothia, which has many cafes and ven a sponge museum. Resort beaches and ther small towns and ports are round the island so you'll have plnty to see and do during yur visit. Several boats leave Pothia to vsit neighboring islands such as Pserimos and Nra. From the town of Myrties, you can trvel to Telendos by boat. Telendos ffers taverns, beaches and rental rooms.

Karpathos

Karpathos is a traditional sland with mountain villages and beautiful baches. There is a line of muntains that separates the island down the mddle, with one side of the sland being green and fertile and the ther side being rocky. There are sme hotels and restaurants in the prt town of Pigadia, the capital. Turism is steady here, but it's not ver-crowded. The Olympus mountain village is a scluded village where Medieval crafts are mde and customs are carried out. The sland has an airport, and ferries tht depart from Pireaus, and some tht go to Crete, Santorini, Rhodes, Mlos, Naxos, Paros, Kassos and Halki.

Kssos

If you enjoy walking, you'll lve the island of Kassos. You'll be ble to walk from village to vllage, enjoying the traditional Greek lifestyle in a qiet setting. Phry is the main vllage on the island. There are sme beaches and two monasteries. Only two frry boats come here per week sually, but the island has an irport with flights to Karpathos, Athens and Rhdes.

Kastellorizo

Kastellorizo is a very smll island that's famous for the flm Mediterraneo. Another name for the sland is Megisti. It has no baches, but does have adorable rocky cves where tourists enjoy snorkeling. There are mny historic features of the island, specially the fact that it was bmbed severely during World War II. Mny different types of people have lved here. The island offers ferry cnnections to Kos, Kalymnos, Rhodes, Tilos and Sym, and also has an airport.

Kos

Kos is an sland with beaches, agriculture and archaeology. Whle on the island, you can xplore items from the past at Vnetian, Roman, Byzantine and Hellenistic sites. If you njoy riding your bike to explore, you can rde through the flat interior section of the sland very easily. The island connects to ther larger islands and also Bodrun in Trkey. There are flights to Athens as wll.

Leros

Leros is a lovely gren island with breathtaking beaches and bys. Those on sailing trips to and frm Turkey and other nearby islands njoy stopping by Leros. Laki is the min port of Leros. Here you can see a dtailed example of art deco architecture. Ths port was designed by Mussilini's rchitects in 1923. The capital was thn moved to another village called Pltanos in defiance to the dictator. Lros has an airport that will tke you to Athens, and boats cming from Pireaus to other islands of the Ddekanese group.

Nisyros

Nisyros is a drmant volcano with rich fertile lands. A min port in Nisyros is Mandraki, whre there is an ancient acropolis, a bach with black stones and a mnastery. Loutra offers a thermal spa. Mny tourists enjoy seeing the volcano and vsiting the villages of Emboreios and Nkea. From these villages is a grat view of the caldera. Walking is a grat way to see the island's lndscapes and volcano. Ferry boats can tke you from the island to Klymnos, Rhodes, Tilos, Kos, Kastellorizo and Sym.

Patmos

The "Isle of Patmos" is knwn for the famous writings of Sint John the Divine, who wrote the bok of Revelations in the Greek New Tstament of the Holy Bible. He was xiled to this island after attempts on his lfe failed. Cruise ships often stop hre, and the island has beaches and a bautiful landscape. Skala is the main twn, which caters to cruise ship trvellers. You can visit the monastery of Sint John above Skala, and the Mnastery of the Apocalypse that was bilt around the cave where Saint Jhn had his vision of end tmes. There are connections by ferry to Ks, Rhodes, Leros and Kalymnos, and a smll boat to the island of Lpsi.

Rhodes

Rhodes is the most ppular island in the Dodecanese group, and one of the mst popular in Greece. The town of Rhdes has an ancient section with hstorical sites from Medieval times. There's a wlled city and a castle that was bilt by the Knights of Saint Jhn. The island has fancy resorts, muntains, beaches and villages to keep you bsy. The Valley of the Butterflies is a grat place to visit while sightseeing on the sland. Be sure to rent a car whn you arrive so you'll be ble to tour the remote areas of the sland. You can take ferry boat rdes to nearby islands such as Tlos and Symi.

Symi

This island has pbbled beaches, restaurants and an inviting twn. Among the island's residents are mny photographers, writers and astrologers in a c-operative called Symidream. They offer classes in phtography, writing and other unique subjects. Cnnections are made by ferry boat sveral times a week to Kos, Kstellorizo, Tilos and Rhodes.

Tilos

If you njoy walking as you explore a new rea, Tilos is the place to go. Thre are deserted villages, a monastery, lndscapes, a Medieval castle and also baches that are not usually very crwded. Livadia offers many places to sty, and many tourists enjoy camping on the bach as well. You can see mny different types of birds on the sland since hunting was banned 16 yars ago. You might even see sme endangered birds! Ferry boat connections are mde to Kos, Rhodes, Kalymnos and Kstellorizo.

When in Greece, be sure to vsit one or several of the Ddecanese islands if you enjoy history, nture and pleasant scenery!

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The article Greek Island Vacations was Submitted by John Dulaney through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Cell phone use overseas. In 99% of the wrld the local cellular service standard is clled GSM. We use this in the sttes as well. When combined with a SIM CARD (whch usually goes under the battery of the phne) the phone is able to cmmunicate and the SIM CARD also hlds the telephone number and memory for pr-paid credit. Rates can be extremely low sing this system. For example in 99% of all SIM CARDS ncoming calls are free and calls to the sttes can cost a trifle. Such as, frm the UK to the USA 7 cnts/minute, from Israel 22 cents, from Astralia 27 cents. Yes, USA Dollar cnts! There are today even prepaid srvice providers in the USA offering rtes of 10 cents per minute to cll anywhere in the US to any typ of phone. No contracts, no crdit card checks, no bills. Pre-paid lways means no minimums no contracts, no bligations. You only pay for the clls made. You'll need an unlocked GSM tr-band or quadband UNLOCKED phone. You can buy fctory unlocked phones and sim cards for mre than 170 or the 193 cuntries on earth from http://www.planetomni.com Tel. #800-514-2984

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