4. Rhodes:Guided Island Tour with Wine tasting experience
This guided tour is your ideal opportunity to explore the local life & discover the beauty of the island. The tour passes through traditional villages & magnificent beaches. Discover the endless beauty of Rhodes in the luxury of our air conditioned coach with the expertise of our professional guide. The first stop is the Castle of Kritinia, a Venetian Castle of 16th century on a hill about 131 meters above the village of Kritinia. It's a landscape of unspoiled beauty which offers a breath taking view of Aegean sea, the island of Halki and the islets of Strogyli, Makri, and Alimia. Due to its strategic location, which allowed complete monitoring of the sea and thus, the activities of pirates and other enemies, the site was chosen by the Knights of the order of St. John to build the castle. Today, only the shell of the castle still survives but above the entrance of it lie the coats of arms of two Grand Masters (Grand Master D'Amboise & Grand Master Origny) of the Medieval Era. We continued our tour in Embona’s village in one of the oldest Wineries in Rhodes island. The wines are produced by collecting grapes from the vineyards so you can choose from different kinds of wines, all of them made in Embona. In addition, visitors can taste liqueurs, ouzo, souma with honey, masticha and pomegranate, combined with nuts and fresh fruits, at the bar for free. Olive oil is also produced and you can find honey from local producers and of course all kinds of cosmetics - herbs with olive oil too. You will drive up to Profitis Ilias, a 1929 Italian hotel in the heart of a forest of pines, cedars, and oaks trees. It's a small summer resort (called Elafos and Elafina) created fresh and relaxing by the Italians in 1929, in the heart of a forest of Aleppo pines, cedars and cypress trees populated by deer, an ideal stop for photos or coffee break. Your next stop will be in Fountoukli, at the Byzantine church of Agios Nikolaos, which was built in the 14th Century. What's important in this church is the triple composition of the frescoes in the apse. The lunch break of our tour follows after in Eleousa village, having 1 hour free time in a traditional taverna, inside the forest, where you are free to choose from a big variety of popular local dishes. Moving on Eleousa village, we are passing from Saint Nektarios church which is very famous because in front of the church stands an ancient, huge, famous plane tree, the trunk. Driving East, we arrive in Kallithea Springs, a majestic place known from the ancient times for the beneficial properties and of the waters gushing from the rocks around. Nowadays, completely restored and tastefully refurbished, the complex of Kallithea Springs welcomes hundreds of visitors daily. It is worth seeing the facilities, swimming into the clear blue water of its coves, enjoying refreshments at the coffee shop in front of the sea or visit the Photo Gallery with older photos of the island!