For those keen on history, the old town of Rhodes is unmissable. Huge ramparts surround a maze of narrow cobbled streets lined with buildings dating from the middle ages yet also sporting the odd minaret of a mosque dating from the Ottoman Empire. At the top of the Street of the Knights is the Palace of the Grand Masters (which is not old because Mussolini completely restored it in the 1930s). Outside the town there are other sites of archaeological interest – notably ancient Kamiros (famous for its drains of the classical period) a little west of the airport and of course the stunning white village of Lindos on the east coast with a remarkable acropolis towering above it.

Tourist development is concentrated in and around Rhodes town and a little way down the east coast; but this side of the island also contains some attractive villages and some stunning beaches between Rhodes and Lindos and far beyond. Otherwise the west, central and southern parts of the island remain sparsely populated with several unspoilt villages and very rewarding self-drive touring country – often amazingly unspoilt for such a well-known island. There is a particularly wonderful view across to Halki from Monolithos half way down the west coast and, on a rather different tack, there is an impressive windsurfing venue on the extreme southerly tip.

Rhodes, an important gateway airport, can be combined very easily with Symi, fairly easily with Tilos or Halki and, with some diligence and forward planning, with Kastellorizon.