Tota Apartment & Studios

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I booked a holiday with a group of friends this summer to the Tota Apartments in Lindos, Rhodes, with Direct Greece.
I was very impressed by the efficiency of this small operator. On arrival in resort the staff were amazingly helpful, making sure everything was running smoothly. The apartments were typically Lindian, with lots of space, simple furnishings and tastefully decorated. We were also impressed to see that we had a view of the acropolis.
Our holiday in Lindos was simply perfect. We stayed in a part of Lindos called St Paul’s Bay. It’s just around the other side of the acropolis and an undiscovered haven. Unlike the main beach, which tends to be crowded with tourists, St Paul’s Bay was really quiet, with perfect blue waters and high cliffs surrounding it on all sides.
When we were not soaking up the sunshine on the beach we decided to hire a car and acquaint ourselves with the rest of the island.
What surprised me most about Rhodes was how much history the island had and how interesting the sights were. My favourite place would probably be Rhodes Old Town, with its medieval walls and abundance of shops and restaurants. We spent a whole day looking round the town and visiting the Grand Master’s Palace.
Other sights not to be missed include Kamiros, one of Rhodes' three original cities and today still an impressive ruin. While the castles of Kritinia and Monolithos - both on the West coast - are great to look around, although be prepared to walk over uneven walls etc. Both castles offer excellent views towards the neighbouring island of Halki.
Aside from the historical sights we also visited the Valley of Butterflies and the Seven Springs. The Valley of Butterflies is more of a gorge in the centre of the island. We were lucky enough to visit in June, when the whole area is alive with thousands butterflies, apparently attracted to the area by the smell of the storax trees. The give off a vanilla resin.
The Seven Springs is set out in a similar way with footpaths passing through a wooded area complete with waterfalls, rock pools and pretty flowers. The highlight for most tourists to the springs is the 'tunnel'. It’s basically a very narrow tunnel that the guide told us is 160m long by around four foot wide and six foot tall. The spring water flows through the tunnel to about ankle depth. Visitors can walk through the tunnel. My friends loved it but I was to scared to give it a try and opted to walk over the hill instead!
As well as offering plenty to do during the day, Rhodes also has a thriving nightlife. Curiosity got the better of us and we decided to venture into the infamous Faliraki for an evening out. The resort was surprisingly small and very tame, nothing like I had seen on television shows. That said it is still an aquired taste and not for everyone. Faliraki is not the only place to offer good evening entertainment on the island. Rhodes Town has an excellent array of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and theatres and all the other resorts including Lindos, Pefkos and Ixia also had plenty of places.
My favourite nights out were in Lindos though. It’s really compact and easy to get around and most of the bars have rooftop terraces offering impressive views of the acropolis. Lindos also has some fantastic restaurants. My favourite has to be Mavrikos, which is in the main square. The restaurant holds a Gold Star, which is apparently the Greek equivalent of a Michelin Star. The food was just fantastic. My favourite things had to be the squid ink risotto - which turned our mouths black! - a starter made from goats cheese smothered in pesto and finally the chef’s special - baked lamb in red wine, delicious. The prices were not bad either. We had three courses, including wine and it came to around £25 per head.
My top tips for people travelling to the island are:
- Hire a car and see as much as possible. Car hire is reasonable and petrol is cheap. As for entrance into sights most of them cost around 6 euros.
- If staying in Lindos avoid the main beach and go to St Paul’s Bay.
- Try the local cuisine. We sampled everything from freshly caught fish and Greek salads to specialities like suvlaki (a type of kebab) and stifado, a really tasty beef stew.
- Try the local wine - it’s surprisingly good but in my opinion avoid the Retsina - it tastes like toilet duck!
- Learn a few words of Greek. The locals love to see people try even if it is only good morning - Kalimera.
- Don’t leave without visiting the Old Town.
I’ve never been one for visiting the same place more than once but Rhodes is an amazing destination and I can safely say I’ll be going again in the not too distant future.