Mandraki Harbour, Rhodes
Pothia Harbour, Kalymnos
Pigadia Harbour, Karpathos
Kos Marina
Pali Bay, Nisyros
Walk the Street of the Knights, Rhodes Old Town
Hike into the volcanic caldera of Nisyros
Dive for sponges off Kalymnos, Greece’s traditional sponge-diving island
Visit the Monastery of St John the Theologian, Patmos
Soak in the sea-fed thermal spring at Kos’s Embros Thermae
Palace of the Grand Master, Rhodes
Halki’s Emborios village
The Asklepion of Kos
Olympos village, Karpathos
Patmos’s Chora and Monastery of St John
April through October covers a reliably long, warm season here, among the most generous in Greece. May, June, September and October offer the calmest seas and mildest heat, while high summer brings both the strongest sun and the busiest anchorages around Rhodes and Kos. The Dodecanese generally see a gentler meltemi than the Cyclades further west.
Rhodes International Airport (RHO) and Kos International Airport (KGS) are the two main hubs, both with extensive direct summer flights from across Europe. Smaller airports on Karpathos and Leros add useful flexibility for an itinerary that ranges further south or north through the island chain, though most yachts still start or finish in Rhodes or Kos.
Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes Town and Kos Marina are the two best-equipped bases, both able to take larger yachts alongside. For quieter overnight stops, Pothia on Kalymnos and Pigadia on Karpathos offer sheltered, well-provisioned harbours, while Pali Bay on Nisyros is a good, calm option close to the volcano for guests who want to walk the crater at first light.
Seven to ten days suits most itineraries, enough time to combine Rhodes with two or three smaller islands such as Symi, Kalymnos or Nisyros without rushing. Guests wanting to add Patmos or Kos properly, both worth a full day or more on their own, should plan closer to two weeks given the distances between the northern and southern ends of the chain.
Yes, several islands sit remarkably close to the Turkish coast. Kos is only around 15 to 20 minutes by fast ferry from Bodrum, and Rhodes and Symi both offer short crossings to Marmaris and Datça respectively, letting guests combine a Greek and Turkish leg in a single charter. Each crossing involves its own customs clearance, so most captains build in extra time rather than treat it as a casual day trip.
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