Of course, the Colossus of Rhodes area, at the entrance of the harbor to Rhodes (the city) is the first thing you want to see. The sixth oldest of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the world, the Colossus actually lasted only 53 years. A bronze statue built to honor the patron god Helios, it stood 110 feet tall, raised another 50 feet by its pedestal. An earthquake toppled it in 226 BC and it lay in waste for over 800 years. In 654 AD, after a successful invasion, Arabs sold the pieces abroad. There are several opinions as to where the statue stood; the only thread of agreement in any of them is that it stood at the entrance to the city. For detailed information,

The Old Town of Rhodes is a bustling neighborhood of some 6,000 people, who live and work in the same buildings in which the Knights of St. John lived and worked over six centuries ago. This restored, walled city is fascinating; the old and the new blend quite well. Walking tour brochures are readily available and information on each of the points of interest is abundant.

You can visit museums like the Decorative Arts Museum and then have a glass of wine in an outside café. Wander to the cobble stoned Street of the Knights which was built in the 14th century. It is lined on either side with the Inns of the Knights of St. John, once used as eating spots and temporary residences for visiting dignitaries. Architectural details on each façade reflect the resident country; on one side of the street are the Inns of Italy and France, on the other, the Inn of Spain. Today these buildings house offices and foreign embassies.

Palaces, monasteries, souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants all share the same area. The summer home for Dictator Benito Mussolini of Italy has been fully restored and is worth a look – the central courtyard and mosaic floors are lovely to behold. On down the way, the 1523 Mosque of Suleiman sits opposite the Turkish Library. The intertwining of cultures continues all over the Old Town and is captivating to mingle with.

A museum is here too. This research facility conducts a wide range of research activities in oceanography, fisheries and inland waters through its corresponding Institutes. The 40 tanks, of 80,000 litres total capacity, house a multicolored population of interesting Mediterranean invertebrate and vertebrate marine species such as sea anemones and plants, urchins, algae, corals, bivalves, lobsters, octopuses, numerous fish, sea turtles and others.

Unique in its layout and natural decoration, the only public aquarium in Greece gives to its visitors the impression that they share the same environment with the hosted species. The Museum displays stuffed sea-mammals, large fish and other Mediterranean marine organisms, in addition to a collection of oceanographic instruments.

You can easily spend a good day visiting both these exhibits and, if you have a chance to talk to one of the research staff, you are likely to be offered a glass of wine or a cup of tea or coffee while you listen to descriptions of the current studies taking place.