Rhodes is
at the meeting-point of three continents.
This geographical location contributed to
its turbulent history and in turn the existence
today of a number of castles to defend the
island. The six major ones are at Archangelos,
Feraklos at Haraki , Lindos, Asklipion, Monolithos
and Kritinia.
Archangelos Castle
Archangelos can be reached from the main
square of the village and was built by the
Crusaders in 1467 as part of a chain of
defences against the Turks. Today the outer
walls are the only significant remains.
Castle Feraklos at Haraki
Like Archangelos, only the walls of Feraklos
remain but the castle is worth a visit for
the views down towards Agathi beach and
to Haraki in the other direction. Interestingly,
this castle was used by pirates before the
Knights of St. John ousted them!
The castle of Lindos
The Lindos
Castle serves as an entrance to
the Acropolis and was once the administrative
building of the Knights.
The climb to the entrance is steep, but
worth it to see two important monuments
on the way up: a semi-circular Hellenistic
exedra and next to it a depiction of the
prow of an ancient ship carved in the rock.
This was the base of a statue dating back
to the early 2nd century BC.
The Asklipios Castle
Asklipios castle
is a ruined Crusader monument with an impressive
entrance. Although there is little to see
inside the walls, the views are excellent.
There is
a legend that at one time a tunnel ran from
one of the houses to the castle to that
villagers could secretly gain refuge from
marauding pirates.
The castle of Monolithos
Built on the
summit of a huge rock standing steep and close
to the sea, is a truly impregnable fortress
built by the Grand Master of the Knights d’Aubusson
in the 14th century to guard the sea route
and to protect the locals from pirate raids.
Hidden inside there is a white church.
The sunset
seen from here is magnificent. From the castle
a road leads to a lovely secluded beach.
Kritinia Castle
Kritinia
Castle known as Kastellos is also
perched on a rock, but at 430 feet presents
less of a climbing challenge!
This castle was built by the Knights of
St John and was originally on three levels
with each level assigned to a different
Grand Master.
The sunset from this side of the island
is quite magical.
Archangelos Castle 
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