Walk & Eat Series: RHODES (published 2007)

Updated 08/05/2011

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Updates given below supplement the information provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

General: What a fantastic book!! My husband and I have just returned from a 2 week holiday in Rhodes having eaten in many of the restaurants mentioned in your book! Prior to going I read your book from cover to cover and commented to my husband Kim that both of you were clearly like us, from the things you enjoy and the book is written! Your recommendations did not disappoint. We hired a car for 2 weeks so were able to visit all parts of Rhodes. However we did very lttle walking as the weather was far too hot in the summer months, though we generally walk a lot and will return to Rhodes during the spring. We ate at Christos Corner in Monolithos twice because the food aws so good and despite the fact that we were actually staying in Lindos on the other side of the island! Yes the giant beans were superb so we had them on both occasions, as well as Christos's baby goat ! We adored the rouzetia at Kozas taverna at Stegna!! We tried to eat at Taverna Pigi Fasouli just outside Psinthos but it had shut down! Many thanks again for your superb book - our holiday would not have been as memorable without it! (User, 9/09) [Re Taverna Pigi Fasouli, the authors comment: The Psinthos restaurant might only be closed for the summer. We have come across this before. In a village like Psinthos, away from the coast, the owner often has a seaside restaurant as well, which they open to take advantage of the tourist trade in the main season. Many of the Greeks go to the seaside at weekends so the trade transfers out there. Obviously, it is something we need to check.]

Restaurants: People & Places, p.46 ­ would suggest you revisit this recommendation as the main thing you can observe from this is the traffic, as it's at a busy T-junction, and it's on the wrong side of the road for a decent view of the harbour. There must be nicer places to people-watch from? ... I would strongly recommend you try out "Myrovolos" at Lahitos 13 in the Old Town; I spent a week of eating out in Rhodes Old Town and this was by far the best food I had without any doubt at all; and I went back again just to make sure I wasn't just lucky the first time around. I'm a vegetarian and had a selection of veggie side dishes which were actually quite substantial; with a drink and cover charge on each occasion the bill came to EUR 15 to 20. Staff very helpful and friendly as well. There's an open-air walled exterior and a covered area upstairs. At Moni Kalopetra, p.61: if you have space, you may want to give an example of the mouth-watering refreshments: freshly baked Greek doughnuts covered in sesame seeds and honey, for example ! Mmm... (User, 10/07) [Brian & Eileen comment: People & Places wasn't chosen for its location, but because it is frequented by the Greeks and serves choice drinks and pastries etc. It is an interesting place to people-watch as it's tucked into a corner just back from the main pedestrian route.]

Walk 1: As described (User, 6/11)

Walk 2: As described (User, 6/11)

Walk 3: As described (Users, 5/10, 6/11)

Walk 4: As described (Users, 5/10, 6/11)

Walk 5: When the book tells you to "stay ahead" (3min) you must actually fork right, AWAY from the main Stegna· road.... Take care so you find the marked and cairned path down to Stegna. This is not mentioned, but this path actually forks after a while. Do take care to follow the lower route down into the valley. Cairns (at least initially) mark both paths, only the lower one has additional paint blobs. (User, 12/08) + The guide mentions a waymarked path through some olive trees down to the coast. No such waymarked path existed. This made me panic as I felt a bit lost in the scorching, rocky terrain (with no shade)." (User, 9/08) [Editor's comments: This long e-mail, from a woman walking on her own, went on to say that she asked a local shepherd for a lift to Stegna and ended up being kidnapped in his hut for an hour, before paying him an extortionate fee to be driven to the Archangelos bus stop. She makes a good point that there is almost no shade on this walk. The authors confirm that the waymarks start as you enter the gully down to the olive grove, but do not continue beyond it - at which point you continue as directed in the book. This user did the walk in early September, during a heat wave (the Andersons make clear that their time checks are based on walking with temperatures in the 20s). Perhaps we are to blame for not putting in this guide what we put in all our 'Landcapes' walking guides: we urge you, for safety's sake, never to walk alone. Of course we receive many e-mails from women who do walk on their own and chastise us from being 'over the top', but politically correct behaviour has not yet been established amongst elderly male shepherds in southern Europe. Sunflower] + A new road is being built above Stegna southwards. One reaches the new unfinished road at the 55 min point just above the olive grove above Stegna. No problem going on to Stegna. To continue the circuit one has to walk on the new road where the old track used to be until nearly up, where there is a turnoff to the right (the old road/track) and the walk continues as previously. (User, 5/10) + We have just returned from a lovely sunny week on Rhodes. We did a number of the walks in your excellent book "Walk and Eat Rhodes", but Walk 5 is now significantly changed at the Stegna end. The track is fine (albeit a bit of a scramble) as far as the waymarked path described in the second paragraph. This now drops onto a large area of barren land that has been levelled for building. It is impossible to find the track described in your walk. We ended walking down through the building site until we found a road (which is new, indeed still unfinished) which will connect the Archangelos to Stegna road all the way along the coast to St Agathi bay at Feraklos. It runs a few hundred metres above Stegna village, and is creating a huge gash in the countryside there. By turning left onto this new road, we reached a road that took us down into Stegna village and the seafront. It follows that, having entered Stegna as best you can, it is hard to find your way out again because we couldn't do what the walk says, which is to retrace your steps to the blue and white apartment block. Incidentally we couldn't see a blue and white apartment block, though there is now a fawn and blue one which may or may not be the same building. The Periagiali taverna also seems to have been lost to a new hotel development at the south end of the bay. To get back onto where we assumed the walk would be, we ended up scrambling up steep barren hillside to the new road and then following that south uphill out of the village. By then it was too late to use the easier route that became obvious as we walked along the new road. This is to follow a shallower route more directly south from the end of the bay (starting behind the new hotel) which joins a farm track, from which it would be possible to scramble onto the new road, but with a much shorter and shallower scramble than the one we took. The new road climbs steeply south out of the village. In doing so it has obliterated the red earth steep track that we were looking for to refind your walk. This can be found by following the new road over its first crest, and then turning right, slightly back on yourself at first, towards a farm compound. The track described in your walk restarts at the gate to that farm compound, and you need to turn left onto it. After that the walk is as described. One last point. The track into Archangelos, at the top of the rise after turning at the 2h15min point, is now the town rubbish dump, so the top section of this climb is anything but scenic. Building development has encroached here too, so the crossing track at 2h 30 min is now a road with incomplete apartment buildings on it. (User, 6/10) + This is a great circuit, with an excellent starting point in the form of Archangelos with its cafés and castle and a really pleasant Stegna Bay lunch stop. Unfortunately, the
creation of a new road (referred to in the updates by users 5/10 & 6/10) has affected part of the walk. Descending to Stegna from Archangelos, the waymarked path, referered to in paragraph 2 on p77, soon ends abruptly at a crossing track: Turn right and walk down this track until you reach a left-hand bend. Here, scramble down to and cross a dry stream bed and pick up the path on the opposite side. When this path becomes level with the rew road, cross it and continue in the same direction, through the olive grove referered to on p78; the blue and white apartment block on the left should be visible at this point. From here, pick up the road and continue down into Stegna. On the return, beyond the boulder and white house, turn left along the new road, and follow this up to a crest, before descending to a fork, with a tree at its centre. Take the right hand, uphill track past St George's Church (visible at the fork) and follow the route notes to Archangelos, via the castle. (User, 6/11)

Walk 6: We found the path description very clear, we just write now to mention a change. "Leave the valley floor on a rough, ascending track. It bends left at first, then winds uphill to a crossing track. Stay left, uphill, and soon enjoy a level section before ascending again. Pass a ruin and olive grove on the left... ignore a track joining from the right (1.06h)" The ruin is not a ruin anymore, it became a big restaurant!... which didn't open yet... It name's Taverna Foundoukli (what else!) (User, 12/08) + The first part of the walk is no longer a track; it is an asphalt road. The junction of tracks (6 min point) is now a junction of roads - to the left the return route (so far without asphalt) leading to the new Taverna Fountoukli, to the right asphalt road until one forks left (i.e. leaves the road) six minutes later. (User, 5/10)

Walk 7: As described - but why is the best part, from To Elafaki to the top of the mountain not included? (User, 5/10) + This is ari excellent walk arid deservedly popular with walking groups. Salakos is a delightfiil base for this walk and I thoroughly enjoyed the climb up to Protitis Ilias. In a future edition why not include the 'Italian' circuit at the top - To Elafaki and the summit (also mentioned by User 5/10) - it's not a long walk, it's all on a clear path and adorned with flowers in spring. Furtherinore, this walk contains some historical interest, with the remains of Mussolini's mansion and church passed enroute The excellent yoghurt, honey and walnuts at Kafeneon To Elafaki will be even more richly deserved! (User, 6/11)

Walk 8: As described (User, 5/10). + Paragraph 2 says, "At the point where the track forks right over the stream bed (20 min),continue ahead on a waymarked path (red dot).......".I did not see a path marker or a red dot and got lost. (User, 5/11) + As described. (User, 6/11)

Walk 9: On the return from Ag loannes, at the clearing in the pine tree belt (mentioned in paragraph 2 on p109) where there is a junction of paths marked with a large pile of stones, the left-hand path being your out-going route, why not take the right-hand path. This will take you past the excellent viewpoiht, also mentioned on p109, and joins up with your outgoing path not far from the Monolithos road. This route provides some variation on the return and makes for a slightly less stony descent. As this part of the island is so spectacularly beautiful, it is well worth spending a night or 2 in Monolithos. I thoroughly enjoyed Christos Corner Taverna with its excellent food, service and wonderful welcome - here is an establishment that definitely does strive for customer loyalty. lt also has rooms to let. Another excellent and highly recommended walk in the area is a circuit starting and ending in Monolithos. Take the road down to Fourni Beach, past the castle (well worth a visit for its spectacular location and views). At the far end of the beach (where there is a seasonal taverna) climb up onto the headland and take the left-hand path (well cairned and waymarked), back to Monolithos. Where the path ends (at a metal gate) walk through a field and turn left up a farm track to reach a junction. Turn left and then right, following the track into the village. Those with energy to spare might like to walk up to the old windmill from the village, from where there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. (User, 6/11)

Walk 10: As described (User, 5/10) - recommend you wear long shirts and trousers for this walk as the path has almost disappeared into thorny scrub (October 10). The path up from the temple is partially cairned but then peters out and you just have to find your way up to the top. There is a new cafe where the walk starts which is a most welcome sight at the end of the walk. The castle car park has been resurfaced but no entry fee as yet. (User, 10/10)