Attavyros

Rhodes Afandou

The Municipality of Attavyros
Embonas (52 km from Rhodes town)
One of the most pretty mountain villages of Rhodes at an altitude of 450 m Embonas is built in the foothills of Mt. Attavyros. Situated in a forested area with vineyards all around, the village is famed for its select wine and its grapes, vegetables and oil. If one visits at the beginning of the grape harvest, one can see streets filled with baskets and courtyards covered with grapes drying in the sun. 
The residents were originally from Crete from the Althemeni clan which founded Kameiros and the Temple of Zeus Attavyros. They keep their traditions alive and quite a few elderly people still wear traditional costumes. 
Kritinia - Skala Kameirou (54-50 Km respectively from Rhodes Town)
A mountainous farming village Kritinia lies on the western side of the island. Its spacious square with a large plane tree in the centre is a natural balcony over the Aegean with a view of the fortress, the sea and surrounding islands stretching as far as the horizon. The residents were originally from Crete like those of Embonas. Most residents are farmers and work with grapes, olives and vegetables. Skala Kameirou is linked with Kritinia in administrative terms. It is a small port with ferry connections between Rhodes and Halki island. 
Monolithos (73 km from Rhodes town)
The village is small built amphitheatre like on the southern part of the western coast. Whitewashed courtyards with geraniums, stone houses, steep paths and stairways make for a picturesque image with views to the sea. The main reason for coming this far is the medieval fortress set amid the pines on an isolated rock. That explains the name of the village in Greek which translates as lone rock. The sunset seen from here is enchanting. 
The road from the fortress leads down to a beautiful, isolated beach.
Siana
This semi-mountainous traditional village is well known for its pure honey and the traditional drink souma, a powerful distillate of grapes made using age-old methods.
Aghios Isidoros - Mandriko
Far from the bustle of town and the tourist resorts are these two farming villages which calm the soul and call you to go down inaccessible paths in order to discover their true beauty.