
Casa Cook Rhodes
Dodecanese chill-out den
Low-key resort town
Casa Cook Rhodes converts the island's famed package breaks to boxfresh stays with a luxe bohemian look (all woven throws and pillows, rattan furnishings, polished concrete and beds on daises). Each suite here has access to a shared or private pool and a lounger-topped terrace; and dedicated mellow-out spaces are soundtracked by DJs. Days pass in a hammock-swinging haze; the cocktail list is long enough to see you through to check-out; and island excursions include hikes to mountaintop temples and bathing in healing springs. This new ‘move to your own beat’ attitude equates to a sophisticated sense of fun.
Planes
Rhodes Airport sits in the capital at the northern tip of the island; direct flights arrive here from all over Europe and it’s just a 30-minute drive from the hotel. Flights from further afield will need to stopover.
Automobiles
Taxi-hopping can get pricey, so you may want to hire a car for trips to the capital, the beach at Tsampika or into the leafy interior; although you can rely on the hotel’s range of tours and put your energy into swimming and hammock-swinging if you don’t want designated driver duties. Cars can be hired at the airport.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The Grecian goddess Rhodos (who embodies this picturesque isle) was a sea nymph and the missus of Helios the sun god – a match made in heaven for island living, where sea and sun play a huge part in passing the time. At the casa, you’ll frolic in one of several pools (or book a private Jacuzzi-wallowing session in the spa), salute Helios during a one-on-one class on the yoga deck, or simply get a bronze glow in the hotel’s ‘happiness hub’ an open-to-the-elements white-walled cube with a bar, squishy pillows to flop onto and god-tier views. The casa’s skippers Thanos and Nasos will take you on an aquatic adventure through the Aegean on their sailboat. You’ll leave from Mandraki harbour, swim and snorkel in the turquoise waters of Anthony Quinn Bay and bathe in the healing thermal springs at Kallithea. Another watery wonder is Epta Piges (AKA the Seven Springs), which the hotel will arrange a hike to via Archangelos Village and olive and citrus groves, so you can bathe under a small waterfall and discover a hidden lake down a long tunnel. More vertiginous, but no less rewarding is a trek up Tsambika Mountain to see Panagia Tsambika monastery; there are 312 steps to conquer, but the view from the top encompasses Kolymbia and Tsambika’s sparkling bays and beaches, and the guide will regale you with the island’s ancient history along the way. A guided wander through Rhodes Old Town will reveal the Unesco World Heritage site and oldest inhabited city in Europe’s often turbulent past, through Hellenistic greatness to Gothic crusades, Ottoman and Italian rule and evolution into the cosmopolitan spot it is now. You’ll weave through monasteries, mosques, synagogues and Greek Orthodox churches; the grand buildings of the Knights of St John Hospitallers; baths, palaces and forts. Then you’re free to browse the convivial cafés and restaurants that draw in tourists today. There might not be a beach on your doorstep, but just a 10-minute drive away are the golden sands (a rarity on the island) of Afandou Beach. Surrounding Kolymbia may be a small village with an easy mien to it, but it has an intriguing creative streak. Stop by the large gallery at the Artistic Village Contemporary Art to scope out Rhodes’ modern makers; or track how styles have changed over the years with a trip to the artefact-packed Rodos Nature Folklore Museum.




























