Crusader Paths

In the 14th century the Knights of St. John arrived to the Dodecanese islands from Jerusalem. Many harbor towns still bear the regal façade of that era with castles, forts, moats, and palaces. Kos and Rhodes are our anchor islands -- ferry rides extend the biking to day trips to Kalymno, Nyseros and Symi islands. Get your passports out for day boats to Bodrum and Marmari in Turkey.

Luxury Accommodations On Kos you will luxuriate in 5-star seaside resort with every amenity imaginable. On Rhodes your hotel in the old city is located in a gorgeously renovated building constructed in 1300 AD.

Guess what! Crusader Paths is cited in National Geographic Adventures' blog.

All tours are priced in euros, the currency of Greece.
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TOUR MAP

Start/End Points
The tour starts in Kos at 12:00 noon and ends in Rhodes. Daily flights to both islands with Aegean Air or Olympic Airlines.

Itinerary

Day 1: Kos 
Welcome to Kos, home of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine.  We visit the harbor’s imposing Knights of St. John Crusader Castle.  In the late afternoon we’ll take a short cycling ride to Therma, the natural hot springs that flow out of seaside cliffs into the cool Mediterranean waters.   

Day 2: Kos
On our first full day in Kos we are compelled to pay homage to Hippocrates by visiting the ruins where he maintained a school and clinic.  From there we to Antimacheia Castle, a large Venetian fortress. 

Day 3: Kos and Nyseros
We leave Kos for the day by biking to Kardamena and taking a boat to the tiny volcanic island of Nyseros having fewer than 1000 inhabitants.  Hot springs and a dormant volcano you can descend are the island’s highlights.  Traditional Greek music and dancing in the evening.

Day 4: Kos and Bodrum, Turkey
A day trip to Bodrum by boat.  The mighty medieval castle guarding the harbor entrance cannot be missed, nor its Museum of Underwater Archaeology whose exhibits expertly recreate the inner contents of an ancient sunken ship. 

Day 5: Kos and Kalymnos
Kalymnos was once the epicenter of a thriving sponge diving industry.  We are able to bike almost all the small island’s paved roads and also visit the folklore museum, a quirky
sea museum, an old Crusader castle, caves and basilicas.   

Day 6: Rhodes
We take the boat to Rhodes whose Old Town said to be the largest medieval city in Europe.  This walled city was the epicenter of Crusader activity in Greece and its preservation makes the entire town a fascinating place to stroll.

Day 7: Rhodes
We cycle to the famous Valley of the Butterflies set in an enchanting shaded forest.  From there we climb up and over to Seven Springs, another verdant spot flush with natural water.  Evening stroll around the dry moat.

Day 8: Rhodes and Marmari, Turkey
A day trip by boat to Marmari, Turkey submerges us into an oriental atmosphere of Middle East cusine, Islamic architecture, mosques and a busy bazaar selling fine jewelry, leather and carpets. 

Day 9: Rhodes
A guided tour of old town Rhodes takes us to all the glorious Crusader sites, including the Palace of the Grand Master and the Inns of the various European Orders.  We explore the harbor where the Colossus of Rhodes is said to have stood, visit an active hamam (Turkish bath), the Jewish Quarter, the labyrinthine alleyways, hidden courtyards, and much more.

Day 10: Rhodes and Symi
Symi is another one of those unheralded, untrampled, tranquil Greek islands that will capture your heart. We spend the day cycling to a secluded beach, an 18th century monastery, a Byzantine museum, a folklore museum, aromatic pine forests and a tempting bakery.  

Day 11: Rhodes
On our last day we cycle to Lindos, first inhabited in 3,000 BC.  Its Acropolis was one of the most sacred in ancient Greece and later the Crusaders fortified its walls which tower 410 feet above the carfree town.  

Day 12: Departure

Mileage
Support vehicle available for lifts. Additional mileage available for road warriors
Total Mileage 152 miles Average Daily Mileage 28 miles

Day 1  7 miles, 12 km, flat and a slight ascent, descend by foot to sea

Day 2  28 miles, 45 km modest ascent, return all downhill

Day 3  22 miles, 12 km modest ascent, return downhill

Day 4  no biking

Day 5  15 miles, 25 km, hilly with short climbs

Day 6 no biking

Day 7  30 miles, 48 km, flat along the coast, modest climbs inland

Day 8 no biking

Day 9 no biking

Day 10 20 miles, 30 km short gradual hills

Day 11 30 miles, 50 km, all flat along the coast