Mykonos and Rhodes

Due to the istanbul crisis we have some changes. Mykonos and Rhodes are new ports - any suggestions on private tours or ideas? Also looking for athens and the extra day we have there

Both ports are very easy to access and DYI.

Rhodes is lovely to wander around, short walk from port, and Mykonos is simply beautiful, short walk to the windmills on the hill, and then fried sardines for lunch in the cafes along the waterside, simply beautiful. Depending on whether the ship is a tender or in port at Mykonos does make a difference, the port is further away whereas they tender right into the centre of Mykonos.

enjoy both.

Pat

For Rhodes, I would just walk into the old town. Your ship will dock right beside it. It is perfect for a day of casual sightseeing. However, if you desire to leave the old town area, a common destination is to go see the Acropolis at Lindos. This would require some form of arranged transportation/tour. It's probably possible to do both on a normal full day in port. But If I had to pick one for a first visit, I would explore the old town.

We were in Rhodes last September. From the time I first read about and saw photos of The Acropolis of Lindos, I knew I wanted to go. We selected a private 4 hour tour, "Best of Rhodes," with RhodesPrivateTours.com. Nicholas was our email contact and he had advised if we were off the ship in time we could include a bit of the Palace of the Grand Masters by car, as it is closed to vehicles at 9 a.m. We were in port early so we were off the ship by 8:15. Nicholas was there with his team of drivers and told us we would be with Andrew for the day. We set off thru the Palace with plenty of time for photo stops along the way. A drive up the coastline provided stunning vistas and sites and then there it was… the Village of Lindos with the Acropolis high above and St Paul's Bay below. While I could have ridden the "Lindos Taxi" half way up before ascending the 292 steps, I decided to make the trek. :eek: Each stop to catch my breath actually took it away, as there was a different perspective and view from every level. After a little over an hour in Lindos we headed to Argos Restaurant on Haraki Beach for lunch. I'm running out of superlatives to describe all our experiences. Lunch was beyond expectations. We were met by Nicholas who was there to ensure we were enjoying our day. We assured him we were being well taken care of by Andrew and were loving every second of it. The restaurant setting was unbeatable… the deck was perched out over the rocks, overlooking the beach, with the ruins of one of the first castles of the Crusaders high above. The food was absolutely fresh and delicious, and the service was superb! After enjoying a very relaxed meal we even had time to dip our toes in the crystal blue water of the beach. RhodesPrivateTours set us up with a very memorable day! Cost was for the car… $202 for the 4 hour tour + $45 per additional hour for lunch, plus the cost of lunch. We could have shared this tour with up to 4 people to cut the costs, but we opted to keep it to ourselves. Obviously, I would definitely recommend this company! :D

I looked at the website and was wondering about the 4 hour versus 7 hour tour - what made you choose the 4 hour?

I looked at the website and was wondering about the 4 hour versus 7 hour tour - what made you choose the 4 hour?

The additional time with the full day tour was primarily to get you to the Valley of the Butterflies and a winery, neither of which interested us. We opted to add an hour to the half day for the wonderful lunch, and spend the rest of our time on our own wandering Old Town.

If you're an old movie fan, check out the movie "The Guns of Navarone." Many of the exterior shots were filmed in Lindos & Rhodes. ;)

We'll be in Rhodes again this October... we plan to spend time visiting the Palace of the Grand Masters and Old Town this time, but I'm SO glad we made it to Lindos last year. :)

Due to the istanbul crisis we have some changes. Mykonos and Rhodes are new ports - any suggestions on private tours or ideas? Also looking for athens and the extra day we have there

While we have not, yet, been to Rhodes, I can offer some ideas and options for Mykonos. Need proof on these potentials? Below are some "photo evidence"!! Plus, you can see below some information and potentials for Athens, too.

ForAthens and nearby, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples from this city that is so great for seeing its great history, style and architecture. This posting is now at 12,966 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

For those who have not yet visited Greece and Athens, the good news is that the wonderful Plaka is right handy and next door to the famed Acropolis area. That makes things so much easier. On going up the hill, be careful as the stone steps can be slick in areas. And you will be looking up and forgetting to watch where and how you are stepping. It's well worth the effort getting there to the top. It is amazing history and architecture!! Also, we had a private guide to help us on this spectacular site. It's not cheap, but it was well worth it to know more on what you are seeing and why it is so important.

Below are some of my visual samples to get people excited about their upcoming visit and/or re-live those wonderful memories from these historic areas.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 214,856 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Here’s a sampling of the narrow, flowered street in Mykonos in the Greek Isles with its many shops. The streets were made so narrow in order to fend off pirate attackers. It is an island with lots of history and legend dating back thousands of years, including connections to ancient Greek mythology. Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. As Delos developed as a sacred center, Mykonos was under the influences of the different people, including Phoenicians, Macedonians and Athenians. With the rise of Alexander the Great, the fate of Mykonos became a commercial center for agriculture and maritime trade. Mykonos flourished with enormous wealth during Roman occupation during the reign of Augustus Caesar. During the Middle Ages, Mykonos fell under the Venetians and later were victimized by the Saracens and latter the Turks. Starting in the 1950’s, its unique architecture, seclusion and hospitality have made it a haven for the rich and famous.:

This harbor view in Mykonos shows one of the charming windmills. From as early as the 16th century, these are one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos. The island is 33 square miles in size and has a population of 9,300, mostly in its main village.:

Ladies and generations from a family are departing a church service in main Mykonos on a Sunday morning. It was nice to see the people who live there and not have things too busy from the tourism masses!!:

At the fish docks in Mykonos near many outdoor dining places that overlook the harbor, there are discussions about some of the recent catches being offered to a local resident.:

On the opposite side of the Mykonos village on the island, here's a sampling of the beachside activities. This includes Agrari, Elia and the long sweeping Kalafatis beach that has become famous to wind surfers. We got an inexpensive rental car to visit these beaches areas and explore the other parts far away from the main village.:

On Athens’ Acropolis hill with our very knowledgeable private guide we lined up at the site, she helped us appreciate all of the history and architectural details there at this famed site going back 700 years before Christ. Having a guide here does involve some added cost, but it made a hugely positive difference for us in understanding so much more about what is up there, why it is important, how these structures were constructed, etc.:

In Mykonos, we rented an ATV (not suggesting this for everyone) and we rode around the island, stopping a various beaches. We were in port until 11:00 pm that evening, so had time to enjoy some of the Mykonos nightlife as well.

In Rhodes, we also had a late night stay until 11:00 pm. We rented a car and drove around the island, visiting some wineries, beaches, Lindos, and then in the evening we spent time in the old town before returning to the ship.

Tour ℅ ARCHEOLOGOUS.COM quoted €638 for 5 hours, 2 people. This outrageous fee is absolutely insane - they must think cruisers are either stupid, terrified or desperate, particularly when this town is a viable diy port......

Crazy.

Horsegirl may I ask which port you are referring to?

It was for RHODES

I misspelled the tour company

The rip off company for Rhodes. Is ARCHAEOLOGOUS.COM

We were in Rhodes last September. From the time I first read about and saw photos of The Acropolis of Lindos, I knew I wanted to go. We selected a private 4 hour tour, "Best of Rhodes," with RhodesPrivateTours.com. Nicholas was our email contact and he had advised if we were off the ship in time we could include a bit of the Palace of the Grand Masters by car, as it is closed to vehicles at 9 a.m. We were in port early so we were off the ship by 8:15. Nicholas was there with his team of drivers and told us we would be with Andrew for the day. We set off thru the Palace with plenty of time for photo stops along the way. A drive up the coastline provided stunning vistas and sites and then there it was… the Village of Lindos with the Acropolis high above and St Paul's Bay below. While I could have ridden the "Lindos Taxi" half way up before ascending the 292 steps, I decided to make the trek. :eek: Each stop to catch my breath actually took it away, as there was a different perspective and view from every level. After a little over an hour in Lindos we headed to Argos Restaurant on Haraki Beach for lunch. I'm running out of superlatives to describe all our experiences. Lunch was beyond expectations. We were met by Nicholas who was there to ensure we were enjoying our day. We assured him we were being well taken care of by Andrew and were loving every second of it. The restaurant setting was unbeatable… the deck was perched out over the rocks, overlooking the beach, with the ruins of one of the first castles of the Crusaders high above. The food was absolutely fresh and delicious, and the service was superb! After enjoying a very relaxed meal we even had time to dip our toes in the crystal blue water of the beach. RhodesPrivateTours set us up with a very memorable day! Cost was for the car… $202 for the 4 hour tour + $45 per additional hour for lunch, plus the cost of lunch. We could have shared this tour with up to 4 people to cut the costs, but we opted to keep it to ourselves. Obviously, I would definitely recommend this company! :D

Happy to read this review. We booked via Nicholas for a 5 1/2 excursion for this October (2016). He has been super responsive to all of our inquiries, thus far. Looking forward to the "Rhodes Trip" (Road Trip)

Heather

I don't think you'll regret it... We loved our tour thru them and the day was spectacular. Enjoy!!

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