EMILY HEWARD
Finds there’s no pressure on all-inclusive break on the Greek island of Rhodes
A FORTRESS suddenly looms into view as we round the corner into Rhodes, towering over the city with imposing grandeur.
The kastello – or the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes to give it its proper and equally imposing name – stands guard over the oldest inhabited medieval town in Europe, clasped within the protective arc of its ramparts.
Along the walls that fortify the seafront, archways lead like rabbit holes into a warren of cobbled streets that open out into bustling squares.
Stepping inside the labyrinth of narrow passageways feels like walking into a bazaar, with shops hawking everything from rugs, lanterns and spices to designer jewellery and leather sandals and the sweet scent of shisha smoke drifting down from the rooftop bars.
The minarets of mosques spear the sky, a legacy left by centuries of Ottoman rule - just one of the empires to have left their indelible imprint here over the years, making up a rich tapestry of relics protected as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
All this is just 6km away from the Kresten Royal Villas and Spa, where we’re staying as guests of Olympic Holidays, on the edge of the spa resort of Kalithea.
Olympic organises daily excursions to Rhodes town, or you can hop on a bus right outside the hotel to make the most of its atmospheric bars and restaurants, from eating freshly-landed fish among Gothic church ruins at Hatzikelis seafood restaurant to sharing a carafe of red wine under the boughs of fairylit trees at romantic courtyard cafe Auvergne.
Of course, that’s if you want to leave the hotel at all. It’s tempting to spend the whole holiday lounging lazily by the pool - and, for much of our week here, we do just that.
The beauty of going all-inclusive is there’s no pressure to do anything at all. Everything you could want is right here, all under one roof - and Olympic make it an accessible luxury with prices starting from £530 per person for a week, flights included.
Our room overlooks the gleaming Mediterranean sea and, just above it, the saltwater lagoon pool. With its own poolside bar and buffet restaurant, it’s hard to tear ourselves away from throughout the day as we sip on neverending Pimms and help ourselves to fresh Greek salad, gyros and souvlaki.
By night, the bar is transformed into the Porta di Mare restaurant, by far our favourite of the hotel’s three evening dining options.
Serving a traditional Greek menu with a focus on seafood, it’s one of two a la carte options, along with the Italian Teatro restaurant, which guests can book into once each per stay.
All other meals are catered for by the main Athena restaurant, which serves up a dailychanging buffet of Greek specialities and home comforts.
There’s enough variety to dine here every night without eating the same dish twice, but Olympic’s all-inclusive package is so reasonable that if you want to venture out to eat for a night or two you won’t feel you’ve wasted your money.
There are plenty of bars to unwind in too: the polished lobby bar, perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail or glass of bubbly; an island cocktail bar that juts out into the second pool and the Bella Vista bar, with a rooftop terrace perched above the main restaurant.
Bella vista indeed - the view from up here is beguiling as evening turns to night, when the deserted pools seem to blur into sea and sky in one never-ending expanse of inky blue.
The water beckoning us, we book onto a boat trip along the island’s wind-whittled western coastline to Lindos. Crowned by an ancient acropolis, the village clings to the hillside in tiers, with a maze of steep narrow lanes cutting their way through the whitewashed buildings.
Donkeys have the backbreaking task of carting the lazier visitors up them, a cruel tourist trap best avoided for their sake and yours.
Save your money instead for lunch overlooking the bay at rooftop restaurant Mythos, where we feasted on platters of barbecued octopus on a terrace blooming with brilliant pink bougainvillea.
There are dozens more excursions you can take, from a boat trip to Turkey, just an hour’s sail away and visible across the water, to a grand island tour taking in sights including Valley of the Butterflies, a scenic gorge that’s aflutter with the rare and eye-catching Kalimorfa butterfly from June to September, and wine tasting at the Embona winery.
For us, though, there’s just time to squeeze in a massage at the Kresten’s tranquil spa before we’re on our way home, rested, relaxed and rejuvenated.