Imagine an island, very close to cosmopolitan Rhodes, but completely different. Imagine that you can walk the entire island in 4 hours! With castles, ancient ruins, country churches and windmills. With beaches without water sports, and roads without cars. With a Chora of incomparable aesthetics. Imagine an island destined for other biorhythms, for the coolest people you can always catch up with.
This place, “the small but great”, exists. And it is called Halki (or Chalki).
Alimia islet
Alimia is the biggest out of the smallest uninhabited islets in the sea area of Halki 4 n.m. NE of Halki.
The islet extends over 7.4 sq. km and its highest altitude does not exceed 269m. With two naturally protected bays, Agios Georgios and Emborios, it offers a safe shelter to small boats. You can get there only by inflatable or caique from Halki, or even by your own boat.
Further inside the bay of Agios Georgios, among bramble shrubs and brushwood, you will see the ruins of the homonymous settlement which was abandoned after World War II. NW of the ruined village and at a walking distance from the coast there is a lake with salty water. Improvising a walk in the interior of Alimia and walking towards its highest point, you will see ruins of the medieval castle. It was built in 1475 by the Knights of St. John in Rhodes, at the place of an older Hellenistic fort. On the bay of Emborios you can see tombs of Roman times, naval bases of the Hellenistic period and foundations of an early-Christian basilica.
The abandoned barracks were built during the Italian occupation.
Info: Alimia is included in the European network of protected areas NATURA 2000.
The “kyfes”
They could be the animal pens of the Mycenaean era –they look that old. Built without joints, by strong hands, versed in lifting stone blocks, they are called “kyfes”. They are conical structures of local stone and you will find them in rural areas of Halki. Outside Chorio, on the slope of Palarniotis, on the plain of Ai Giannis, in Kila etc. They used to operate as resting huts for the farmers, as warehouses, and even as bulwarks, in case the pirates were close. It is unknown when they first emerged on the island.
The Knights’ Castle
It dominates on the NE part of the island, on the peak of Ai Nikola’s hill, built upon the foundations of an older, probably Hellenistic, wall. It was founded by the Knights of Saint John’s order, in the middle 14th century and it lasted until it was surrendered to the Ottomans in 1522, after the fall of Rhodes. It is accessible through a path which goes uphill from the church of Panagia to Chorio. The ascent is a bit steep, but it does not last more than 20 minutes. At the entrance of the castle you will see the built-in coat of arms of the Master of John’s Knights, Pierre d’ Aubusson. The church of Agios Nikolaos is still preserved inside the walls with mural fragments of the 15th and the 17th century. In the years of its operation the castle had visual contact with the tower/‘fryctoria’ (communication tower) on the westernmost edge of the island, on cape Kefali and when needed it sent signals to the ‘viglatores’ (observers) of Rhodes across the island.
Here the fish smell of iodine and the goat smells of saltiness. Try fish and barbecued seafood, the excellent local fish stew and from the land-lubber dishes try goat in the oven and lamb “ofto”-that is stuffed with a mixture of rice, sliced pieces of liver and herbs. In addition, ask for local handmade pasta, thyme honey and buttery ‘koulouri’ (circular bread with sesame seeds).
The closest airport to Halki is the international airport of Rhodes.
The island is connected by steamship to two ports of Rhodes and Piraeus. Furthermore, it is connected to the ships of the Dodecanesian Line which depart from Piraeus to Crete, Kassos and Karpathos.
There are itineraries with conventional ships from the central port of Rhodes towards Halki thrice a week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). Every Tuesday and Thursday a speedboat of catamaran type departs from the same port towards Halki.
There are not many vehicles, nor car rental offices on Halki. The routes are accessed on foot while the municipal mini-bus is helpful and it performs three itineraries a day towards the main sights and the beaches of the island.
The main and the secondary road network do not exceed 13 km in length.
Port Authority of Rhodes:
+30 22410 22220
Port Authority of Halki:
+30 22460 45220
Rural Clinic:
+30 22460 45 206
Town Hall:
+30 22460 45207
Police station:
+30 22460 45213
USEFUL LINKS
