Monolithos and its Castle
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Saturday 18 November 2023
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Monolithos Castle
A straight forward easy wander from Monolithos village to the castle
Monolithos Castle is one of the regular tourist destinations on Rhodes. The fort overlooks the coast and makes an ideal place to watch the sun slowly dip down into the sea at the end of the day.
Monolithos Castle - Essential Information
Walk Statistics (calculated from GPX):
- Start location: Monolithos
- Distance: km ( miles)
- Total Gain: metre ( ft)
- Total Descent: metre ( ft)
- Min Height: metre ( ft)
- Max Height: metre ( ft)
- Walk Time:
- Walk Grade: Easy
- Terrain: Road
Maps:
The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.
- GPX Route File
Route Verification Details
- Date of Walk: 03/10/2023
- Walk Time: 18:00:00 to 20:00:00
- Walkers: Griff, Kat
- Weather Conditions: Warm sultry evening
Walk Notes
Monolithos Castle is undoubtedly the big tourist attraction in this area of the western Rhodes coastline and numerous excursion coaches and hire cars parade through the village each day to deposit their sightseers from the resorts around the island. Unfortunately, few of them stop to explore this small village which is well worth the time to take out and sample its delights. Staying in the village is probably the best method to explore not just the village but the surrounding areas which are full of secluded beaches, pine forests, rocky mountainous areas, and lush green fertile valleys.
The village is very much an untouched traditional Greek community where you are welcomed with open arms and embraced as friends. It has been said that Monolithos is the hidden gem on the island of Rhodes offering a unique blend of history, natural beauty, and Greek culture together with tranquillity and peacefulness. The number of inhabitants varies according to whom you speak to or the documentation you reference but a conservative estimate would be somewhere between 100 and 200. It is a really small community.
The village nestles on the slopes of the south-eastern edge of Mount Akramýtis and looks out southwestwards with views across the valley to the coastline that slowly curves around to Apoliakkia and Limini. To the northeast is Mount Attavyros and directly east is the hilly landscape that extends over to Learma and down to Lardos.
The architecture is traditional Greek whitewashed buildings with blue woodwork. Most of the buildings are located in narrow streets and lanes, some not much more than dirt tracks and many difficult to get a vehicle down. There is a varied mix of green shrubs, fruit trees, grape vines, and flowering plants such as the ubiquitous bougainvillaea that intermingle with the buildings, some in gardens, some growing wild. A few buildings are in a state of ruin, left there when local folk found lives elsewhere after WWII, not only migrating to other parts of Greece but as far away as Australia from what we were informed during our visit.
A main thoroughfare that leads through the village has a few Tavernas, guest houses, and roadside stalls plying their locally produced wares including local honey, locally distilled souma, local fruit, and locally brewed wine. You cannot get fresher produce than here. The village's only mini market is no more than the size of a small room but accommodates the simple daily necessities a visitor requires for their stay. The tavernas sell traditional Greek cuisine, and certainly with both Christos Corner Taverna and the Taverna Panorama, there are specials from the oven each day which are most certainly the dishes go for. During our stay, we sampled roast goat, meatballs with rice, traditional Greek moussaka, and the best beef stifado that I have ever eaten.
The local church, located centrally in the village, is dedicated to St Thomas (Απόστολου Θωμά) and is of stone construction painted a pale chamois colour with white detailing. Small trees and shrubs occupy the east and north sides of the church with a courtyard beyond. To the south is a four-story bell tower that stands at the top of a flight of steps leading from the lane below. Unusual for Greek churches, at the western front end of the building there is a curved double flight of winding stairs to the upper level with the main door located between these staircases. This gives the building a very symmetrical and pleasing appearance. It is difficult to find any definitive historical facts about the church or, indeed, the village itself. The suspicion is that the village and its church must have grown with the castle and would therefore have roots back in the 15th century but this is pure speculation. The interior of the church does appear to support this view with rich dark stained and carved woodwork and richly coloured iconography that all oozes with history.
As with all Greek churches and chapels the patron saint has a specific Saints Day, more commonly known as a Name day. St Thomas, being the Saint for Monolithos, has his name day on the 6th of October and this coincided with our stay in the village. It has to be stressed that name days are a big occasion in Greece and anyone who has the same name as the saint will celebrate it like a birthday, their own birthday being of little significance in comparison. Name days are a big celebration for the whole village and are commonly known by their Greek name of Panigiri (πανήγυρις) which has a literal meaning of all
from the Greek word pan (παν)
and a gathering of people
from the Greek word agora (ἀγορά)
.
The Monolithos celebrations began on the eve of St Thomas' day with a lengthy peel of the church bells which was followed by a church service conducted by Monolithou Chorostatundos of the Holy Monastery of Thari, Father Nektarios Pokchia, Father Markos, Father Savva and Father of the Church Ioannos Mamousellou. The service lasted for about two hours after which everyone congregated into the courtyard. Food is then brought in, drinks are served, a band starts playing and plenty of drinking, eating, dancing and singing carries on well into the night. For this particular event we were invited as honoured guests which was very gratefully taken up. The night was one to really remember, and one of those magical unplanned and unexpected moments. Excerpts of the church service and the Panigiri can be found on YouTube and it is well worth viewing although, like photos, it does not capture the essence of the evening. You cannot beat being there.
The morning of the day of St Thomas the Apostle, as dawn came seeping across the mountains, the church bells were peeled once again and even the wildlife seemed to respect this day with the usual cockerels and birds refraining from their usual announcement of a new day. It has to be said that the usual Monolithos dawns are probably the best on the island where cockerels start crowing at the first glimmer of light, stirring all life to witness the sunrise. A magnificent sunrise is virtually always guaranteed with a burst of golden rays springing out from the eastern horizon, sending shafts of light onto the whitewashed buildings. The birds then start singing in praise of the arrival of a brand new day. It is a sheer pleasure to awaken in such a manner without any fuss or bother and no reference to what the time may be other than a new day is set to begin, just arouse from slumber and then sit on the balcony to witness the dawn chorus.
By contrast, the sunsets from the village are never as spectacular, with the sun dipping down behind the hills with little spectacle or glory. For a true climax of a sunset, one has to wander down to the castle where a much more awe-inspiring sight can be witnessed. To gain a real appreciation for the castle it is best to visit it both during the afternoon and later for the sunset to get the best of the natural lighting in both aspects.
Monolithos castle sits on a rocky hill that rises from the descending hillside, providing views looking out to the Aegean Sea with the island of Halki stretching into the ocean beyond. It is often quoted that the name Monolithos has the literal meaning of single rock
or even lonely rock
and this towering natural defensive position certainly lives up to such a name.
The road that leads down to the castle entrance has several viewing points to witness the castle aloft on its pedestal, which highlights its defensive advantage over would-be attackers. Although the tourist coaches drop the visitors off along the road, to fully appreciate all the views it is best to walk from the village itself.
The road descends to a double hairpin and on the second turn is the Castle Taverna next to a path that leads to a flight of steps cut out of the rock. These lead the constant flock of visitors up into the castle itself. The steps are worn and uneven and can be slippery so caution is advised as well as some decent footwear. Once at the top, the glory of this structure can be appreciated. Although predominantly in ruins various buildings and features can still be made out including the thick walls, the stubs of towers, and two chapels, one fenced off which is dedicated to St George and another, open to the public, that is dedicated to St. Panteleimon. Both of these chapels date back to the fortification's original construction in the 15th century.
It is difficult to find a trustworthy account of the castle's full history apart from the fact that it was constructed by the Knights of the Order of St. John in the late 1400s. As with many of the historic defences on Rhodes, there is always the assumption, sometimes well founded, that fortifications predate the knight's arrival and the newcomers merely strengthened what already existed. In the case of Monolithos, it is said that originally, way back in pre-history, a watchtower occupied the summit and this was superseded by a castle in Byzantine times which the Knights then bolstered for their defensive purposes.
Eventually, the Knights' rule was ousted when the island fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1522. The castle continued as a functional structure up until the 17th century when the threat of invasion had subsided. During all that time it is said that no armies, navies, or band of pirates ever defeated the castle, due to its strategic position. The only vanquisher has been time itself which has slowly allowed the buildings to turn to ruin. However, in more recent times there have been concerted efforts to restore some of the structures with additional fencing to cordon off parts of the castle features to prevent further deterioration from the many visitors. It has proved a popular heritage site judging by the copious amount of tourists who visit the castle.
The sunset excursions are one of the most popular and in the hours before sunset lines of coaches park up along the road down to the castle. A steady stream of tourists mount the steps and claim a vantage point within the castle ruins to watch the sun slowly dip down to the horizon and submerge into the ocean. And as it does, dozens of cameras and phones attempt to catch that little bit of magic, that essence of the dying embers of the day, to solidify the scene in an attempt to give it immortality. There is no clapping, no applause, just a chorus of sighed murmurs of satisfaction that the excursion was well worth the effort, and then there is a slow parade back down the steps to find their transport back to their resorts. For those who have never taken up such an evening tour, then it is well worth it. Or better still, spend a few nights in the village.
Staying in the village gave us the distinct advantage over the excursionists of not having to rush back to waiting coaches and cars. This gave us a slow wander back in the twilight, the coaches departed, the stalls shuttered, and the end of the day in complete peace. We still had the rest of the evening to indulge in dinner and a glass or two of wine before retiring to the hotel balcony to watch the night.
With few street lights, the Monolithos darkness presents broad skies full of stars. In the distance, the Monolithos windmill is subtly lit up from the ground, and further away along the coast are flashing lights from the wind turbines down at Kattavia. Their pinpoint lights appear to randomly flash but careful study will soon find distinct sequences. To the south, a bright star was identified as Saturn, not a star at all. And the moon slowly drifted through the dark domain. Imagine having this to watch each night before retiring to bed. We certainly did and were most grateful.
It has to be said that Monolithos is a peaceful and relaxing place to visit. Some tourist websites claim that if you plan on staying here, then a hire car is essential. I would like to state that this is certainly not the case. For walkers and hikers, there are many places to explore on foot, you do not need a car. We spent 5 nights in the village and departed on the 6th day and had not fully explored the area. There is a Facebook group dedicated to Monolithos and judging by the images on the page there is a lot more to explore.
I do hope this write-up inspires others to visit this charming village.
NOTE: It should be noted that the only toilets close to the castle are in the Castle Taverna and you do need to purchase something to gain the key to use them. This seems to catch many folk out but go with the flow, take a little time out, have a drink in the shady patio area and talk to the house parrot then use the loo at your convenience!
Directions
This is such an easy wander on which you cannot get lost. From Christos Corner on the main road at the eastern end of Monolithos, take the road through the village. It is signposted at this point. Keep following the road beyond the village. Eventually it descends fairly steeply. Navigate around the first hairpin bend and the castle is accessed by steps off of the next hairpin bend.
Summary of Document Changes
Last Updated: 2023-11-18
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