Eleousa, Dimilia, Fountoukli Circular Hike ~ Griffmonsters Great Rhodes Walks

Amazing views from the mountain walk through to Eleousa

Circular walk from Apollona village to the summit of the Mountain of the Seven Doors

This 10.5 km (6.5 mile) circular route offers a perfect blend of mountain woodland full of fragrant pine and cypress, historic villages, and traditional rural life. Along the way, The route rewards hikers with quiet country lanes, traditional churches, the ruins around the Italian-era village square at Eleousa and the peaceful village of Dimilia, ending with the ancient church at Fountoukli.

Walk Statistics

Start location: Fountoukli
Distance: km ( miles)
Total Gain: metre ( ft)
Total Descent: metre ( ft)
Min Height: metre ( ft)
Max Height: metre ( ft)
Walk Time:
Walk Grade: Moderate
Terrain: path, track and 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

Walk Notes

This walk follows a circular route through the wooded foothills of central Rhodes and can be started from several points along the way. Car parking is available at Eleousa, Fountoukli, and Dimilia. The start of the ECO Route section through the mountains — used as the starting point for this description — also offers suitable off road parking.

On this occasion, we approached the ECO Route on foot from Apollona, taking tracks over the far side of the mountain range. While this doubled the length of the walk described here, it made for a particularly enjoyable and rewarding full-day hike.

The circular route is clearly a recognised trail, having been recorded many times on trekking apps and online hiking platforms. Part of the walk incorporates Alter ECO Route Rho 5, one of the routes in the Alter ECO Route series.

Alter ECO was a campaign promoting more sustainable tourism across the Mediterranean. ECO Route Rho 5 is a linear trail linking St Nikolaos Fountoukli with the village of Eleousa, traversing the northern slopes of Mount Sperioli, the easternmost peak of the range culminating in Profitis Ilias, the island’s second-highest summit. The route is well waymarked and easy to follow.

The complete circular walk returns from Eleousa via Dimilia, complementing the mountain section with a pleasant traverse through a fertile valley. At around 11 km, this makes an excellent day of walking and exploringalong the route.

The Route

The walk begins on the Profitis Ilias road from Eleousa, approximately 0.7 km beyond St Nikolaos Fountoukli, where the road bends sharply around a gully on the mountainside. A broad track leads off to the left, clearly marked by a large ECO Route Rho 5 sign.

The route starts along a wide, level dirt track through forest. Walking is easy here, with plenty to catch the eye: caves cut into the rock, scattered ruins, and beehives tucked among the trees. There are also fine panoramas northwards across the landscape below. The path broadly follows the 400 m contour, with occasional short climbs and descents where it skirts around rocky outcrops. These are never strenuous, though loose stones can require a little care.

View looking over Dimilia and the road to Soroni

From the track there are sweeping views over Dimilia, nestled among olive groves, and across the valley below. The road to Soroni can be seen threading northwards, with the deep blue of the sea on the horizon.

The track soon curves into an open area where two paths diverge. The correct route is clearly signposted a with RHO 5 waymarker, and the descent continues.

Further on, ruins of former buildings appear, along with caves cut into the cliff face. These structures almost certainly date from the Italian period (1912–1943), when extensive rural and forestry projects were undertaken in the island’s interior. Eleousa, originally named Campochiaro, was one of several purpose-built villages established at this time. Italian workers, many from Alpine regions, were brought in to work in forestry, timber cutting, and reforestation around Mount Profitis Ilias, and these buildings may well have served as their living quarters.

The purpose of the caves is less certain. Many are clearly man-made, particularly the square-cut examples with brick or plaster edging. They do not appear on historic maps, nor are they shown on modern cartography. Possible explanations include:

Excavations for building materials
Hydraulic purposes such as creating cisterns and reservoirs where the source was tapped from within the rock
World War II or later military activity, as the countryside was used for various strategic purposes during the Italian and German occupations
Natural caves enlarged for storage purposes

The path eventually descends to the road, from where it is a short walk into Eleousa. The fascinating history of this atmospheric abandoned village is covered in another walk description; see Eleousa to Archipoli Circular Walk

We arrived too early for the tavernas here and continued north, picking up a track leading towards Dimilia. This section proved to be a real highlight, passing through a fertile valley of olive groves, cultivated fields, and rich greenery. The gently rolling landscape is unexpectedly pastoral, reminiscent of parts of the English countryside where barns and old agricultural machinery nestles sympathetically with the scenery.

Dimilia village

Dimilia is a small, unassuming village on the road linking Soroni and Eleousa. Entering the village, the route emerges into its centre, where traditional agricultural life continues much as it has for generations.

At the heart of the village stands the parish church of the Holy Forty Martyrs (Agioi Saranta Martyres), Dimilia’s main place of worship. Dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste — these were Roman soldiers executed in the early 4th century for their Christian faith — the church remains an active focus of village life. Though architecturally modest, it represents the continuity of Orthodox tradition in this rural community.

Dimilia church of the Holy Forty Martyrs

Dimilia is an ideal place to pause for refreshments. The Kellaeri Café, a family-run taverna on the village square, offers a relaxed, shady setting and traditional home-cooked fare.

Not far from the Church, just a few metres up the road, a short climb leads to the remains of a medieval fortified tower, often referred to locally as Dimilia’s castle. Dating from the 15th century and probably constructed during the rule of the Knights Hospitaller, the rectangular tower once formed part of a wider network of lookout points and refuges intended to protect inland communities from raids and periods of unrest. Today, only fragmentary walls survive, but the elevated position clearly demonstrates its former strategic importance.

Dimilia is an ideal place to pause for refreshments. The Kellaeri Café, located on the village square, is a welcoming stop for walkers. This family run taverna offers drinks and traditional Greek food in a shady, relaxed local setting.

The 15th-century Church of Agios Nikolaos, Foundoukli

Return to Fountoukli

Leaving Dimilia, the route turns east and begins the final ascent back towards Fountoukli. The climb, on an asphalt track, is fairly steep in places but soon re-enters shaded woodland. The sound of running water signals the approach to a perennial spring shaded by plane trees just outside the village.

Beside the spring stands the 15th-century Church of Agios Nikolaos (Fountoukli), dating from 1497/8. Its rare tetraconch plan and surviving frescoes reflect the deep religious traditions of rural Rhodes in the late medieval period and provide a fitting historical anchor for a walk that links Byzantine devotion, medieval defence, Italian-era history, and traditional village life into a single, rewarding circuit.

Directions

As this is a circular route, the starting place can be any number of places, Eleousa, Dimilia, Fountoukli or the start of ECO Route RHO 5. In this instance we start at ECO Route RHO 5 which is a track that leads off of the Eleousa to Profitis Illias road, some 0.7 km beyond Fountoukli, where the road curves around a hair pin bend. The trail is on the left, with a large board announcing the start of the ECO Route.

Follow the broad track away from the road. This starts as an easy going level trail. Keep to the main track throughout, eventually there are some sections where it climbs steeply to navigate around cliffs, none of which is too strenuous.
After 2.6 km, as the path descends, it meets another track on the left, ignore this and bear around to the right.
Continue for 650 m along this track and take the dirt track that leads off on the right.
After a further 300 m descent, the track emerges into an open area with an intersection of tracks, bear to the left. There is an ECO Route waymarker here.
The track descends further as it slowly curves around the south east side of the mountain. The track passes a number of ruined houses and caves hewn into the rockface on the left. After 0.8 km, there is a track on the right that leads steeply down to the road, take this.
Turn left onto the road, continue 0.5 km to arrive in the centre of Eleousa. Time can be spent exploring the ruins around the square.
Leave the square on the left hand road at the opposite end of the square to which you arrived, taking the road alongside the former Hospital building on the right.
After 130 m where the road meets another road, bear left to directly cross that road.
After a further 50 m go straight across at the road junction, then bear left onto a road that descends a little further.
After 70 m bear around to the right
Keep to this track. Ignore the left hand road after 0.5 km, bearing round to the right through a forested area.
After a further 0.5 km from the previous junction, there is another junction, take the right fork.
After another 0.4 km, another junction presents itself, turn right to follow a left hand bend then continue on this ignoring all other tracks that lead from It
After 1 km the road forks, take the left side and follow the road through to the main road, emerging into the village by the church. The remains of the former medieval tower can be seen by turning left then right. There is little to see here other than the ruined walls, most of which are within private land.
At the church junction, turn right onto the main road and within a short distance is the village square with the Kellari Cafe on the left.
Leave the village by taking the road on the left out of the square past the Windmill Fountain. This leads through the village itself. Keep walking ahead until the road bends around to the right after which you need to keep bearing left around the junctions
Keep to the Asphalt road as it ascends the mountainside. After 1.7 km it junctions with a track, take the left and follow this to the main road.
At the road junction, turn left to visit the ancient chapel of St Nikolaos Fountoukli
Return back up the road and continue onwards to the point where ECO RHO 5 track starts.

Directions

Follow the broad track away from the road. This starts as an easy going level trail. Keep to the main track throughout, eventually there are some sections where it climbs steeply to navigate around cliffs, none of which is too strenuous.
After 2.6 km, as the path descends, it meets another track on the left, ignore this and bear around to the right.
Continue for 650 m along this track and take the dirt track that leads off on the right.
After a further 300 m descent, the track emerges into an open area with an intersection of tracks, bear to the left. There is an ECO Route waymarker here.
The track descends further as it slowly curves around the south east side of the mountain. The track passes a number of ruined houses and caves hewn into the rockface on the left. After 0.8 km, there is a track on the right that leads steeply down to the road, take this.
Turn left onto the road, continue 0.5 km to arrive in the centre of Eleousa. Time can be spent exploring the ruins around the square.
Leave the square on the left hand road at the opposite end of the square to which you arrived, taking the road alongside the former Hospital building on the right.
After 130 m where the road meets another road, bear left to directly cross that road.
After a further 50 m go straight across at the road junction, then bear left onto a road that descends a little further.
After 70 m bear around to the right
Keep to this track. Ignore the left hand road after 0.5 km, bearing round to the right through a forested area.
After a further 0.5 km from the previous junction, there is another junction, take the right fork.
After another 0.4 km, another junction presents itself, turn right to follow a left hand bend then continue on this ignoring all other tracks that lead from It
After 1 km the road forks, take the left side and follow the road through to the main road, emerging into the village by the church. The remains of the former medieval tower can be seen by turning left then right. There is little to see here other than the ruined walls, most of which are within private land.
At the church junction, turn right onto the main road and within a short distance is the village square with the Kellari Cafe on the left.
Leave the village by taking the road on the left out of the square past the Windmill Fountain. This leads through the village itself. Keep walking ahead until the road bends around to the right after which you need to keep bearing left around the junctions
Keep to the Asphalt road as it ascends the mountainside. After 1.7 km it junctions with a track, take the left and follow this to the main road.
At the road junction, turn left to visit the ancient chapel of St Nikolaos Fountoukli
Return back up the road and continue onwards to the point where ECO RHO 5 track starts.