Greek mythology has an explanation for everything under the sun, and Rhodes- the Island of the Sun- is no exception. The ancient Greeks believed that the Dodecanese island of Rhodes was created after the Gods on Olympus split all of earth amongst them. The Sun God, Helios, was missing when the earth was divided, and when he turned up, he was suitably peeved. Zeus, to whom he complained, agreed to let him have the next island which emerged from the sea- as luck would have it, a beautiful isle, the loveliest on all of earth.
No prizes for guessing. Rhodes.

Another myth names Rhodes after a nymph who fell in love with Helios, while some say that Rhodes is named after the rose, a flower which once grew all over the island. A much more prosaic explanation is that Rhodes is named after the snakes (locally called `erod’), which were- and still are- common on the isle.

It really doesn’t matter what or whom Rhodes was named after; what matters is that it’s one of the most interesting places in Greece. Whether you want to stand on the place where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World- the Colossus- had once stood; or you want to visit the palaces of the Crusading Knights who made this their home for two centuries. Whether you’re keen on Roman ruins, or medieval churches; whether your interest lies in cool green valleys or golden beaches- this is where it is.

Rhodes: exotic, vibrant, historic. Quite literally, the stuff that dreams are made of.