Epta Piyes, Ancient Kamiros and the West Coast of Rhodes

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Epta Piyes, Ancient Kamiros and the West Coast

At breakfast Monk again booked for another night and made out for a circular tour inland and over to the west coast of the island.

En route, Epta Piyes (Seven Springs) gets a high billing which Monk thinks is unjustified. It’s in a pleasant enough wooded valley but the ’lake’ formed by the tiny dam is more like a village pond. It’s firmly on the day-trip intinerary and gets very busy. What does look interesting is the 186-metre aqueduct through which a number of brave souls were walking. It’s just high enough and wide enough for a single person so changing your mind once you’re half way in is not an option. Monk decided to skip it this time.

More beautiful driving through the interior leads to the site of Ancient Kamiros overlooking the sea on the west coast. The drive also takes in the wine producing areas where both the local restina and the souma are produced - almost a pilgrimage for Monk. The excavations at Kamiros climb the hillside to the acropolis at the top. It’s an impressive site and well worth a visit if you can time it between coachloads of loquaciuos Italian tourists and their guides.

Heading south, the west coast has views across the sea to the island of Halki and beyond to Tilos and the volcanic peak of Nissyros. Irene and Monk had visited these islands many years before.

If driving on this side of the island, and probably inland as well, you should ensure that the car is sufficiently topped up. After Kamiros Skala, it’s a good 40 km to the next petrol station at Apolakkia as Monk found to his concern as the needle hovered on empty.

Monk's Meanders

Some time back in the '80s, Irene and Monk were on an overnight ferry from Karpathos to Symi when, at around 2am, it pulled into the small harbour at Halki. It really did look the quintessential Greek island village and a single taverna was still open near the quayside with a few late drinkers enjoying the warm night air.

They decided to make their way back there a couple of years later. Halki lived up to expectations. To get there, they had to catch a tiny caique from Kamiros Skala across a very choppy sea (and back again) - the caique pitched and tossed all the way. Today, Monk dropped into Kamiros Skala to reminisce. It's grown a lot since then with a few tavernas supplementing the single one by the quayside. The Halki ferry was tied up at the quayside and is now a proper ship - no more nightmare crossings for today's visitors to Halki.

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