Rhodes, verdict by verdict

Rhodes is the Dodecanese flagship and the most complete island in Greece for a first visit: a walled medieval old town that works as a living city rather than a museum set, the acropolis-crowned white village of Lindos, a serious beach strip along the east coast, and ferries that put Symi and even Turkey inside a day trip. The Knights Hospitaller left the island its spine, and the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master and the circuit of walls add up to Europe's best-preserved crusader city.

The trade-offs come with the popularity. Rhodes runs on package holidays, the resort corridor around Faliraki has a character all its own, and the old town fills with cruise passengers mid-morning before thinning out again by evening. July and August bring real heat, peak crowds and the meltemi wind, and the island is big enough that the wrong base costs hours on the road; travelers set on whitewashed Cyclades scenery, a sand-first beach week away from organised resorts, or a stay of under three days should all think twice.

What Rhodes offers instead is range: few Greek islands let you do a medieval walled city, a clifftop acropolis, a painted harbour village and an east-coast beach day in the same week without changing hotel. Base in Rhodes Town for history and ferries or near Lindos for beaches and the quieter south, count on four to six days to cover both ends comfortably, and aim for May, June, September or October, when the heat eases and the island still outlasts the Cyclades' season.