'Wrong kind of tourism' rocks once tranquil island of Rhodes

RHODES, Greece -Tourism numbers are up, but “it’s not the right kind of tourists,” said Ilias, our driver, as he drove us to our car that was parked just outside the medieval walls of the historic Rhodes Town, on the island with the same name across from the Turquoise Coast in Turkey. He said that they are mostly “tourists on a budget”, which means package tourists that already have their meals and hotels paid for. “They don’t spend money in our shops or in our restaurants.”

 Ilias was born on the island and now works at the hotel where we stayed, the 10GR Boutique Hotel & Wine Bar. It’s a nice little oasis in the chaos of the old town seen during busy tourist periods. The small hotel offers quiet cave-like rooms with open outdoor seating areas which make for a great place to order dinner via room service or to enjoy some coffee or wine.

 Like most people, I have seen the new of the tourism protests in Barcelona and other destinations which started last summer in response to the rise of housing costs in those locations. As an avid traveler myself, I often resented the protesters who sprayed budget travelers with water guns and took out their frustrations on people who are often just beginning to show their families the world due to the low cost of travel. I still believe that the protesters should be protesting the politicians that allow the high number of cruise ships to dock for a day and don’t restrict the number of Airbnb’s in the historic centers.

 During our recent trip to Rhodes, I experienced a little bit of the protester’s frustration. My wife and I visited Rhodes 20 years ago and found an island with a moderate level of tourism. The museums and castles left by the Crusaders provided a nice backdrop mixed with the turquoise waters of a Greek island with a large Turkish influence.

 Those memories were from another time, and now the historic center is filled with menu-wavers and shops selling the same stuff over and over again. I remember that on our last visit, we could still see older ladies dressed in the traditional Greek black dresses in town. My guidebook even recommended a local fish tavern and mentioned “Mike” would be on the grill. To my amazement, I asked the cook’s name, and it was Mike. He did not even know he was mentioned in the book. The trip even inspired us to travel to Turkey the following year.

 Despite the crowds this time around, which were mostly avoided by getting an early start to the day, we still managed to have a good time. We spent most days traveling to the beaches on the southeast side of the island around Lindos. We preferred paying for the beach chairs at a private beach rather than bringing our own chairs, and we really enjoyed ordering frappes (Greek iced coffees) from the waitstaff. We also found cheaper restaurants away from the private beach for Greek salads and fried anchovies which blended well with our beach days.

 Early morning runs or walks were also a great way to avoid the crowds. Empty historic squares, beautiful beach fronts and even a great view of the place where the Colossus of Rhodes statue (7^th ancient wonder of the world) stood at the entrance of the harbor were all empty.

 At 33 meters, it was the tallest statue in the Ancient World. Unfortunately, the statue collapsed during an earthquake in 226 BC. From ancient Greece to the Crusaders to the Ottomans and even to the Italians in the 20^th century, Rhodes has seen its share of changes. It’s this new one I am not too sure about.

 Even when we boarded our Sky Express flight to Athens, the small airport was jam-packed with tourists, and it was very hard to walk or even find a seat to wait for a plane. As I looked out onto the runway, I realized that every airline was some sort of budget airline, with half of them being airlines I have never even heard of, most of the names ending with a .com.

 We headed for Athens after Rhodes. A friend of ours was spending his summers in a lovely suburb on the water, Nea Makri. We stayed at the Flower Garden, which had a lovely host. Our room even had an outdoor shower.

 The small hotel hosted dinners with other guests which included grilled orata, fresh vegetables from the market and even locally made baklava for dessert. The restaurants on the water were filled with locals watching the sunset and the Buck full moon rise. This is the Greece I love and remember. Maybe not all things change. mlp