【Greece Free Travel Day 2】Morning swim in the Aegean Sea, the last day exploring the old town of Rhodes

Itinerary Overview Today is our full day of exploration on Rhodes. From stepping onto the beach to greet the morning sun, to venturing deep into the medieval Old Town in the afternoon to visit churches and ancient ruins, and finally boarding an evening flight to Athens. Although the day was full of delays, the wonderful memories of this little Aegean island remain unforgettable. 📍Today's route: Hotel beach walk → Breakfast → Swimming at the beach → Old Town exploration (West Gate, Clock Tower, shopping street, Church of Our Lady) → Dinner → Rhodes Airport → Flight to Athens A morning stroll and swim experience: greeting the sunlight of the Aegean Sea In the morning, my family got up early together and went to stroll along the coast where we watched the sunset yesterday, which is also the beach area belonging to our hotel. We walked around to the other side of Rhodes' coastline, just in time to catch the scene of morning light spilling down — on an Aegean island, you only need to go around one block to greet sunlight from a different direction. After a short walk, I headed back to the hotel first to enjoy breakfast.Greek breakfast mainly consists of three categories: • Vegetable & Fruit Salad Area: pairing with olive oil and vinegar is a must • Ham & Cheese Cold Cuts Area: rich selection, strong flavors • Bread & Jam Area: often paired with dried fruits and local jam After eating, I'm ready to start today's main event: swimming at the beach!

▲ Aegean Coast at Dawn

▲ Hotel breakfast plate photo: olive oil and cheese, a standard Greek breakfast setup I arrived at the beach right at 9am, first found a beach chair to set down my things, then excitedly walked toward the water. I didn't expect that today's temperature would be about 5 degrees lower than yesterday's — the sky was overcast, and the sea was only about 20 degrees, truly too cold to bear, so I had no choice but to retreat to the beach chair and wait. At 10am the sun finally emerged from the clouds, and I took the chance to warm up before going into the sea again. If you have a life jacket and snorkel goggles, this place is actually great for snorkeling — the water is crystal clear all the way to the bottom, like being in a natural aquarium.

▲ Beach and crystal-clear seawater Afternoon Wander: Deep Exploration of the Old Town and Church Ruins In the afternoon we regrouped with family and this time took a different route into the old town of Rhodes, unexpectedly discovering the real entrance on the west side, and made our way in smoothly across the moat bridge. On this leg of the trip we filled in the bell tower and mosque we hadn't managed to photograph the day before, and passed by several lovely fountains along the way, including the Owl Fountain and the Seahorse Fountain. The shopping street sells all kinds of Greek specialty souvenirs and snacks, making it a great place to stroll around slowly.

▲ Enter the Great Bunker Palace from the west entrance

▲ Bell Tower

▲ Shopping streets and a small, charming fountain 📍 Church of the Virgin Mary of the Burgh • Built in the 14th century, it was the spiritual center of the Burgh district's residents at the time • Although it was destroyed in war and only some stone pillars and wall sections remain, one can still feel its solemn grandeur

▲ From the Notre Dame Cathedral to a spot on the way to the Apollo ruins, you can see the whole harbor 📍 The other side of the Apollo ruins • Besides the well-known doe statue, there are also small bunkers and a cluster of windmills • The bunkers used to allow you to climb up for a panoramic view, but they were closed when we visited

Transiting Athens: Rhodes Airport and a Delayed Journey In the evening, we returned to the hotel to pick up our luggage and took a reserved shuttle to Rhodes Airport, which turned out to be much livelier than expected, with a Starbucks, Burger King, and several duty-free shops inside. Unlike in Northern Europe, luggage check-in here is still done manually, and security is stricter—all liquids had to be poured out. Our original flight was delayed by two hours, and we didn't board until nearly nine o'clock. We were also held at the airport for quite a while due to weather. Still, the crew was warm and professional throughout the flight, which kept the waiting from feeling too frustrating. We finally arrived in Athens past one in the morning. Many thanks to the airport pickup staff for waiting so patiently, and we checked into the hotel without any trouble. Tomorrow we head to the ancient oracle site of Delphi, kicking off one of the most essential legs of our Greek cultural journey!

▲ We didn't board until almost 9pm

▲ Thanks to the driver arranged by the travel agency, who waited for us until past one o'clock, more than 3 hours later than expected. Trip Summary and Further Reading Though Rhodes is small, the two-day itinerary lacked nothing — from history and culture, to natural seascapes, to a modern shopping street. Whether it was swimming in the Aegean Sea in the early morning or exploring the old town's history in the afternoon, every moment was worth savoring slowly. Tomorrow we head to Athens, which will be the cultural highlight chapter of our Greece self-guided trip! 📌 Full Record of Our Turkey & Greece Self-Guided Trip Turkey Chapter Day 1-2: First Impressions of Istanbul | Day 3: Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar Day 4: The Wondrous Hot Air Balloons of Cappadocia | Day 5: Exploring the Derinkuyu Underground City Day 6: Salt Lake Mirror and Konya's Whirling Dervishes | Day 7: Antalya's Ancient Theatre and Old Town Day 8: Lake Salda and the Golden-Lit Pamukkale | Day 9: A Relaxing Day in Marmaris Greece Chapter Day 1: Rhodes' Street of the Knights | Day 2: Morning Swim in the Aegean Sea and a Tour of the Old Town Day 3: Delphi and Monastery Day Tour | Day 4: Athens Acropolis Classic Route Day 5: Flea Market and Acropolis Museum | Day 6: Attica Department Store and Archaeological Museum