Paleokastro

Dodecanese


Best reached by a lovely 20-minute hike through the fields, along a trail that starts southwest of the monastery, this astonishing Mycenaean-era acropolis was founded 3000 years ago. Its restored cyclopean walls are a little newer, from the 4th century BC – what looks like modern graffiti is in fact ancient dedications. Pass through the forbidding gateway and you can climb atop the massive blocks of volcanic rock for breathtaking views. Good explanatory signs in English are scattered throughout.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dodecanese attractions

1. Moni Panagias Spilianis

0.21 MILES

This hillside medieval monastery, overlooking the sea below the castle, can be reached via a short staircase. Visitors can only access a small anteroom.

2. Ancient City Wall

0.22 MILES

Dating from the 4th century BC, the ancient walls above Nisyros, accessed from the path behind the monastery and medieval castle, are one of the Aegean's…

3. Church Museum

0.22 MILES

Despite its name, this small museum, just up from the seafront below the monastery, is exclusively ecclesiastic. Besides its icons, vestments, votive…

4. Archaeological Museum

0.27 MILES

This showpiece modern museum, on Mandraki’s main pedestrian street, displays a fascinating collection of Hellenistic and Roman pottery and sculpture, as…

5. Caldera

2.86 MILES

A visit to the caldera is like stepping into a science fiction movie, cows grazing amid strange coloured rocks in what resembles a lunar landscape.

6. Volcanological Museum

3.43 MILES

Set beside the end of the road, this kid-friendly modern museum does a good job of explaining the history and mythology of the volcano and its impact on…

7. Paradise Beach

12.99 MILES

Despite the fact that it's one long 12km stretch of golden sand, Paradise Beach, the pearl of the island's beaches, is broken down into a number of…

8. Kohilari Beach

13.56 MILES

This beach is for those who want a nature-based experience on a remote strip and small dunes behind. It is also for people who don't mind wind. This is…

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