COLOSSAL WONDERS RHODES OFFERS MEDIEVAL CITY, PICTURESQUE VILLAGES.

Byline: Story and photos by Eugene Tong Staff Writer

RHODES, Greece - Local restaurant tout Christodoulos Ermemtsis was right at home, fishing for customers from the tourist throngs exploring the medieval city behind the ramparts of Old Town Rhodes.

``Rhodes is a place of many loves,'' he said as a Polish street singer serenaded outdoor diners with a bravado cover of ``Hotel California.''

I suspected from his mischievous tone that he was not just referring to the celebration of food, drink and song before him.

The largest island in Greece's Dodecanese chain, Rhodes sits just off Turkey's west coast - and a world away from the bustle of Athens.

Still, its potent mix of crystal-clear surf, unspoiled mountains and ancient mysteries - the Greek nation in miniature - is enough for the thousands of packaged-tour visitors and independent travelers who flock here each year.

Whether arriving by air or convenient overnight ferry, all visitors begin their explorations at Rhodes Town at the island's northern tip. Behind the modern concrete artifice that's home to most of the 98,000 islanders beats the heart of Old Town, the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe.

Though the area has been inhabited by various Greek tribes since 408 B.C., it was European Crusaders - the Knights of St. John - who built Old Town's imposing ramparts and city walls. (If it actually existed, the island's famed ancient wonder, the Colossus of Rhodes, was likely toppled in an earthquake around A.D. 225-226. Its image now survives on thousands of T-shirts and tourist trinkets.)

The knights arrived on the island in 1309 and ruled for 213 years, and Rhodes became a key outpost on the road to Jerusalem until the Ottoman conquest.

They were divided into seven ``tongues'' - the languages of their nations of origin - and lived and worked along the Avenue of the Knights. The cobblestone alley is lined with imposing ``inns'' for each order of knights, some still bearing the coat of arms of their former occupants.

It's quiet strolling past the stone blocks, their ornate Gothic archways almost demanding reverence. The spell is only broken by the occasional speeding motor scooter.

The avenue stretches some 600 meters, ending at the Palace of the Grand Master. Built at the end of the seventh century as a Byzantine fortress, it was converted by the knights in the 14th century into an administration center and home for their leader. Under the Ottomans, it was destroyed in a gunpowder explosion.

The palace got a major face lift during the 35-year Italian occupation that ended in 1947, when it was envisioned as a holiday home for Benito Mussolini and King Emmanuel III. It's now a museum displaying local artifacts and sculpture and mosaics from surrounding islands.

Traces of its military past remain along its walls - a row of silent cannons stands guard, peering out of port holes over a drained moat.

Just south of the palace lies the Hora, also known as the Turkish Quarter. With old mosques and arabesque fountains jammed into a maze of restaurants, shops and budget hotels, it is lively and eager to satisfy every tourist whim into the night.

Most of Old Town's residents live in the old Jewish Quarter, a quiet neighborhood east of the Hora's tourist hustle. Rhodes' Jewish community once numbered more than 2,000 - mostly Sephardic Jews who arrived from Spain. Many were sent to Nazi death camps when the island was occupied in World War II. A memorial to the victims is at Plateia Martyron Evreon (Square of the Jewish Martyrs).

From medieval Old Town, I hitched a ride to Lindos, a white-washed, postcard village crowned by the ancient Acropolis of Lindos. For this hourlong ride down the island's east coast, dance club techno was the soundtrack, rather than the universal lilting folk tunes preferred by most Greek taxi drivers.

Lindos was established around 2000 B.C. on a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea. Once an important settlement, it has since been eclipsed by the city of Rhodes to the north. Its well-preserved ancient temple and a sandy bay dotted with recliners and parasols now draw thousands of tourists looking for an alternative to the hotel resorts found along the east coast.

From the village entrance, it's a 15-minute climb up to the acropolis, requiring navigation through a maze of tavernas and shops along pebble- paved streets. But there's always the 5-euro donkey ride that takes you from the entrance to the temple's gate.

The path was well marked. I wandered the narrow alleys, pausing for a light lunch at one of the many snack counters along the way.

From the top, it's a 116-foot drop to the parasols and the clear blue water below.

A Greek warship carved out of rock marks the stone steps leading into the acropolis complex where the remains of the Byzantine Church of Agios Ioannis and the fourth-century Temple of Athena stood.

The temple columns - craggy and well-worn by centuries of wind and rain - are being restored as crews fill the dents and dimples, leaving a smooth, flawless marble surface. Though necessary to save the ruins, the end result is a perfection that's slightly jarring standing amid antiquity.

At dusk, I returned to the car, making my way back to Old Town, where the outdoor cafes and tavernas were just beginning to fill up.

The next day, I traveled by car along the island's west coast, intending to see the wine country and Embonas village, the region's wine-producing capital.

It's a 45-minute ride past the choppy ocean waters and into the island's mountainous, wooded interior. The route also offers spectacular views of the 16th-century Castle of Kastellos.

Embonas lies at the bottom of a valley, and it's the home of Emery Winery, the island's largest. There isn't much to see there besides a factory where grapes age into dry Greek wine, but tasting is free and the village offers a nice, quiet spot for lunch.

I sat well-wined at a sunny tavern patio before a plate of lamb chops, a light island breeze in the air. Biting into that crusted, slightly charred roast, Mr. Ermemtsis' words were clearly on my mind.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: Rhodes, or Rodos in Greek, is about an hour by air from Athens. Both Olympic Airways and Aegean Airlines offer frequent daily island-bound flights departing from Athens. Most round-trip flights cost under 90 euros and can be booked online. Olympic Airways: www.olympicairlines.com. Aegean Air: www.aegeanair.com.

Ferries to Rhodes depart from Piraeus about twice a day. The trip - requiring 15 to 18 hours - begins in the evening and arrives the next day. While not as convenient as air travel, it's about one-third the cost of the average flight. Itineraries at www.ferries.gr.

GETTING AROUND: While Rhodes' major villages are well served by bus, consider a car or motorbike rental if you want to escape from the bustle of the city to explore the mountains or the remote beaches in the south. Most reputable car rental chains have offices in Rhodes Town.

Taxis are also reliable (and costly), with set fares for the island's major villages. They're posted at the main taxi rank east of Plateia Rimini.

LODGING: Rhodes is a major European holiday destination, and most recognizable hotel chains have holiday resorts here. I stayed at the Hilton Rhodes Resort (from 85 euros a night) in Ixia, a five-minute taxi ride from Rhodes Town. The price included a free buffet breakfast and access to the hotel's private beach. Budget accommodations can be found in the alleys of Old Town, south of the Hora.

INFORMATION: The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) office, on the corner of Makariou and Papagou in Rhodes Town, is a good resource for local hotel bookings, ferry schedules and sightseeing recommendations. Its Web site (www.eot.gr) offers a glimpse of the sights and history of the island and the Dodecanese.

The Lonely Planet guidebook to Greece covers Rhodes in great detail, from history to practical travel advice.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Columns topped by a stag and a doe, top, flank Rhodes' Mandraki Harbor, where the Colossus of Rhodes is believed to have stood - if it actually existed. Above, water trickles from an Islamic fountain in a public garden along Old Town's Avenue of the Knights.

(3 -- 4) There's plenty to see on the Greek island of Rhodes, including the Acropolis of Lindos, top, and the Palace of the Grand Master, above.

Eugene Tong/Great Escapes

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IF YOU GO (see text)