Rhodes Greece Self-Guided Tour + Gluten Free Cafe Review | Virgin Voyages Greek Island Glow
[Music] Every cruise has a hidden gem port. The one you know nothing about that becomes your favorite part of your vacation. And on the Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady, that was Roads filled with history that unfolded into a rich culture. Plus, we found a great gluten-free cafe. Guys, you need to ASMR the crunch on this pastry. Listen, [Music] if you’re going on the Greek island glow itinerary, let us show you a self-guided day in Roads, Greece. Nobody told me how cool Roads was going to be. [Music] We’re off the ship. And in case you’re wondering how long the walk is off the port and into some of the sites, the Walt City, it’s about the length of the Norwegian Viva. [Music] Shut up. We just walked right into this. It’s so cool. And listen, I could try to wait for the space to clear out and get a picture of it without the people in it, and it would make for a nice video, but it would not be realistic for you planning your trip. There are people everywhere. I’m going to let you see them. [Music] We are using the GPS my city walking tour here in roads. One thing not included on that walking tour is the Kyle Synagogue, which is kind of on the way to the first stop of the walking tour. So, we came through the first gate. We didn’t go through the sea gate. We came through the first gate and we hung a left. It’s amazing. The second you get off of the main thoroughare, things just sort of quiet down, calm down. This is pretty cool. So, we’re going to go stop at the synagogue first, then go pick up the walking tour. But I encourage you, even if you’re doing a walking tour, if you feel like you’re in a big messy thoroughfare, take a left and just see what you can find cuz it’s pretty interesting and a lot more chill. [Music] Seeing the Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue here and the adjoining museum has been really beautiful seeing the history but also informative about the varied and sometimes uh tumultuous history for the Jewish people here on roads. Uh this is the oldest standing synagogue in Greece. It says this fountain has an inscription that says 1577. That’s around the time this courtyard and the synagogue itself were built. So it goes way back. Going through the museum shows you so much of the history of when Roads was under Italian occupation, whenever it had some Turkish rule and Turkish citizens and what the community went through when they were completely devastated during the Showa. It’s amazing to see what has come back to life since then. But there’s also been a great loss of what used to be a significant Jewish community and is now still quite small. The beauty and the history of the people continues to shine through. We continued back to the busy thoroughare to start our walking tour of the medieval city. I think it can be really easy to get sort of trapped into the main road here where there’s just a lot of like touristy type shops, which is part of the reason why I find walking tours particularly useful. because it can really anchor you about the history of the place as opposed to just what happens to be available for sale at the moment. I swear we’re at Hogwarts. There are two theories about what the name Rose is. One is it’s actually the Greek word rodon, which I just said with a French accent, so pardon me, which means rose. So, uh it could be the island of roses. Sounds very sweet. Sounds like the movie Wish. Another theory um maybe less charming is that it could be the Venetian word which means snake because the island used to be covered by an entire population of snakes. A constant theme that we’ve been hearing so far is just how many times this island has changed hands from the Pians to the Ottomans to the Italians to the Germans for a period of time during World War II. So, what it has meant is that I already don’t know what language to speak when I say hello or goodbye or thank you to people and now I really have no idea. Check the video description below for the link to this walking tour. So, when you first come off the ship, you really are going to see one gate right across the way. That’s the gate we walked in first. It’s the one that’s closest to the synagogue. And then we continued and actually came over here by the marine gate. This, as in much of the city, is from 1500s. And this gate specifically, it’s interesting. You look at it and you’re like, it’s narrow. So, it feels like it’s not this like grand entrance. It’s intentional because that’s actually where the invading armies would come through and so it was intentional to try to squeeze them out. We’re reentering oursel for the walking tour on the marine gate and we’re going to head into Hypocres Square next into the waln town of Rose complete with two large round towers. This gate is where Hypocrates Square kind of a bit of an overwhelming space. Uh the main feature here being this fountain, but this is kind of a like tourist hub with a bunch of cafes and street musicians and just a lot going on. We’re heading up Socrates Street, which kind of dead ends at Silon’s Mosque, which I don’t think we’re going to get a chance to get into. We need to get over to the Grand Palace, though, so we’re not going to stop here right now. But right next to the mosque is where the clock tower is. Okay, so this clock tower is actually from the 7th century. Um, though there was significant damage in the 1900s, so it was largely rebuilt during that time. But you can get up to the very top and you can go into a circular chamber and view all the way around. So given how low this city is, be a pretty awesome view up there. This clock happens to be slightly more correct than the one in the town square. Still not 100% right. So maybe use your phone to tell the time. So when you come up the street, past the mosque, past the clock tower is the grand palace, which pretty much everybody says is like the main thing to come and do here in roads other than walk the tourist Saku street. So this dates back to the order of the knights that were here. Um, however, it was basically destroyed when the Ottomans were here. like it was used as a prison and a handful of other things and then it was basically completely restored in the mid-9th century by the Italians. So this is really illustration of what it sounds like. Uh also a lot of the things that are housed within the Grand Palace seem as if they were taken from other islands and repurposed here. So there’s a bit of like ethical quandry about some of these things. We did pre purchase our tickets only about 2 or 3 weeks ago. They were only €20 each. They weren’t a whole lot. Let’s see. I have a long line for the ticket office, but we’re going to bypass it. [Music] When you first walk in, it is a fairly impressive space. I would watch for the little arrows cuz they very much guide you in the direction of where to go. It definitely feels like there is a sequence to these rooms. The other thing is, well, there’s a fairly lengthy staircase to climb up, no handrail on the side, which is a little freaky. Certainly, if you have kids coming with you, but I will say once you get upstairs, you kind of assume, oh, 500y old building in the middle of the summer, it’s going to be warm. It’s very lovely up here. It is well shaded, and there is an amazing cross. There are really two main exhibitions here at the Palace of the Grandmaster. There is the downstairs ancient roads exhibition and then there is the upstairs exhibition which is primarily about um from the 1500s and the order of the knights of Malta. Scotland, a beautiful town in the mountains. We proudly managed to repel several souls. Then Wanda made his fortified behind to protect it from the cosmetal. [Music] [Applause] [Music] And the ancient roads exhibition is closed today. So we saw the Knights of Malta exhibit and it showed a lot about the history of the building and how it was restored. But um that part that half is closed. Some of the fortifications of the city outside the palace can be explored for free. So this is the street of the night. So this is where the crusading knights actually have their hotel quarters. This is one of the most intact medieval streets in all supposedly if you come here at night. It has a much more waxy glow to it. We won’t be here late. We’re coming here after leaving the palace the Grandmaster. We walk back out. We’re making a left which also heads you back in the direction of where the port is. This tour didn’t include the Acropolis of roads, but there are some ancient ruins like the temple of Aphrodite just off the waterfront within the old city. Suddenly, it’s very modern. [Music] We headed out into the modern city because we were hungry. And since we are gluten and dairyf free, we found a fantastic and safe cafe at Roads Gluten-Free. [Music] This has been really delicious. I love the hummus because it’s very tahini forward. I think that’s what I would say is my favorite feature of both of these dishes. from the hummus is really tahini for which is a sesame flavor but also love the Greek grapes and all these sesame seeds all over them. Um we also really love Montreal bagels which if you know where I can get a gluten-free Montreal bagel wait we’re going to take you there come with us in but I love that both Montreal bagels and traditional Greek bagels are covered in sesame seeds. I think it’s a great flavor, a great texture, a little warmed up and super fresh is Sonia. So, um, as we’re dairyf free as well, we asked to get the sandwich with hummus. And it’s hummus, lettuce, and tomato. Just a really nice fresh Greek um, grab and go lunch. Not only is the hummus super creamy, well, it’s really creamy, but also the pa is this like chewy. They have lots of amazing looking Greek pastries here, but a few of them are available vegan. And one of them is the Galactto Barco, which we have not had in years. So, that is usually available on Wednesdays. They said Wednesday is their vegan day when they have all the vegan items prepared and ready to go. However, if you’re looking for one of these and it’s not a Wednesday like today, they have them available in the freezer and they just takes a little bit longer cuz they have to get them out and heat them up just for you. Ooh, look at that custard inside. I cannot wait. I’m going to just eat it with my fingers and see how it goes. [Music] buttery and honey, but not butter cuz it’s vegan. So, we spoke to the lovely shop owner who has helped us figure out all the different details. And I wondered if maybe the galacto burka had uh soy inside it, which I usually try to avoid as much as possible. But she said as a general rule of thumb, they really try to avoid soy and oats here at the cafe because they know that a lot of folks have issues with both of those things. And so this is actually made with almond milk and some uh rice flour to thicken it, which is amazing. And the owner gave us some bars to take on the road with us. They said these are like power food because they’ve got lots of sesame and almonds. I mean, look, it’s so much sesame. that’s going to have some good protein and um it also has honey and some flavors of orange and lemon and cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s going to be delicious. But we’ve seen some of these around Greece, so we thought they were common to all of Greece, but they said here in roads specifically, they’re not hard and it is. It’s a soft bar. They said they give them out at like baptisms and special events as a favor. And so it’s a very traditional roads item for them to give us. Very gracious. We picked up some snacks for later and then passed a coffee shop on our way back to the walking tour. [Music] It got hot. It’s ponytail time. We are in Mandrai Harbor just outside of not the old city but kind of the new city. Here we have the Fort of St. Nicholas which St. Nicholas didn’t actually have anything to do with. In both the 14 and 1500s, the fort of St. Nicholas was very important for protecting the city from the Ottomans. And for a while there, it did a good job of that. It’s very, very thick walls were able to withstand cannon fire. And over on this side, you’ll see we have two statues of a stag and a dough, which are the symbols of roads. Now remember, roads used to be the location of one of the seven wonders of the world. The Colossus of Roads was this giant statue that was destroyed by an earthquake. You can’t go back and see any part of that. It’s not here anymore, but um now we do have these two statues of the Stag and Dough. Now over here on my left, we have windmills that the knights developed to help grind grain and things like that. There were over a dozen of them at one point, but now there are only three remaining that have undergone major renovation. And you’ll see them just over here by our ship. The beauty and history of this diverse place was beyond anything we expected. You can see our ship through the ruins. We can’t wait to go back to roads someday, and we hope you’ll subscribe to come along on the rest of this Virgin Voyages sailing through Greece. Thanks travelers.
Discover the hidden gem of the #VirginVoyages Greek Island Glow itinerary: #Rhodes, Greece (also known as Ródos). Nobody told us how incredible this port would be, but it became our favorite stop on the Resilient Lady. From walking the medieval Old Town to exploring the Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue, the Palace of the Grand Master, Hypocrates Square, and the Street of the Knights, Rhodes is filled with history and culture that surprised us at every turn.
We’ll show you how easy it is to walk off the port into the walled city, share a self-guided GPS walking tour, and highlight must-see gates, towers, and ruins. Plus, we found Rhodes Gluten Free, a stellar cafe where we enjoyed incredible hummus, sesame-covered bagels, and a rare vegan galaktoboureko (yes, complete with ASMR-worthy pastry crunch). Perfect for anyone traveling gluten free or dairy free in Greece.
And if you’re here for the GPS My City walking tour link, here you go! https://www.gpsmycity.com/tours/rhodes-introduction-walking-tour-1568.html
If you’re sailing on Virgin Voyages or just planning your own trip to Rhodes, this travel guide will give you a realistic look at crowds, walking distances, and the best food and history stops. Come along as we uncover why Rhodes might just become your favorite port in Greece too.
⛴️ Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady Greek Island Glow
🏰 Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
🕍 Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue & Jewish Museum
🥯 Gluten Free (& Vegan options!) at Rhodes Gluten Free Cafe!
🌊 Mandraki Harbor, windmills, and Colossus history
We’d love to have you join the discussion with us in the comments below or on our socials!
Instagram- www.instagram.com/5HungryTravelers
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086290333103
Menus change. Cross contamination happens. Always advocate for yourself with the staff to make sure your food is safe for your specific needs. All information and sources are based on my opinion and you should do your own research before using any of the products listed on this channel. Do not use the information found in these videos to treat a condition- please consult your doctor.
0:00 Intro
0:43 Rhodes Cruise Port On Your Own
2:14 Jewish Museum of Rhodes
3:54 Rhodes Greece is Crowded with Tourists!
5:30 Self-Guided Walking Tour of Rhodes Greece
7:29 Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes
11:29 Rhodes Gluten Free (With Vegan Options!)
15:22 Major Sites of Rhodes Near the Port