Ancient Kamiros

Ancient Kamiros is an archaeological site near Kalavarda on the west coast of Rhodes, about 50 kilometres from Rhodes Town, in the South Aegean region of Greece. It was one of the three Dorian city-states of the island, along with Lindos and Ialyssos, and it flourished before the unification of Rhodes in 408 BC. After an earthquake in the 2nd century BC the city was rebuilt on a Hellenistic plan, and its remains were later buried until Italian archaeologists excavated them in the 1920s. The town is arranged on terraces climbing a hillside above the sea. Visitors walk through a residential district of house foundations, many with courtyards and cisterns, then reach a wide main street leading to the agora, a Doric stoa and a large water cistern that once supplied the town. At the top of the hill stand the foundations of the Temple of Athena Kameiras and a view over the coast toward the sea. Because the layout is so legible, many people find Kamiros the best place on Rhodes to picture an ordinary Greek town in antiquity. Information signs and a site plan explain the main areas in Greek and English. Plan about an hour and a half for the visit, which includes a good deal of walking on uneven ground. Shade is scarce, so mornings are strongly preferred, and the site is usually quiet outside the peak summer weeks. The ticket is about 6 EUR, with free entry for eligible young visitors, and the site generally closes in mid-afternoon. A rental car is the most practical way to reach it, while the west-coast bus toward Kalavarda requires a further taxi.