Travel Guide Lardos

Lardos marks the point of entry into the land ravaged by the fires of 2023. The village, with its organized beach and family-run hotels, was until then an ideal base from which to explore the wild, unspoilt south-east of the island. At the time of writing, the village of Lardos itself, set back from the sea, remains pleasant, but the coastline, which stretches from Lardos beach to Gennadi, via Glistra beach and the small seaside village of Kiotari, is a sad sight. Fires have swept across the land and scorched the surrounding hills. Inland, the pretty village of Asklipio was badly hit by the fires of 2023. It is to be hoped that the funds released to help the local villagers rebuild what has been damaged will arrive quickly, even if the surrounding forests will take a few years to recover. As for swimming, we'll continue further south, past Gennadi, to enjoy the unspoilt surroundings.In Asklipio, you can still visit the beautiful Byzantine church of the Dormition of the Virgin, which has not been damaged by the fires. Dating back to 1060, it was converted in the 17th century and is entirely frescoed. Note the depiction of Genesis in the central nave, and the Apocalypse in the transverse nave on the right. The crenellations, a cistern and the massive gateway remain from the Knights' overhanging fortress. There is no bus access to Asklipio. For Lardos, a bus leaves from Rhodes town about every hour in summer.