DESCRIPTION OF THE EXCURSION
After a short drive we will ascent to the top of Filerimos Hill (1 hour stay), which is situated about 15 km from Rhodes Town on a hill 267m, overlooking the small town of Ialyssos and the bay of Ixia and Trianda and on the same site where once stood the Doric City of Ialyssos in ancient times. Ialyssos was one of the three famous ancient cities on Rhodes. In the surrounding area remains of occupation have been found going back to the end of the 3rd millennium BC and there are also settlements and cemeteries dating from the Mycenaean – Minoan period.
Arriving at the top of the hill, you will see a well organized parking plot. To the right side you will notice the ruins of the ancient Ialyssos and to the left side is a small kiosk with souvenirs and beverages. You are free to decide either start the Archaeological site (at the left) or walk (on the right) the footway enjoying the panoramic view over Ialyssos. Either way and during your tour, you will be followed by the mating cries of the peacocks!
You can visit the monastery of Our Lady and the remains of the ancient Acropolis of Ialyssos. ( The entrance fee for visiting the church is 6,00 euros). Visitors can walk along the “Golgotha”, a tree sheltered pathway which was built during the period of Italian rule (1912-1945), with a series of shrines with relief scenes of the Holly Passion. This foot way leads to the west edge of Filerimos where an enormous imposing cross is appeared, from the top of which one can cherish the outstanding view of villages and bright green valleys that are generously stretched around. This site is famous because of the lovely and quite walkways.
Leaving from Filerimos Hill, we continue our tour, visiting the Valley of Butterflies (2 hours stay), one of the most attractive destinations of the island. The canyon of Pelekanos River hosts a unique Valley that is named after the Panaxia Quatripunctaria Butterfly. The Valley was found in the 1930s by Italians who developed a beautiful 1 km path that goes through the canyon along with the areas where the butterflies are most densely populated. First studies were conducted by a German entomologist Reinhard Eiger.
It’s a unique and peaceful ecological setting, being a true pride of nature of Rhodes island, with narrow rock walkways, lakes decorated by water-lilies, rustic bridges, running waters, waterfalls and resting places loaded with millions of brown-red butterflies. During July, August & September, thousands of butterflies of the genus Panaxia swarm into the valley in order to reproduce. The sweet smell of the resin attracts the butterflies and when you are walking around, you will see Liquidambar trees everywhere and hundreds of Butterflies on the trunk and leaves.
We stop at the parking area NO2 just 50 meters from the main entrance-reception of the valley and in these 2 hours staying, you are free to walk as long as you like, relax in one of the coffee shops or buy souvenirs. Visitors can witness a spectacular phenomenon which occurs only rarely in nature. Huge numbers of butterflies of this specific species congregate in the valley during the final stage of their life cycle.
Every year, at the end of the wet season, thousands of butterflies attracted by the scent of the oriental sweetgum trees, cover the entire landscape. They are actually adult insects that follow the waterways and migrate here to reproduce (females leave for other suitable areas to lay their eggs in the early fall) due to the high humidity of the area.
The butterflies are actually resting at the Valley! The moths cannot eat during this final phase of their life cycle, so they rest here to conserve energy. Any loud noise would force them to fly away, thereby consuming valuable energy and finally die. Observe them as they “sleep” well camouflaged in black and yellow. In flight their cheery – red underwings flash!
(From October – 31st of May the price for entrance fee to Valley of Butterflies is 3,00 euro/per person and from 1st of June – September the price is 5,00 euro/per person)
Kolymbia, Afandou, Faliraki, Kallithea, Rhodes City, Ixia, Ialyssos, Kremasti.
Self – Guided tour.
Walking along Golgotha street at Filerimos where you can see an enormous High Cross!
Exploring the remains of the Ancient City of Ialyssos!
Don’t miss the Church of our Lady!
Nature, narrow rock walkways, lakes decorated by water-lilies inside the Valley!
Walking between thousand of flying Butterflies!
Amazing photo spots during your walk to the Valley!
The easiest way to book is at our office. Come and meet our tour advisors, George & Maria and receive all the information, suggestions, tips, leaflets, maps… We like meeting our customers.
If you prefer to pre-book the tours but pick-up your tickets and arrange the payment upon your arrival, do not hesitate to get in touch with us by e-mail. We will make all the arrangements, and you can come to our office when you arrive in Rhodes.
If you prefer online booking, do check our Booking Engine (BOOK NOW). It offers real-time availability, an easy booking procedure, and instant booking confirmation to your email.
If you can not reach us out, you can always ask at your hotel front desk to give us a call and help you with your booking.
We also offer some of the tours through various Booking Channels, like Viator, Get Your Guide, Civitatis, Sunbonoo.
Booking early (shortly before your arrival to Rhodes or soon upon your arrival) is recommended for tours during peak season (July, August, September).
Travellers visiting Rhodes for one day or with a very limited time frame should consider booking their tour as far in advance as possible.
We gladly accept last-minute reservations. You can pop into our office until 22:00 (in peak season you will find us there even until 23:00).
Our Booking Engine has live availability for reservations up to 12 hours before the departure on most of our tours.
But surely, to avoid any disappointment, especially during the peak season, it is recommended to check the availability & book your tour at least 3 days in advance.
If your preferred date is blocked out or you do not find it in the calendar, do not hesitate to reach out to us, we may be able to offer you an alternative.
At the moment, we operate only during the Summer Season (April to October). Some tours are also available in November.(Private Tours).
We believe that nowadays travellers are very experienced and truly know what type of activities they prefer. All our tour descriptions are very informative and detailed so that it is easy to understand if the activity suites your taste and interests. You should check if the tour has a pick up from your resort, if the tour provides enough free time on sights, if the tour has a tour guide, if there are any additional expenses that are not included in the price of the tour (food, tickets), what language is the tour (mostly for non-English speakers), are there swimming stops, and so on. We want our customers to be well informed about the service/ product they are about to purchase.
If shared group tours seem not to suit any of your preferences, we also offer set and tailored private tours. Make sure to check them out!
Yes, of course! You can email or message us, and we will provide you with alternative booking/ payment options.
Your tour is booked only if you have received your Booking Confirmation. It is either a printed Voucher, a PDF Voucher or the Booking Confirmation e-mail for online bookings.