Overview

The beautiful little island of Chalki (Halki) lies just a few miles off the coast of Rhodes. There is no mass tourism and much of the traditional way of life of an island fishing village continues. There is no hurry - no taxis, no disco, no watersports and very little traffic. The setting is delightful; pretty houses scattered around a picturesque harbourside, fishing boats at anchor, and a backrdrop of rugged mountains.

Chalki village, called Emborios,lies around an almost completely enclosed bay - a beautiful, natural harbour of crystal clear, opalescent turquoise water, reflecting the muted pastel shades of the elegant neo-classical buildings that line the waters edge, all the way round to the bell tower of the beautiful Byzantine church. Behind, more houses, arranged in tiers on the sunbaked hillside rising to a line of windmills that follow the ridge, silhouetted against the deepest blue sky. In the distance, a fairytale ruined Crusader castle, perched on a far hill, guards the remains of the old town, now deserted.