Is Halki Worth Visiting?

Halki carries a UNESCO designation few islands can claim, Island of Peace and Friendship, and in 2023 it became the first island in Greece to run entirely on sustainable, zero-emission energy.

Halki sits about six kilometers west of Rhodes, and its only settlement, Nimporio, wraps around a horseshoe-shaped harbor lined with pastel neoclassical mansions built during the island's sponge fishing era. The village stays car-free, and Citroën donated a fleet of small electric vehicles as part of the sustainability project that made Halki the first GR-eco Island in Greece.

Horio, the abandoned old capital, sits on a hill about 40 minutes' walk from Nimporio, its stone houses left empty since residents moved down to the harbor in the 19th century. Above it, the ruined 14th century Castle of the Knights overlooks the island, and the nearby Church of Panagia holds frescoes dating back centuries. The Monastery of Agios Ioannis Alargas, patron saint of the island's sponge divers, sits a two hour walk or a short minibus ride from town, and pilgrims fill its courtyard each August for the island's biggest festival.

Pondamos, the island's main beach, sits a short walk from the harbor with white sand that rivals anywhere in the Dodecanese, while smaller beaches like Kania and Areta are reachable by water taxi. Boat trips also run to the uninhabited islet of Alimia, once a safe anchorage for the Rhodian fleet, where the ruins of a Knights' castle and an abandoned village sit alongside a saltwater lake.

Halki has no airport, so travelers fly into Rhodes and take a ferry from Kamiros Skala, a crossing of under an hour that runs several times a day in high season. It suits travelers wanting real quiet, walkable distances, and a slower pace than nearby islands offer, and a stay of a few days covers its beaches, history, and harbor without rushing.