Rhodes

Rhodes ( ; Greek: Ρόδος, romanized: Ródos [ˈroðos]) is the largest of Greece's Dodecanese islands and their historical capital, as well as the ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, Rhodes constitutes a municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the South Aegean administrative region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is the city of Rhodes, home to 50,636 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. By 2022, the island's population had grown to 125,113 people. Located northeast of Crete and southeast of Athens, Rhodes is referred to by several nicknames: "the Island of the Sun" after its patron sun god Helios; "the Pearl Island"; and "the Island of the Knights", a reference to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who ruled the island from 1310 to 1522. Historically, Rhodes was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site. During the early 21st century the island was one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. It is often described as a party island, as it has more nightclubs and bars per capita than New York or Paris. Today, the island is completely overwhelmed by tourism. The sheer intensity of visitor activity routinely overwhelms its small population and limited infrastructure.