With endless beaches and unexplored islets, castles, and ancient civilizations, cosmopolitan yet unspoiled, the Dodecanese Islands are above all charming and hospitable. The twelve islands of the Dodecanese on the Aegean Sea's southeastern edge form a bridge between Europe and the East. Everywhere you can see traces of peoples and cultures that have left their mark over the centuries: Ionians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans, and Italians. Each island has its own character. All offer opportunities for relaxation, sightseeing, adventure, and culinary delights, with a backdrop of beautiful beaches. Some are extremely popular, like Rhodes and Kos, and others have a virgin charm, like, Astypalaia, Symi, Kastelorizo, Tilos, Halki, Lipsi, and the volcanic Nisyros. And then there is Patmos, the "Jerusalem of the Aegean," famous as the place where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation.