After the Rhodes Marathon: Kallithea Springs

The Route: Rhodes Town → Kallithea Springs → Rhodes Town Logistics: Taxi or hire car, about 20 to 35 minutes each way. The springs are 9 km from the city, according to the operator. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Rhodes Town ──(20-35 mins by taxi or car)──> Kallithea Springs
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     └──────────────(20-35 mins)───────────────────┘

The TUI Rhodes Marathon finishes in Eleftherias Square on a Sunday morning in April. By Monday the stairs in most hotels have become a small act of courage, and a trip that asks for a taxi, a flat path and a place to sit is about the right size of ambition.

April at Kallithea. The springs keep shorter hours in April than in summer. The operator lists 08:00 to 16:00 for the season, with admission of about €3 (£2.50), against longer hours from May to October. Check the current schedule on the springs' own website before setting off, because a late start leaves little time. Daytime temperatures are usually around 20°C and the sea is cold, so a swim is a test of character rather than an afternoon plan.

Getting there takes a taxi or a hire car. The springs are on the coast road south of the city, and the ride is short enough that a taxi both ways costs little against the effort saved. Agree the return with the driver, or ask your hotel to call a car for a fixed time, since there is no rank at the site.

The springs

Kallithea was built as a spa in the 1920s, when Rhodes was under Italian rule, and the buildings were restored in the early 2000s. The centrepiece is a domed rotunda on a rock above a small sheltered bay, ringed by arcaded corridors with pale mosaic floors and painted ceilings. It stands beside a stretch of calm sea that the sheltered cove keeps flat on most days. Do not expect a medical spa or a guaranteed therapeutic soak. Think of it as a place to look at and sit beside.

The paths are paved or level compacted ground with a few shallow steps between terraces. A circuit of the buildings and the waterfront takes about 30 to 45 minutes at post-marathon speed, with benches and café tables at regular intervals. Take a hat, since shade is patchy. If the operator's seawater swimming area is open in April, expect it to be cold, so plan on looking at it unless you are made of sterner stuff.

Back in town

Once back in Rhodes Town, walk the flat Mandraki harbour front for an hour and let the legs ease off, or go to a late lunch in the New Town. Chairs, shade and an unhurried menu are worth more now than anything with steps.