Family friendly Rhodes

More recently, in 1309, the Knights of St John took the island by force and dominated it for 213 years. Subsequently, it was ruled by Turks, Venetians, the Italian army, the German army, Britain and the Greek army, finally becoming part of the Greek state in 1948. Every time it was taken by force. No-one who comes to Rhodes wants to leave.

As the largest of the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes has, by nature, everything. A population of 83,000 is split 50-50 between Rhodes town and the rest of the island. The east coast has the best beaches, lapped by the calmer waters of the Mediterranean, in contrast to the west coast, where a rugged, rocky coastline is pounded by the Aegean sea. Most of the agricultural production takes place on the west of the island.

Our resort, Pefkos (meaning 'pine clad'), was just over half way down the east coast, and a reassuring distance from Faliraki. The operator, Direct Greece, has a broad but understated presence in the town. The streets are clean, bins (bearing the DG logo) are plentiful and the resort office is centrally located. It's clear that Direct Greece has a lot invested in Pefkos, and it is careful to look after the place, like a benign guardian. Given that our total group was three separate parties ranging in age from 7 months to 72 years, Gayle, our rep, was professional, friendly and always helpful, and other DG customers, when we chatted, said the same.

Being the start of the season, it was quiet when we arrived, though this changed over the fortnight.

We had booked into the Tzina apartments, which were a ten-minute walk from the centre of town and five minutes from the beach. They were basic, comfortable and spotless, and the shade of lemon trees right outside the door, from which we were invited to help ourselves to fresh lemons, gave every evening a balmy, timeless quality.

The beach at Pefkos has clean golden sands and a crystalline sea which demands you swim in it. Families quickly filled it up, but it was never overcrowded, while the nearby rock formations are perfect for snorkeling.

There is a brief period of culture shock whenever you arrive in a new resort, but what we were completely unprepared for was the sheer scale of friendliness. Pefkos is, without doubt, the most relaxed, amiable place I ever had the pleasure to visit. It is a family resort with a nice, multinational flavour and when you've been somewhere once - a supermarket, a restaurant, a bar - they always remember you. They will call out in greeting as you pass, ask how the family is, say hello to the kids, all with a refreshing lack of the cynicism that fuels many resorts. There was never the feeling that you were under pressure to go in - they really were just being nice. There are lots of small bars in the town with swimming pools, any of which you can use, but two stood out. Fuse, owned by an English family, has full internet access, spacious seating and a barman who makes the best Manhattan I have ever tasted. On the road down to the beach, the Kelari bar was extraordinarily friendly. Yannis, the owner, creates a superb atmosphere for familes, and even went to the trouble of finding the World Ice Hockey championships via Polish TV on the big screen just for me, though I was joined by 16 boisterous Swedes for the final which added to the party feeling. We finished every night in here. It closes when you leave.

There are plenty of restaurants in Pefkos, and you'll be hard pushed to try them all. That said, we didn't have a bad meal once. The Coliseum, George's, Enigma, Terpsis, Blue Bay and Nefali were among our favourites, but you will have your own. And they love children. I mean, really, really love them. High chairs, keeping them entertained, pittas to nibble - nothing was ever too much trouble, no matter how busy they were.

Fish and Greek dishes are plentiful, but every menu had a broad range. There are also Chinese and Italian restaurants. On average, two course meals with wine were between 30 and 40 euros for two, with quality and portions that made it a bargain.

Excursions available are plentiful, including a tour of ancient Rhodes town, island tours, scuba diving and a trip to Turkey, all bookable through the holiday representatives.

Just down the road is Lindos. There is a bus service, but a taxi is easier - five minutes and five euros. Lindos is a maze of narrow, whitewashed streets. There is a market, but the goods are mainly seascape pottery and leather.

Far better is the Acropolis, the ancient capital of Rhodes and the original site of a 4th century BC temple to Athena. You can get up by donkey, but walking is nicer, taking in panoramic views of the bay. Entrance to the Acropolis is six euros, but there are "free" days. It is currently undergoing renovation, using 3.5million euros from the EU restoration fund. The views from the top are magnificent, and you'll need a good few hours to see the whole site, which includes a majestic sculptured ship and a 2000 seat ancient theatre. Other members of the party took a glass-bottomed boat to Lindos, which takes an hour and a return ticket is 16E.

Pefkos is a small, perfect family resort, excellently managed. People I spoke to were on their third, fourth, tenth visit. They never tired of it. On the last day, I swam in the sea at 7am, two hours before we left. Floating in the dawn, I remembered the bars, the people, the mountains, the superb kebabs from Alexandrias. The water was smooth as glass and seemed reluctant to let me go. On my way back to the apartment, they were starting to hose the streets. They waved, smiled and commiserated on our departure. But their smiles were knowing. They knew we'd be back.Pefkos is a small, perfect family resort. People I spoke to were on their third, fourth, tenth visit. They never tired of it. On the last day, I swam in the sea at 7am, two hours before we left.

On my way back to the apartment, they were starting to hose the streets. They waved, smiled and commiserated on our departure, but they knew we'd be back.

Factfile box

Nigel McFarlane travelled with Direct Greece (Reservations 0141 559 7111, brochures 0870 516 8683, www.direct-holidays.co.uk) which offers two resorts in Rhodes - Lindos and Pefkos, with a choice of self-catering studios, apartments and villas.

Travelling during July 2004, staying for seven nights at the Tzina Studios in Pefkos, based on two adults and one child over two sharing a sel-catering ground floor studio sleeping three costs from £329 per adult and £189 per child. (£25 per infant)

You can fly to Rhodes from six UK airports, including Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow, for seven or 14 nights.

Flying time to Rhodes from the UK is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. The local currency is the euro.

For further details on holidays in Greece and Rhodes, contact your local ABTA travel agent.

Travelling during July 2004, staying for seven nights at the Garifallo Studios in Lindos, based on two adults and one child over 2 sharing a first floor studio that sleeps three and staying on a self-catering basis costs from £369 per adult and £189 per child. (£25 per infant).