5 Best Hotels in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

This unpretentious family-run collection of unfussy but comfortable self-catering rooms, a short walk from Psalidi's beach and its portfolio of restaurants and water sports, offers great value for money. Kos Town and its ferry port are within easy reach by bus, cab, or rented bike. There's a full-size pool surrounded by a grassy lawn.

In this rather colorful arrangement of apartments, which lies a couple of hundred meters back from the waterfront as you enter Pedi, rooms are all wooden floors, white walls, and green-painted beams, making it all rather folksy-meets-Laura Ashley. Views look over the water, with balconies to sit out on as the sun dips. The bar and terrace makes a peaceful spot for an aperitivo. The quiet harbor of Pedi Bay is just a short walk away, while Agios Nikolaos beach is a longer, more strenuous hike.

A small fishing village, about a mile from Yialos, is the setting for a get-away-from-it-all retreat in pleasant, colorful apartments surrounded by gardens. Rooms with lounges, kitchenettes, and balconies surround a newly refurbished communal terrace where drinks and meals are served as chillout music plays on repeat. Nearby is the only restaurant in the village, a pleasant taverna that serves at tables right on the beach. Minibuses head to Yialos every couple of hours for guests.

An expatriate Symiot returned from Sydney (hence the Australian-inspired name) in the 1970s to convert the family property into a cutely colorful village-style complex of rooms and self-catering family suites. The architecture is faithful to local style, but facilities are up-to-the-minute—including a new roofed pool that opens out into its beautiful courtyard garden.