Dodekanese or Dodekánisa in Greek means as much as twelve islands and is in fact a group of islands situated in the southeastern part of Greece. Although its name suggests that the group consists of 12 islands it has often contained more, and which ones they were also seems to have been alternating through history. If you love island hopping, and combining discovering medieval cities and historical sites with quiet time, then this might be the destination you have been looking for. The main islands of Dodecánisa are Rhodes & Kos, Kastellórizo, Symi, Chálki, Tílos, Níssiros, Kálimnos, Léros, Kásos, Astipálaia, Lipsoi, Patmos and Karpathos.

This group of islands, just like Greece in General, has been under foreign government for many years. After the Turkish occupation that ended after the independence war 1919/22 these islands fell under Italian rule and this explains why all islands go by a double name, their Greek and Italian name. Italian language is still widely spread as a second language, even though after WW II and a short English occupation Dodecánisa became Greek.