IT ISN’T often you find a genuine antiquities site in the middle of the pool area of a modern holiday resort, but that is exactly what we’re studying with contemplative expressions, here at the five-star TUI Sensatori Atlantica Dreams complex in Gennadi, Rhodes.
There may be men, women and children running around in swimwear nearby, but stand on the glass-walled, wooden bridge erected over this archeoglogical site (discovered during early development of the 330-room, sensory 'awakening' resort) and you can almost detect a respectful hush.
All signs of ancient Greek village life have been preserved here, including the remains of a chapel, school house and settlement of around 80 houses separated by roads and cobbled streets. Stones that the buildings were made from in the fourth to seventh centuries remain intact and there is even an olive press and remnants of vessels and vases, as well as the ruins of an exceptional Basilica temple built during the fifth century AD.
It is a veritable outdoor museum that has been sensitively incorporated into a 'Sensatori' resort designed to invigorate all the senses and which includes six different pool areas, dedicated ‘theatreland’, six themed restaurants, several activity zones and what were referred to as ‘Happenings’ – spontaneous, pop-up flash-mob-type activities that could just ‘happen’ at any time.
Yet, despite its size and the number of things going on at any one time, there is sense of solitude to the Atlantica Dreams resort which brings a touch of posh to the all-inclusive label and was built with the natural environment in mind.
You won’t find an awful lot of grass here, with sundeck surfaces instead made from environmentally-friendly paving tiles and, in keeping with the sustainable theme, in summer 2019, management decided to ban straws – although if you ask nicely, they seem to appear quickly from behind the bar, no questions asked.
The resort’s location is fairly remote (be prepared for a two-hour-plus drive to and from Rhodes airport, depending on guest drop-offs) and while everything is efficiently self-contained inside its boundaries, there may be times you wish it was a more simple thing to leave the site and wander off into a real, living, 21st century village for a look around.
Gennadi, the nearest, on the south-east coast, is in theory within reach on foot, but in practical terms there is no safe way to get there in the absence of a footpath contouring the main road. There is also no courtesy bus nor scenic coastal path on the other side of the resort – a move which could take the ‘sustainable’ badge one worthy step further by linking in with the local economy.
That said, you can always hire a car (from past experience, driving is hairy enough) or book one of the many TUI-organised trips which leave from the resort’s main reception and include outings to island capital, Rhodes town, and closer Lindos with its well-trodden path up to with the famous acropolis.
Rhodes town is over an hour away but a visit is always worth the journey, whether to soak up more of its fascinating history or just to eat and shop like a tourist. The city has more than 200 narrow streets (cobbled to keep out invading horsemen), with many joined by ‘seismic arches’ attached over the old town walls. Back in the day, according to our guide, these were constructed without mortar so, in the event of an earthquake, individual stones might shake and rattle but the entire wall itself would not roll over as one.
We booked the night-time walking tour with excellent Greek guide Paul (employed by TUI) who added insight and humour to what can seem an overload of information at times. The trip (€72 each) includes traditional meze dinner, cruise around Mandraki Harbour and visits to the best bits – including the Unesco-protected Knights Quarter.
For Lindos, we decided to make our own way there and opted for the local taxi service – bookable at hotel reception and not overly cheap at €30 each way. This was an early morning departure with the aim to beat the heat – and crowds – of a busy June afternoon when everyone seems to want to climb the rocky, winding path, 116 metres above the pretty, whitewashed village to the ruins.
We did manage to beat the crowds on the way up (you can also opt to ride a donkey which, the local taxi driver assured us, are well cared for) but on the way down from the beautifully preserved ruins – which include the Temple to Athena Lindia, Byzantine Chapel of St John and a 20-columned Hellenistic stoa – a randomly bizarre thing happened. On a narrow section, just as we were passing each other, a hitherto benign attachment on my rucksack somehow became caught up in the open weave of a fellow holidaymaker's crocheted shorts, bringing us both tumbling to the ground as we tried to untangle ourselves.
It was an amusing interlude, but also a timely reminder to watch your footing here: the steps are steep, the path narrow and there are dangerous drop-offs along the way.
Back in the safety of base, there aren’t so many ways to hurt yourself, unless you over-stretch during candlelit yoga or at 'social tennis' (racquets, balls and even doubles partners provided). And bare feet will definitely ache if you forget to pack a pair of swim shoes which are needed for the shingle (Blue Flag) beach right at the edge of the property.
Sea temperature is not exactly icy in June, but it’s not warm either, although there is something almost mystically exhilarating about swimming in the sea that you just don’t get in a chlorinated pool, no matter how blue or inviting.
But, at the Atlantica, you can choose from quite a few and there is even a special collection which sinuously wrap around the bright white, low-rise rooms which have the look of a modernised traditional Greek villa about them. Swim-up options with sun deck are available on the ground floor, while our second-floor room had glass-walled balcony (with bean bags) and offered a view of mountains, palm trees and sea in one frame.
The resort also has an indoor pool (unheated) and spa with extensive range of reasonably priced treatments, but it is worth noting that you can relax for free in one of three multi-sensory pods located in the lobby.
Futuristic-looking 'tear-drops', they are designed to offer a private cocooned space in which residents can see clouds floating by, hear the whisper of the wind or breathe in the scents from a canopy of forest while listening to birdsong.
Undoubtedly, it's a bit off the radar, both in terms of location and with the whole Sensatori (a blending of 'sense' and 'satori' – Japanese for 'Wow') vision, but with the focus on the senses, through everything from mood lighting and waterfall showers in your room, to snuggling in a 'sensory pod' in the lobby, guests should easily find their own state of zen before heading back to the airport.
And, as for the 'happenings', well they just didn’t happen for us – we must have missed them.
:: Fact File: Seven nights, all-inclusive, at the five-star TUI Sensatori Atlantica Dreams Resort & Spa in Rhodes is priced from £1,129 per person next May, and from £1,159 in June. Prices are based on two adults sharing and include direct flights from Belfast and hotel transfers. tui.co.uk/holidays/greece
