Ixia

Ixia, on the island of Rhodes in Greece, was one of first purpose-built resorts to be developed on the island, back in the 1970s. Its main pull is that it gives guests the best of both worlds: proximity to Rhodes Town, which lies just a 10-minute drive away, and an out-of-town beachside location. It is a low-key, family holiday destination, straggling along Leoforos Ialyssou, the busy main road joining Rhodes Town to the island's west coast. Many of the island's top hotels are located here, and the coastal road is overlooked by a continual line of big, modern, concrete, four and five-star hotels, many of which are set in landscaped gardens equipped with pools and sunbeds. Some also offer excellent conference, meeting and business facilities, making them suitable for conventions. Unlike the sheltered east coast, there is almost always a gentle breeze here, and the sea often has moderate waves, making it popular with windsurfers.

From Easter to late-October, Ixia attracts families with young children and retired couples on package deals, arriving from West Europe, East Europe and Russia. Due to its large, well-equipped hotels and proximity to the airport, it is also a popular venue for conferences and business meetings.

Ixia lies on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Rhodes, on the Aegean Sea. It is located 3km (2 miles) west of Rhodes Town, the capital. The airport lies just 13km (8 miles) southwest. Rhodes Town is the island's main ferry port, lying 250km (135 nautical miles) east of the mainland port of Piraeus, Athens.

Located on a flat, narrow coastal strip backed by low-lying hills, Ixia strings along Leoforos Ialyssou, the main coastal road connecting Rhodes Town to the island's west coast. The Datca Peninsular in Turkey is visible across the sea channel.

Ixia has a long, narrow pebble beach, lying next to the main road. Tamarisk trees and palms have been planted at intervals along the coastal pavement, though they do little to screen bathers from the traffic. There are sunbeds and umbrellas to hire, and good watersports facilities. The sea here often has moderate waves, making it popular with windsurfers.

Just 3km (2 miles) away, the island's elegant capital, Rhodes Town, is contained within impressive medieval fortifications and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cobbled streets of the atmospheric old town lead through a labyrinth of souvenir shops and tavernas, across leafy squares overlooked by mosques with proud minarets, and up to the monumental 14th-century Palace of the Grand Masters.

Ixia beach is suitable for kids, though the busy main road calls for supervision. The better hotels have an underpass leading directly from their grounds to the beach, and several of the larger hotels also offer a kids' club, a playground, supervised activities and babysitting on request.

Ixia has several small supermarkets catering for everyday necessities, plus the usual souvenir shops selling tourist tat. For a more sophisticated shopping experience, make a trip to Rhodes Town, where typical mementoes include leather belts, bags and sandals, furs, Turkish-inspired carpets and kilims, ceramics (notably painted plates bearing a deer, the symbol of Rhodes), and gold and silver jewellery.

Ixia nightlife tends to be hotel-orientated, though there are several pseudo-English pubs serving draught beer. Those after the bright lights would do best to take a taxi into Rhodes Town, home to a vast choice of romantic cocktail bars in the old town, seaside dance clubs, plus the vast Playboy Casino on Elli Beach.

Most visitors to Ixia stay in the resort's large hotels, and as many are on half-board, the local restaurants appear rather uninspired. However, there are a number of tavernas serving typical Greek fare including seafood, plus several pizzerias and Chinese restaurants.

The island is well served by bus. Local buses run from Ixia to Rhodes Town every 30 minutes. Taxis are cheap by European standards. It is possible to hire cars, mopeds and bicycles.

Above Ixia, 6km (4 miles) inland, ancient Ialyssos sits atop Mount Filerimos. Here one can visit the ruins of two temples, the Monastery of Filerimos, and a stations of the cross leading up to an 18m- (59ft-) high stone cross overlooking the sea. From mid-June to late-September, the green valley of Petaloudes (‘Butterfly Valley'), located 25km (16 miles) southwest of Rhodes Town, is worth checking out for its black-and-white striped butterflies. Alternatively, there are also organised one-day boat trips departing from Rhodes Town. These take visitors to either the unspoilt Greek island of Symi, northwest of Rhodes, or to Marmaris in Turkey to explore the bustling bazaar and the Marmaris Castle Museum above the harbour.

Book in to the five-star Hilton Rhodes Resort (Ialyssos Avenue) (website: www.hiltonworldresorts.com/resorts/Rhodes/index.html), set within 80 acres of landscaped grounds. There are 400 spacious rooms and suites, three swimming pools, a health and fitness club, tennis and squash courts, a hotel beach with watersports facilities, and a shopping arcade.

Rhodes Airport (RHO)