The location of the Dodecanese islands contributed to their prosperity and cultural growth since antiquity. They have been inhabited since prehistoric times and they established a strong naval force in the Mediterranean. Many were the invaders through history starting with Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Byzantines. The residents of the Dodecanese islands were the first to become Christians. In this effort played a major role St. John’s revelation in the island of Patmos. The Knights of St. John came in the 13th century and many of the fortified settlements and castles were built by them for the protections of the islands. But the fortifications did not prove enough to keep the Turks away who took over in 1552. The Italians occupied the islands in 1912 but the fascist Mussolini’s vision for a Mediterranean empire is inhibited but the World War II. Dodecanese islands became a battleground for British and German forces and many of the islanders migrate abroad. The Dodecanese became formally part of Greece in 1947.

The islands of Dodecanese have dry Mediterranean climate with sunny and dry summers and mild winters. They have over 300 sunny days per year, being the sunniest place in Greece. The Etesian winds, known as meltemia in Greek, blow throughout the summer and especially in July and August making the hot summer a bit cooler and more pleasant. The weather is good and hot from May till October.