Ως χώρος παρέμβασης σύμφωνα με τον σχεδιασμό της δράσης έχει επιλεγεί η κεντροανατολική Ρόδος και ειδικότερα ο αγροτικός χώρος μαζί με τα χωριά: Μαλώνας, Μασσάρων, Λαέρμων, Αγίου Ισιδώρου, Εμπωνας, Απολλώνων, Πλατάνια, Ελαιούσας, Αρχίπολης, Διμυλιάς και Σαλάκου.

Η περιοχή αυτή - που κάθε χωριό της έχει λιγότερους από χίλιους κατοίκους- παρά τα συγκριτικά πλεονεκτήματα που της παρέχουν η πολυμορφία και η μοναδικότητα της φύσης, μαζί με τον μεγάλο πλούτο σε πολιτιστική κληρονομιά και λαογραφικά στοιχεία, δεν έχει ακολουθήσει την τουριστική ανάπτυξη του υπόλοιπου νησιού.

Οι βασικές αιτίες της αναπτυξιακής υστέρησης της οφείλονται κυρίως στους ακόλουθους τρεις παράγοντες.
* Στην απουσία κεντρικού σχεδιασμού στη βάση ενός μακροχρόνιου προγράμματος τοπικής περιφερειακής ανάπτυξης, συνολικά για το νησί, που οδήγησε στην εγκατάλειψη των χωριών και στην “μονοκαλλιέργεια” του τουρισμού.
* Σε διαρθρωτικά προβλήματα της τοπικής οικονομίας των χωριών αυτών, (γήρανση πληθυσμού ασχολούμενου με τον πρωτογενή τομέα, δημογραφικό πρόβλημα, ελλείψεις στις υποδομές καλλιέργειας και τυποποίησης πρωτογενούς παραγωγής κα).
* Στα εγγενή γεωμορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά της, (ορεινότητα εδάφους, απόσταση από την θάλασσα και τις τουριστικά αξιοποιημένες περιοχές, οδικό δίκτυο κα)
Σήμερα, που ο γεωργικός τομέας στην Ρόδο τείνει να εκλείψει ολοσχερώς, η περιοχή αυτή πρέπει να εκμεταλλευτεί τις όποιες διαρθρωτικές αδυναμίες της, να τις αναγάγει σε συγκριτικά πλεονεκτήματα, να τις μετατρέψει σε πόρους και τέλος να τις προωθήσει ως ειδικής κατηγορίας τουριστικό προϊόν που μέσα από αυτό θα μπορέσει να έλθει ανάπτυξη.

Έλαφος και Ελαφίνα

Just 7km from Eleousa, on a plateau of the mountain of Prophet Elijah, is a historic hotel complex that has just recently been restored to its former glory. The set of two separate buildings named Elafos and Elafina (Deer and Doe) were built by the Italians in the early part of the century, and they were designed to resemble the Alpine, Swiss chalets, with their A-frame roofs, wooden window frames and wood-structured verandas. But the real draw card is the fabulous view from here – dense forests on all sides; verdant hills and mountains; narrow nature trails, snaking their way through the mostly pine forest.

The most important place in the area, and which is to be found just outside the village, is the site of the Holy monastery of Fountoukli. The church, which is dedicated to Aghios Nikolaos (St. Nicholas), sits high on a hilltop and is close to the Fountoukli springs. The icons of the monastery are most impressive and belong to the 15th century.

Ελεούσα

From the moment you enter the village of Eleousa and drive down its tree-lined main road, you will know you’re in the leafiest part of Rhodes Island. This visually appealing settlement is only 37km from Rhodes town. It sits at the foot of one end of the Profitis Ilias mountain range (the Profit Elijah), deep in a wooded area of the island. Everywhere you go, you are struck by two things: unspoilt nature; an eerie stillness all around.

Almost the whole of the village was established by the Italians, who occupied the island in the first half of the 20th century, and their influence is clearly evident throughout the settlement.

Eleousa provides quite a number of nature trails, and the area is also ideal for family picnics. A strange, almost eerie, silence seems to have descended upon this place, yet it doesn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable – on the contrary, people are drawn to it.

On the outskirts of the village, a huge, round pond with a fountain at its centre is home to a very rare species of unsalted water fish, the Gizani, which is endemic to Rhodes and which has been threatened with extinction. 

Πλατάνια

Among the prettiest rural landscapes in Rhodes are those that can be found in the region of the two tallest mountains, Attavyros and Profitis Ilias. The tiny little villages that hug the foothills of these two majestic mountain ranges exude huge amounts of country warmth, charm and harmony. One such village is Platania. The name of the place, in itself, is a give-away for what awaits you when you get there – Platania in Greek means plane trees. And the place certainly teems with not only planes, but of trees of every description.

Platania village is 38km from Rhodes town, and it’s a continuation of the verdant green belt that completely surrounds Mt. Profitis Ilias, (Prophet Elijah). At Platania, the only noise you might hear – other than that of human voices – will be the bleating of goats and sheep. This is goat-country so be prepared to encounter these peaceful creatures on the roads, in the village alleyways and on the hills.

For the visitor, this shady and deathly-silent, little hamlet is ideal for a “pit-stop” under one of the many plane trees, either for an ice cold drink or for a finger-licking, country-style barbecue lunch. The Rhodians affectionately refer to this whole mountain region as the “the gastronomic belt”, and it’s not hard to guess why. The village has a plentiful supply of good quality, fresh meat, which is locally-produced. It also has an abundance of aromatic herbs growing on its hills and road verges, to the delight of the inhabitants who are inclined to use it liberally in the kitchen.

The dwellings in this enchanting settlement have been built amphitheatrically into the foothills of the mountain, and, as with all such small rural places, the central square, here, too, is the heart and soul of the village. Fresh, ice cold water gushes from spring fountains that can be found at this charming little square.

A number of very old, historic buildings that bear the stamp of Italian architecture, also line the square. The biggest of these buildings is the old, deserted sanatorium that once housed sick Italians. Despite its dilapidated condition this early 20th century structure is still a very gracious and imposing building.

The busiest time of the day at Platania is early in the morning, when the men are out herding their livestock and the housewives can be seen baking their healthy, whole-grain bread in the traditional wood-fired, stone ovens that have pride of place in their front yards.

Αρχίπολη

The very green village of Archipolis is some 33 kilometres from the city of Rhodes, and about 7km inland from the beach resort of Kolymbia.

The village, which according to inscriptions found in the area, appears to have been inhabited since the 7th century BC, derives its name from the famous founder of the New Rhodian State, Archipolis of Lindos. It is built on the foothills of mount Axintes, around the main church of Saint Dimitrios, and has a lush natural environment thanks to the abundance of streams in the region. It is a traditional village and life centres on the central square, with its little shops, tavernas and cafés.

This village has strong ties with Belgium as a great number of its inhabitants immigrated to this northern European country in the 50s and 60s. Many have now returned, bringing back with them a bit of their adopted country’s customs and lifestyle. However, despite the new urban influence that has been injected into this community, the place remains largely a working village, with much of the sweat being poured over agricultural and livestock activities. The area surrounding the village appears to offer the visitor a lot more interesting viewing than within the actual settlement as it is full of archaeological finds.

Μαλώνα

Malona Village, just 38km south east of Rhodes town, took its name from the ancient word Mileon, meaning a place brimming with fruit orchards. Today, Malona is the orange valley of Rhodes, producing tons of export quality oranges and mandarins.

This quaint little working village with a population of just over 1 000, lies between two rivers, the Has and Plataneros, which are dry in the summer months, but flow in the winter months. The village of Malona is thankfully still untouched by commercialism, a fact that appeals to many foreigners who wish to explore an authentic Greek village, far from the maddening crowd. The characteristic small rectangular-shaped houses, decorated with traditional ornaments and colours inside, and with the extended family gathered for a home-cooked meal over lively chatter around a crackling fireplace, is still a typical scene of the current lifestyle in this village.

Malona is an inland village and is part of the central green belt of the island. One of the village’s greatest assets is its very fertile soil, a fact the residents have not ignored, which is why their livelihood is based mostly on agricultural activities, with some livestock breeding. Besides the delicious, sugar-sweet citrus fruit it produces, the village also boasts hundreds of acres of olive trees which yield excellent-quality olives and olive oil. Along with the citrus fruit, this product, too, is to be found on the markets throughout Rhodes. The peaceful character of this settlement, its very green vegetation and hundreds of neat rows of fruit-bearing trees, but especially its residents’ inclination to adhere to their wonderful traditional customs and lifestyle, make this village an ideal countryside destination.

And now, this traditional agricultural lifestyle will be “on permanent display” thanks to the recent establishment of the Ecomuseum of Rhodes, a very interesting folklore and cultural museum in the village, which was once the private home of a resident of the village.

Απόλλωνα

Nestled into the hillside – exactly at midpoint – of the mountain of Profitis Ilias (the Prophet Elijah), Apollona is nicely protected by the mountain range that surrounds it. It took its name from the temple of Apollo after remnants of the structure were found here.

The inland, mountain village of Apollona is 44km from the town of Rhodes, and it possesses the typical characteristics of most mountain villages in Greece: clean and healthy alpine air; crystal clear spring waters; very rich vegetation; traditional, small box-shaped houses; friendly rural folk; peace and quiet; strong floral and herbal aromas in the air; excellent, country-style cuisine; roaming goats on the hills, etc.

Apollona is another of those small, working villages in Rhodes that produces good wine and excellent olive oil. In fact, the old oil-press has been turned into a folklore museum of note. The museum contains an interesting range of items that go back to the middle ages, and which include tools, household implements, furniture and more. The farmers here also cultivate grains such as wheat, barley and oats, among others.

If you love taking long, leisurely walks in the woods, there is a nature trail that leads all the way to the mountain resort of Profitis Ilias on the other side of the mountain.