Sixteenth-century churches, traditional houses with distinctive roof and room designs, and rural paths leading to pine forests give Profilia, in the south of Rhodes, several different facets. When choosing a destination, it helps to distinguish between these themes: the buildings shape the village itself, while the paths lead from there into nature. This makes it possible to view Profilia both in terms of its village setting and its connection to the landscape.

A village on the slopes of Gerakas

Profilia is a traditional village in the south of Rhodes, on the slopes of Mount Gerakas. One source gives the village’s elevation as 382 metres above sea level. The mountain region where Profilia is located is protected by the European Natura 2000 network. The hillside setting and protected mountain area form the landscape backdrop to the village. This context complements the view of Profilia’s churches and houses with its natural setting.

Churches in the village landscape

At the centre of Profilia stands the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. From the northern part of its courtyard, the mountain contours of Attavyros can be seen on the horizon. The village landscape thus brings together a central religious dedication and a view of the mountains.

The Church of the Archangel Michael and the Church of Saint George date from the sixteenth century. Saint Paraskevi is one of the village’s religious monuments and is dated to the twentieth century; Saint John Prodromos “Miranos” is also a religious monument in Profilia. These different dates provide a basis for comparing the sixteenth-century churches with a religious monument from a later period.

Traditional houses and architecture

The traditional houses offer another way to explore Profilia’s architectural heritage. Their flat roofs are covered with patelia, and each house consists of a single room supported by an arch. Patelia refers to the roof covering, while the arch describes the room’s supporting structure. Together, the flat roof, roof covering and single room with its supporting arch describe a specific architectural form. The architectural focus here differs from that of the churches: for the houses, the room, roof and structural design are key; for the churches, the focus is on their dedications and historical dates.

Paths into nature

Rural paths lead from Profilia to pine forests rich in flora and fauna. Fallow deer (Dama dama) live in the forests. Profilia mainly attracts day-trippers seeking contact with nature. The paths describe the connection between the village and the forests; the plant and animal life characterises the natural area. For travellers who give greater priority to the landscape and nature than to architectural history when choosing a destination, this is a useful point of comparison.

Profilia for your travel plans

A traditional café is located in the village centre next to the Chapel of Saint George. If you plan to stop there, please check in advance whether it is open. When looking for hotels in Profilia, you can weigh up the different focuses: village churches and traditional houses, or nature trails and pine forest. This lets you choose your destination based on whether you would rather explore village history and architecture or the natural surroundings during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Koskinou, Fanes, Stegna, Kiotari, Kremastí, Kolympia, Trianda, Kalavarda

For the main travel overview: Rhodes.