by Evelpidou, N., Karkani, A., Spyrou, E., Gavalas, A. T. and Saitis, G.
ABSTRACT
Geomorphological heritage refers to the total number of sites that are characterized by a significant geomorphological, as well as environmental, economic, cultural etc. value. The assessment of the geomorphological interest of several sites of an area is very useful for promoting its geoheritage. Among the most geomorphologically interesting areas are those that are or have been subject to continuous and/or intense tectonic movements, sea-level changes, erosion and deposition cycles etc. Among others, for areas with these characteristics, not only is their scientific interest itself very high, but they are usually characterized by stunning landscapes, thus attracting geotourists. Rhodes, the largest island among the Dodecanese Archipelago, Southeastern Aegean Sea, Greece, is one such area, characterized by a complicated geological, tectonic and geomorphological regime and thus impressive geomorphological heritage. In this context, the aim of our work was to produce an inventory of the main geomorphosites of Rhodes’ eastern coasts. A total of 18 geomorphosites were selected and assessed, based on their scientific, ecological, cultural, economic, and aesthetic value. Our results show that all geomorphosites are characterized by a high scientific and many are also characterized by high aesthetic or cultural values. These results highlight the geotouristic potential of Rhodes Island. Presently, Rhodes contributes by approximately 10% to the overall tourism of Greece, while tourism in the island is the typical beach form of tourism. In order to promote the geomorphological heritage of the island, we created a story map of eastern Rhodes, through which visitors of the island can comprehend its recent geological history, evolution, tectonic and geomorphological processes.
