Rhodes

The island of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes. Its medieval Knights' Old Town has some of Europe's best-preserved city walls, and the Acropolis of Lindos and its white village overlook the blue sea.

Rhodes is the largest of Greece's Dodecanese islands, in the south-eastern corner of the Aegean, only about 18 km from the Turkish coast. It covers about 1,400 sq km and gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year. In antiquity it was home to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. From 1309 to 1522 the Knights Hospitaller (Order of St John) made it their base and built formidable walls and palaces, and later Ottoman and Italian rule added further cultural layers. The Medieval City of Rhodes was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988 and is one of the largest medieval towns in Europe still lived in today.

Areas: Rhodes Town at the northern tip comprises the Old Town (within the walls) and the New Town (Mandraki harbour, beaches and the hotel zone). The east coast is a string of beaches and resorts: heading south you find Kallithea Springs, Anthony Quinn Bay and Faliraki, and about 50 km further south is the white village of Lindos and its acropolis. The west coast is windy with big waves, suited to kitesurfing, and inland you will find Butterfly Valley, Mount Filerimos and the ancient site of Kamiros. We suggest 3–5 days: 1–2 days in the Old Town, 1 day in Lindos, and 1–2 days on the east-coast beaches and Butterfly Valley.

Getting there and around: Rhodes International Airport is about 14 km from town, with many direct European flights in summer and a flight of about 1 hour from Athens. The ferry from Piraeus takes 13–17 hours, and you can also take a boat from Marmaris in Turkey (about 1 hour). Island buses (KTEL/RODA) link the main towns, but renting a car is the most convenient option. The best seasons are May–Jun and Sep–Oct. Jul–Aug is scorching and crowded, and in summer 2023 there were major wildfires, so be mindful of fire risk and official alerts in hot, dry weather. The Old Town has cobblestone streets, so wear flat shoes. Admission prices at sites have been raised several times in recent years, so check the official Greek Ministry of Culture ticketing website.

Top sights

• Medieval City of Rhodes – A walled old town from the era of the Knights Hospitaller, encircled by about 4 km of walls, where knights' buildings, mosques and alleys i…
• Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes – The castle-like palace of the Knights' Grand Master, rebuilt during the Italian period, with a large number of ancient Roman and early Chri…
• Street of the Knights – A well-preserved medieval stone street lined with the inns of the knights' "tongues" (language groups), one of the most complete Gothic str…
• Acropolis of Lindos – An ancient Greek acropolis on a 116 m high headland, where the Temple of Athena crowns the summit overlooking a blue bay and a whitewashed…
• Mandraki Harbour – The ancient harbour where the Colossus of Rhodes was said to have stood. A stag statue marks its entrance, and three medieval windmills alo…
• St. Paul's Bay – A nearly enclosed circular bay at the foot of the Acropolis of Lindos. Legend says the Apostle Paul once came ashore here, and its waters a…
• Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes) – A shady gorge where thousands of Jersey tiger moths gather on sweetgum trees each summer. A stream, wooden bridges and small waterfalls for…
• Anthony Quinn Bay – A small bay ringed by pine trees, with emerald-clear waters and jagged rocks. It is one of the best snorkelling spots on Rhodes.
• Kallithea Springs – A seaside spa building from the Italian period, with domes, arcades and pebble-mosaic courtyards in an exotic style. It is a popular photo…
• Archaeological Museum of Rhodes – An archaeological museum housed in a 15th-century Knights’ hospital, holding ancient Greek treasures including the “Aphrodite of Rhodes.”
• Acropolis of Rhodes (Monte Smith) – The ancient city ruins on the hill west of the new town, with re-erected Doric columns of the Temple of Apollo Pythios, an ancient stadium…
• Mosque of Suleiman – A pink-domed mosque at the western end of Socratous Street, commemorating the Ottoman capture of Rhodes in 1522. It is a landmark of the Ot…
• Rhodes Clock Tower – A clock tower at the highest point of the Old Town. From the top you get a 360-degree view of the rooftops, mosques and harbour, and the ti…
• Kahal Shalom Synagogue & Jewish Quarter – The oldest surviving synagogue in Greece (1577), with an attached museum that tells the history of Rhodes’ Sephardic Jewish community and i…
• Elli Beach & Aquarium of Rhodes – A city beach at the northern edge of Rhodes town, lined with diving platforms and beachside bars. At the tip of the headland stands an aqua…
• Faliraki Beach – The largest resort beach on the east coast, with golden sand, watersports and a bar street. Nightlife is lively.
• Faliraki Water Park – One of Greece’s largest water parks, with dozens of slides and a wave pool, and free shuttle buses to and from Rhodes city.
• Tsambika Beach – A fine golden-sand bay on the east coast, enclosed by two headlands, with shallow, clear water. It is often rated one of Rhodes’ most beaut…
• Seven Springs – A wooded spring valley near Archangelos, where you can wade through a pitch-black water tunnel about 180 metres long to reach a lake.
• Filerimos & Ancient Ialysos – A pine-covered hill southwest of Rhodes city, with the acropolis of ancient Ialysos, a Knights’ monastery and a Way of the Cross leading to…
• Ancient Kamiros – An ancient Greek city site on a west-coast hillside, with clearly laid-out streets, houses, temples and cisterns. It is often called “the P…
• Kritinia Castle – A Knights’ castle ruin on a west-coast cliff, overlooking the Aegean, Chalki island and the Turkish coast. It is an excellent spot to watch…
• Monolithos Castle – A knights' castle perched atop a 240-metre solitary rock, where a whitewashed chapel and cliffside sea views make it one of Rhodes' most sp…
• Prasonisi – The southernmost tip of Rhodes, where a sandbar links the mainland to a small islet. One side has Aegean swells, the other calm Mediterrane…
• Embonas – A mountain village at the foot of Mount Attavyros, Rhodes' highest peak, lined with wineries and taverna grills, where you can sample local…
• Symi Island – A colourful small island just one hour by boat from Rhodes Town, where neoclassical houses in tiers around the harbour make it a classic da…
• Tsambika Monastery – A small white monastery on a rocky peak about 300 metres high. Climbing around 300 steps rewards you with panoramic views over Tsambika Bay.

Where to eat

• Mavrikos – A family-run institution on Lindos' main square operating since 1933, renowned for its creative, modern take on Greek c…
• Marco Polo Mansion Restaurant – A dinner-only restaurant hidden in the garden of a historic mansion in the Old Town's Turkish Quarter, specializing in…
• Koukos – An all-day restaurant and bakery set in a traditional house in the New Town, famous for its Symi baby shrimps, wood-fir…
• Nireas – A family-run seafood tavern operating since 1989 under a vine-covered trellis in an Old Town alley, famous for its fres…
• Taverna Kostas – A traditional tavern on Pythagora Street in the Old Town, offering reasonable prices and a great reputation for grilled…
• Yiannis Home Cooking – An affordable homestyle tavern on a quiet street off Sokratous Street, popular for its generous portions of moussaka an…

Itineraries

• Dodecanese Island Hopping: Rhodes, Symi, Kos & Kalymnos – Start from the medieval city of Rhodes and hop north through Symi, Kos, and Nisyros, ending in Kalymnos.
• Aegean Cross-Border Journey: Turkey to Greece – A cross-border route from Istanbul through Ephesus and Bodrum, crossing by ferry to Kos and Rhodes, and ending in Athen…