Rhodes Travel Guide

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Rhodes

Rhodes © GNTO

In days of old when knights were bold they found the island of Rhodes, close to the Turkish shore at the merging of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, and set it up as a fortress to protect the Christian west from the invasion of the 'heathens' from the east. Today the island, the main one of the 12 making up the Dodecanese group, is still subject to invasion, but now the intruders are tourists, who come to revel in what is reputedly the sunniest Greek island, and to have fun in the medieval city the knights left behind. The town of Rhodes, on the northern point of the island, has preserved its picturesque walled old city as a playground for visitors. In ancient times the harbour here was guarded by the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but now some statues of deer have taken its place. Nevertheless the old part of the city has plenty of wonders still to offer and the modern part of the town is just as vibrant. The rest of the relatively large island offers miles of beaches, interesting archaeological sites and natural beauty spots. The best beaches are on the east coast, between Faliraki and Lindos. Lindos is renowned as a particularly picturesque town that has been designated a protected historic settlement.

Resorts

See our separate guides to the following Rhodes holiday resorts: Lindos, Rhodes Town, Faliraki and Ixia

Attractions

Rhodes Acropolis © shadowgate

Acropolis of Rhodes

The ancient Hellenic acropolis of Rhodes sits on a hill in the western part of the city, and once consisted of a monumental zone full of sanctuaries, large temples, public buildings and underground vaults. The buildings were set on stepped terraces interspersed with gardens.... see full details

Faliraki Beach © bazylek100

Faliraki Beach

The shallow waters of Faliraki Beach make it a popular holiday spot for families with children, as do the great facilities such as food stalls, umbrellas and sunbeds. The Faliraki Water Park and Luna Park distinguish this beach from others on the island... see full details

Filerimos Hill © bazylek100

Filerimos Hill

Filerimos Hill used to be the citadel of the ancient town of Ialysos, and its large plateau is home to some intriguing historical attractions. On the eastern side of the hill, see the foundations of the Athena Polias temple and an early Christian basilica,... see full details

Turtles © Mai Le

Marine Aquarium

Children love the Marine Aquarium on Rhodes Island, enamoured by its diverse range of live Eastern Mediterranean specimens including sea flowers, turtles, octopuses and decapods (crustaceans with 10 limbs). This venue has been used as an aquarium-museum and research station since 1963 and as... see full details

Petaloudes - Valley of the Butterflies

A wonderful place to take the kids while on Rhodes Island is Petaloudes, the valley of the butterflies. This attraction sees a myriad of beautiful moths colouring its skies and kids can follow them along the narrow streams, and over the rustic little... see full details

Rhodes Beaches

The beaches on Rhodes Island are a great attraction for visitors. Afandou beach is quite undeveloped, good for those who don't like a crowd, while Faliraki beach has sunbeds, umbrellas, water sport facilities, restaurants and beach bars to enjoy. Kalathos beach has crystal-clear waters,... see full details

Rhodes Old Town

With buildings and monuments dating back hundreds of years, Old Town offers a wealth of historic attractions. The medieval streets feature Gothic windows and paved courtyards lit by traditional street lamps. The most famous of these is the Street of Knights (or Knights Avenue)... see full details

Excursions

Karpathos

From Rhodes it about a three hour ferry crossing to the hospitable island of Karpathos where the clock has stood still in the delightful village of Olymbos in the south. Here the locals go about their business much as they did in Homer's... see full details

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