Rhodes Island, Greece

Rhodes is blessed with a mild climate, numerous beaches, natural beauty, rich history, monuments and a high standard of tourist infrastructure. The biggest island in the Dodecanese group, Rhodes is just a short distance from Turkey and one of the most popular destinations in Greece.

Getting to and around Rhodes

The island of Rhodes can be considered as the transport hub of the eastern Aegean. It is well connected with Athens and other neighbouring islands. There are regular flights between Rhodes and Athens as well as with Heraklion in Crete and Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. Most of the flights to any of these destinations take less than one hour.

Daily ferries from Athens take approximately 18 hours to reach Rhodes and you can choose from various types of cabins. During the summer months regular ferry and hydrofoil services connect Rhodes with the nearby islands of Samos, Patmos, Kos, Symi, Karpathos and the lesser known islands of Nisyros, Astypalea and Kalymnos. From April to October there are twice daily ferry connections from Rhodes to Marmaris in Turkey and the trip takes approximately 1 hour.

Rhodes has a well established bus network to most of the island’s towns, villages and places of interest. It is recommended that you allow at least one week to explore this island and you may wish to consider hiring a car or a motor bike during your stay in Rhodes.

Highlights of Rhodes

Rhodes in its turbulent history saw many invaders who left behind a legacy of monuments and culture. Rhodes town was originally built in 408 B.C. and was surrounded by a city wall. It had five harbours, magnificent roads, parks, temples, public houses and many monuments.

During the Byzantine period Christianity spread over the island of Rhodes with the establishment of many early Christian churches. The “Knights of Rhodes” protected the island for over two centuries (1309-1522) and they erected strong fortifications, towers and battlements preserved to this day.

Following the Turkish dominance of over 3 centuries many churches were turned into mosques and today the visitor can see some of these in the old city. The Italians who were the last to invade Rhodes in 1912 also built a whole series of impressive public buildings and ruled the island until its unification with Greece in 1947.

You need to allow at least 3 days in Rhodes town in order to visit its many attractions. It is a beautiful city surrounded by the sea and popular beaches within walking distance from any hotel in town. The picturesque Mandraki harbour, the Old Town, the aquarium with its many fish species, the world class casino, the Grand Master’s Palace, the archaeological museum, the numerous churches, the minarets and the Great Haman (Turkish bath) recently renovated, are just a few highlights of this unique city.

Lindos village is another must see spot during your stay in Rhodes. Crowned by its own Acropolis this whitewashed village with its wonderful mansions, Byzantine churches, cobbled narrow lanes and sandy beach is one of the most visited places on the island.

The Butterfly Valley is a natural park in Rhodes where multi-coloured butterflies appear by the thousands between June and September. Faliraki beach is famed for its nightlife, Ixia beach, Ialyssos beach, Afandou beach, Kalithea beach, just to name a few, offer the visitor a range of accommodation, seafront bars and restaurants as well as shopping facilities.

The many traditional villages like Kalathos, Asklipios and Monolithos complete a holiday experience hard to match anywhere else in the Mediterranean and make Rhodes a place worth visiting while holidaying in Greece.