54 Best Sights in Rhodes and the Dodecanese, Greece

One of the great medieval monuments in the Mediterranean, the walls of Rhodes are wonderfully restored and illustrate the engineering capabilities as well as the financial and human resources available to the Knights of St. John. For 200 years the knights strengthened the walls by thickening them (by up to 40 feet in places) and curving them so as to deflect cannonballs. The moat between the inner and outer walls never contained water; it was a device to prevent invaders from constructing siege towers. You can get a sense of the enclosed city's massive scale by walking for free inside the moat; entrances can be found at the gates of St. Athanasius and Ambroise. It's particularly stunning early in the morning or in the evening, and makes a great spot for kids to run around and play games.

A 15-minute climb from the village center up to the Acropolis of Lindos leads past a gauntlet of Lindian women who spread out their lace and embroidery like fresh laundry over the rocks, plus the usual touristy shops and clothing boutiques. The final approach ascends a steep flight of stairs, past a marvelous 2nd-century-BC relief of the prow of a Lindian ship, carved into the rock. The entrance takes you through the medieval castle built by the Knights of St. John, then to the Byzantine Chapel of St. John on the next level. The Romans, too, left their mark on the acropolis, with a temple dedicated to Diocletian. On the upper terraces, begun by classical Greeks around 300 BC, are the remains of elaborate porticoes and stoas, commanding an immense sweep of sea and making a powerful statement on behalf of Athena and the Lydians (who dedicated the monuments on the acropolis to her). The lofty white columns of the temple and stoa on the summit must have presented a magnificent picture. The main portico of the stoa had 42 Doric columns, at the center of which an opening led to the staircase up to the Propylaia (or sanctuary). The Temple of Athena Lindia at the very top is surprisingly modest, given the drama of the approach. As was common in the 4th century BC, both the front and the rear are flanked by four Doric columns. Numerous inscribed statue bases were found all over the summit, attesting in many cases to the work of Lindian sculptors, who were clearly second to none.

It's on this route that donkeys are frequently seen carrying a tourists steeply uphill on their poor backs in the boiling heat—this is both unnecessary (the walk is short, just take it slow), and annoying for passersby who often need to leap out of the way. Even without the donkey, the acropolis is not considered suitable for those with mobility issues.

The half-hour boat trip down the rugged east coast of the island from Pedi Bay is part of the pleasure of an excursion to this beautiful strip of white sand and pebbles, backed by sheer cliffs and vegetated with pink oleander bushes—with the odd goat leaping around. The absence of amenities makes it wonderfully peaceful, but it requires a bit of preparation—bring water, food, and an umbrella, as there are few shade-providing trees. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.

A vast swath of beautiful Agios Stefanos Beach, just north of Kamari, is now occupied by the sprawling Ikos Aria resort village. Every yard of the rest is given over in summer to beach bars renting umbrellas and chairs and offering activities that include waterskiing and jet skiing. Expect to pay around €50–60 for a waterskiing session, and €60–€70 for Jet Skiing. Two early Christian basilicas crown a promontory at the southern end of the beach, adding to the allure of this lovely spot. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The island's archaeological museum houses Hellenistic and Roman sculpture by Koan artists, much of it unearthed by Italians during their tenure on the island in the early 20th century. Among the treasures are a renowned statue of Hippocrates—the great physician who practiced on Kos—and Asclepius, god of healing; a group of sculptures from various Roman phases, all discovered in the House of the Europa Mosaic; and a remarkable series of Hellenistic draped female statues mainly from the Sanctuary of Demeter at Kyparissi and the Odeon.

Hippocrates began to teach the art of healing on Kos in the 5th century BC, attracting health seekers to the island almost up to the time of his death, allegedly at age 103, in 357 BC. This elaborate, multitier complex dedicated to the god of medicine, Asklepios, was begun shortly after Hippocrates's death, and flourished until the decline of the Roman Empire as the most renowned center of healing in the Roman-Hellenic world. The lower terrace probably held the Asklepieion Festivals, famed drama and dance contests held in honor of the god of healing. On the middle terrace is an Ionic temple, once decorated with works by the legendary 4th-century-BC painter Apelles, including his renowned depiction of Aphrodite (much celebrated in antiquity, it was said the artist used a mistress of Alexander the Great as a model). On the uppermost terrace is the Doric Temple of Asklepios, once surrounded by colonnaded porticoes.

This is a lavish restoration of a 3rd-century Roman mansion, with 40 rooms grouped around three atriums. It was likely partially destroyed in the earthquake of 365 AD, though its south section continued to be inhabited until the early Christian period. The house provides a look at what everyday life of the well-to-do residents of the Roman town might have been like and also has some beautiful frescoes and mosaics. The Greek and Roman ruins that surround the house are freely accessible, however, and are just as evocative.

The ghost village of Eleousa (formerly Campochiaro) is one of many vanity projects built under Italian rule (1912–43). The central island was useful to the Italians for its resources and agricultural potential, so villages such as the one here were created in the 1930s to accommodate workers shipped in from northern Italy. Roads were built to link it to the capital and other prefab towns, and an official residence was created for the island's governor. Like everything the Italians did on Rhodes, it was a show of power designed to promote their fascist ideology to locals. It didn't last. Under a new governor, the village became a military outpost and a prison for Greek insurrectionists. When Italy surrendered in 1943 during World War II, it lost control of the islands and the last Italian families here disappeared. In later years the town was renamed Eleousa and its abandoned buildings used as a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients, but even this fell out of use by the 1970s. Today, its eerie vision of Italian "greatness" provides a remarkable glimpse into a strange past.

There was no grand reason for the abandonment of the hill village of Haihoutes; its 450 villagers just ebbed away over time, drawn to the more profitable, fertile plains below until, by the 1970s, no one remained. What was left behind crumbled due to neglect and earthquakes, then hikers discovered it and Haihoutes grew a reputation as a scenic ghost town. By 2013, a local couple had moved in and opened up an excellent taverna among the ruins, reviving the old village kafeneio (café). They cleaned up the church and created a small museum, too, in a renovated house that documents what the village was like only a few generations ago.

In AD 95, during the Emperor Domitian's persecution of Christians, St. John the Theologian was banished to Patmos, where he lived until his reprieve two years later. He writes that it was on Patmos that he "heard … a great voice, as of a trumpet," commanding him to write a book and "send it unto the seven churches." According to tradition, St. John wrote the Book of Revelation in the little cave here, the Sacred Grotto, now built into the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse. The voice of God spoke through a threefold crack in the rock, and the saint dictated to his follower Prochorus. A slope in the wall is pointed to as the desk where Prochorus wrote, and a silver halo is set on the stone that was the apostle's pillow. The grotto is decorated with wall paintings from the 12th century and icons from the 16th.

The monastery, which is accessible via several flights of outdoor stairs, was constructed in the 17th century from architectural fragments of earlier buildings, and further embellished in later years; the complex also contains chapels to St. Artemios and St. Nicholas. Today, the site is inscribed to UNESCO's World Heritage list.

This is one of the three ancient cities of Rhodes, along with Lindos and Ialysos. Kameiros was for a time the most powerful of them all, and the first to cut its own currency, until earthquakes in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC sapped the city's might. After that, its citizens just ebbed away. It was excavated by the Italians in 1929 and lies on three levels on a slope above the sea. Most of the city—apparently never fortified—that is visible today dates to the classical period and later; it includes an acropolis, a large reservoir, a grid-like pattern of streets lined with houses and shops, and several temples. The hill hides many more ruins, yet to be unearthed.

This ruined-yet-still impressive fortress, built by the Knights of St. John in the late 15th century, rises high above the sea on the coast just north of Mt. Avrios, with good views in every direction. Above its entrance you can still make out the engraved coats of arms of two Grand Masters.

On its high perch at the top of Chora, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian is one of the world's best-preserved fortified medieval monastic complexes, a center of learning since the 11th century—today, it's recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hosios Christodoulos, a man of education, energy, devotion, and vision, established the monastery in 1088, and the complex soon became an intellectual center, with a rich library and a tradition of teaching. Monks of education and social standing ornamented the monastery with the best sculpture, carvings, and paintings and, by the end of the 12th century, the community owned land on Leros, Limnos, Crete, and Anatolia, as well as ships, which carried on trade exempt from taxes.

The complex consists of buildings from a number of periods: in front of the entrance is the 17th-century Chapel of the Holy Apostles; the main Church dates from the 11th century, the time of Christodoulos (whose skull, along with that of Apostle Thomas, is encased in a silver sarcophagus here); the Chapel of the Virgin is from the 12th century.

The main reason to venture to the atypically green, pine-covered hills surrounding the little Gulf of Panormitis is to visit this unexpectedly huge monastery dedicated to Symi's patron saint, the protector of sailors. The site's entrance is surmounted by an elaborate bell tower, of the multilevel wedding-cake variety on display in Yialos and Chorio. A black-and-white pebble mosaic adorns the floor of the courtyard, which is surrounded by a vaulted stoa. The interior of the church, entirely frescoed in the 18th century, contains a marvelously ornate wooden iconostasis, which is flanked by a heroic-size representation of Michael, all but his face covered with silver. There are two small museums, one dedicated to folk culture and the other to religious paraphernalia. The latter has a particularly eclectic collection, including votive offerings of wooden ship models, bottles with notes containing wishes, and, most bizarrely, stuffed crocodiles.

If a day trip isn't enough for you, the monastery offers 75 rooms as accommodation (which are free for pilgrims; a strongly recommended donation otherwise), with kitchens and private baths. Though the rooms are entirely functional, the spiritual aspect makes for an enriching experience. A nursing home as well as a market, bakery, restaurant, and a few other businesses make up the rest of the settlement. The monastery is at its busiest for the week leading up to November 8, Michael's feast day, an event that draws the faithful from throughout the Dodecanese and beyond.

The medieval fortress of Monolithos—so named for the jutting, 750-foot monolith on which it is constructed—was built by the Knights of St. John in 1480 and rises above a fairy-tale landscape of deep-green forests and sharp cliffs plunging into the sea. Inside the stronghold there is a chapel (accessible only by a steep path and series of stone steps); while the ramparts provide magnificent views of Rhodes's emerald inland and the island of Halki. The small pebble beach of Fourni beneath the castle is a delightful place for a swim. A range of lovely tavernas are reason enough to spend a few hours here amid the mystique.

The 17th-century mosque was named after Murat Reis, an Ottoman naval commander who served in Süleyman the Magnificent's navy. The shady peaceful grounds surrounding it are a network of traditional and ornate cobblestone courtyards and a battered but proud cemetery where the marbled Ottoman grave markers remain. British expat novelist Lawrence Durrell once lived on the grounds, inspired by the tranquil beauty of the place. Amid the pronounced footprint of the Knights in Rhodes, this site is a real plunge into the lesser-seen side of Rhodes's history.

This grand building, with its fairy-tale towers, crenellated ramparts, and more than 150 rooms, crowns the top of the Street of Knights and is the place to begin any tour of Rhodes. Unscathed during the Ottoman siege of 1522, the palace was partly destroyed in 1856 by an explosion of ammunition stored nearby in the cellars of the Church of St. John. The present structure—a Mussolini-era Italian reconstruction of the 1930s—is said to have remained fairly close to the original in its exterior, but inside was rebuilt with all the restraint of your typical fascist dictatorship. The building was, after all, reimagined as a holiday abode for King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italy, and later Il Duce himself (Mussolini), whose name is still engraved at the entrance. Today the palace's collection of antiques and antiquities includes Hellenistic and Roman mosaic floors from Italian excavations in Kos, and in the permanent exhibition downstairs are extensive displays, maps, and plans showing the layout of the city that will help you get oriented before wandering through the labyrinthine Old Town.

This historic cobblestone lane, known in Greek as Ippoton, runs east from the Palace of the Grand Master to the harbor, and was once part of a longer path that wound its way to the acropolis. During its medieval heyday it became a residential quarter. It is bordered on both sides by the seven "Inns of the Tongues"—auberges where visiting Knights of the Order of St. John were domiciled according to their spoken language. These were heavily renovated during the 1930s, under Italian occupation, and today mostly hold consulates and government institutions. They are nevertheless wonderfully atmospheric to wander. The most elaborate example is the Inn of France, whose ornately carved facade still bears its heraldic fleurs-de-lis patterns, and an inscription that dates the building to 1492 and its commission by Emery d'Ambroise.

As you travel south along the east coast, a strange sight meets you: an assemblage of buildings that look as if they have been transplanted from Morocco. In fact, this spectacular mosaic-tile bath complex was built in 1929 by the Italians. As far back as the early 2nd century BC, the area's mineral springs were prized; the great physician Hippocrates of Kos extolled these springs for alleviating liver, kidney, and rheumatic ailments. Though the baths are no longer in use, the ornate rotunda has been restored (art exhibitions are often on view), as have the peristyles and pergolas. You can wander through the beautifully landscaped grounds—note the pebble mosaics, an ancient folk tradition come alive again, with mosaics of fish, deer, and other images—and have a drink or snack in the attractive café, surrounded by a modern, sophisticated seating area with sun beds. A pretty beach rings a nearby cove.

About 2 km (1 mile) to the west of Rhodes's town center, atop Mt. Smith, are the freely accessible ruins of the Acropolis of Rhodes, a fine example of the stately sanctuaries that the ancient Greeks built atop many of their cities. The complex includes a theater that the Italians restored in the early 20th century, a stadium, three restored columns of the Temple of Apollo Pythios, the scrappy remains of the Temple of Athena Polias, a Nymphaia, and an Odeon. For a dramatic view, make your way to the westernmost edge of the summit, which drops via a sharp and almost inaccessible cliff to the shore below, now lined with large hotels.

Accessible by water taxi from Chialos, or via a long walk, taking the 1-km-long (½-mile-long) rough path leading east of Pedi Bay. Once there, a sandy beach slopes gently into the sea, providing shallow waters that are excellent for children; it's backed by a grove of shade-giving trees. Despite the relative isolation, the beach attracts summertime crowds and is well equipped with food vendors and other facilities. Amenities: food and drink;  toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Excavations by Italian and Greek archaeologists have revealed ancient agora and harbor ruins that date from the 4th century BC through Roman times. Remnants include parts of the walls of the old city, of a Hellenistic stoa, and of temples dedicated to Aphrodite and Hercules. The ruins are not fenced and, laced with pine-shaded paths, are a pleasant retreat in the modern city. In spring the site is covered with brightly colored flowers, which nicely frame the ancient gray-and-white marble blocks tumbled in every direction.

The Hospital of the Knights (now the island's archaeological museum) was completed in 1489 and surrounds a Byzantine courtyard, off which are the refectory and wards where the wealthy institution once administered to the knights and townspeople. These wonderful surroundings are enhanced with findings from Rhodes's three ancient cities (Ialysos, Kameiros, and Lindos) and the nearby islands, including a magnificent collection of ceramic amphoras and oenochoe (wine jugs), which inevitably fell into the possession of the islands' wealthy merchants. Successive rooms elegantly show the evolution of Attic pottery, from early geometric deigns to the red-on-black figures of the 5th century BC. Among its collection are also two well-known representations of Aphrodite: the Aphrodite of Rhodes, who, while bathing, pushes aside her hair as if she's listening; and a standing figure, known as Aphrodite Thalassia, or "of the sea," as she was discovered in the water off the northern city beach. There are also two 6th-century-BC kouros (statues of idealized male youth) that were found in the nearby ancient city of Kameiros, and, in a beautiful 5th-century-BC funerary stela, a young woman named Crito, her hair cut short in mourning; she gives a farewell embrace to her mother Timarista who is already moving outside the frame, as she leaves the world.

The Archaeological Museum, housed amid a daze of twisting back lanes, is divided into two sections. The upper display spreads a trio of rooms depicting the history of the island through Hellenistic and Roman sculptures and inscriptions as well as icons, costumes, and handicrafts. Below this, a museum guide takes you into a merchant's archontiko (mansion). Built overlooking the bay to spot invaders, it offers a fascinating look at the traditional life of the wealthy family that once lived here.

Pay close attention to street signs, which will navigate you there through the maze of confusing streets.

The thick, well-preserved walls of this 14th-century fortress look out over the sweeping Aegean and Kos's green interior. Antimacheia was another stronghold of the Knights of St. John, a military order of crusading monks, whose coat of arms hangs above the entrance gate. After numerous fierce attacks by the Ottomans in the late 15th century, the Knights eventually retreated from Kos in 1523 after the fall of Rhodes to the same opposition. Within the walls, little of the original complex remains, with the exception of two stark churches; in one of them, Agios Nikolaos, you can make out a primitive fresco of St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus.

This church built in 1838 incorporates in its walls fragments of ancient blocks from a temple that apparently stood on this site and is surrounded by a plaza paved in an intricate mosaic, fashioned from inlaid pebbles.

A graceful building with a beautiful bell tower probably predates the Knights of St. John, though the bell tower bears the arms of Grand Master d'Aubusson with the dates 1484–90. Frescoes in the elaborate interior were painted in 1779 by Gregory of Symi, and the black-and-white hohlaki pebble floor is typical of the area.  Visitors are required to dress modestly (covered chests and legs).

Housed in a stone-vaulted warehouse of the Knights, this small room exhibits finely made ceramics, wooden tools and utensils, and costumes and textiles from the various regions of the Dodecanese. There is sadly little to explain what you're looking at.

Though the beach is pebbly rather than sandy, a handy location right at the edge of Old Town makes this seaside strip immensely popular, and it's lined with chairs and umbrellas. An offshore diving platform is a huge hit with kids and what seems to be most of the teenage population of Rhodes. What you won't find here is solitude, and what semblance of peace and quiet you might find will likely be interrupted by an endless stream of hawkers selling everything from trinkets to cold drinks. Nevertheless, it's provides a good spot to cool off, with views across the water of Marmaris, Turkey. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

A deeply shaded glen watered by seven mountain springs (epta piges in Greek) is made all the more photogenic thanks to the imported peacocks that flaunt their plumage in the woods around the pools. The waters are channeled through a 164-yard-long tunnel, which you can walk through, emerging at the edge of a cascading dam and a small man-made lake where you can swim. Here an enterprising local shepherd began serving simple fare in 1945 and his sideline turned into the busy waterside taverna and tourist site of today. Despite its many visitors, the beauty of the springs remains unspoiled.