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We've compiled the best of the best in Rhodes and the Dodecanese - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
The town's harborside cathedral is a 1920s Italian-built replica of the Knights' Church of St. John in the Old Town, which was destroyed in an accidental gunpowder explosion in the mid-1800s after the Ottomans began using its basement as a storage facility. The outside is drably slavish to the idea of the Gothic original, but the church interior is rather magnificent, illuminated by the Byzantine-style frescoes of the great modern Greek painter Fotis Kontoglou.
Faliraki's reputation is better these days, after authorities cracked down 20 years ago on the bars that once made this the hedonistic party capital of Greece. It remains the most popular beach resort area on Rhodes, and will be your idea of paradise or hell, depending on what you think of crowded sands backed by fun parks, supermarkets, all-inclusive resorts, and fast-food joints. Stretches of the 5 km (3 miles) of fine sand are a little less cramped than others, such as the southern end, which is officially designated as a naturist beach. Beyond its southern tip lies the beautiful Anthony Quinn Bay, named after the Mexican-American actor; while filming The Guns of Navarone in 1960, he loved it so much that he bought the land. Years later the Greek government reclaimed it, and the legal battle that ensued continued even after the actor's death. Its tiny shore fills up fast but the emerald waters here are the best on the island for snorkeling. Buses regularly run between Rhodes Town and Faliraki throughout the day and late into the evening. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: nudists; partiers; swimming; walking.
This circular fortress, built by the Knights of St. John in the 15th century, guards the entrance to Mandraki Harbor, near a row of picturesque but disused windmills.
This institution holds a rare (and unfortunately poorly kept) collection of Islamic manuscripts, including many rare Korans, from lands east of and including Turkey. Founded in 1793, this remains a striking reminder of the island's Ottoman presence. The collection and the adjacent Mosque of Süleyman are still used by members of Rhodes's Muslim community. Many are descendants of those who managed to keep their homes on the island after the Treaty of Lausanne's infamous, nationwide 1923 population exchange, when some 500,000 Muslims (primarily of Turkish origin), were forcibly relocated from Greece to Turkey following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
The most popular beach on the island stretches for 1½ km (1 mile) or so along Kambos Bay, with a gently sloping sea floor that's ideal for young waders and swimmers. Sun beds line the strand of fine pebbles and sand, and pines behind the beach provide plenty of shade. The many amenities include windsurfing, waterskiing, and pedal-boat rentals. Regular bus service connects Kambos with Skala, about 6 km (4 miles) away. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; windsurfing.
Incorporating fragments of an ancient acropolis within its walls, the small castle was built by the Knights of St. John. A church and several chapels dot the sparse hillside around the remnants of its walls. The hilltop view takes in both sides of the narrow peninsula that Chorio crowns, with the villages of Yialos and Pedi (and their sparkling harbors) far below.
Just north of the Asfendhiou villages, in the eastern foothills of Mt. Dikioas, lie a smattering of the island's best vineyards. The most famous of these is the Triantafyllopoulos Winery, which grows local Malagouzia, Aegean Athiri, and Asyrtiko grapes, yielding an array of impressive dry white wines. Wine tasting tours are run Monday to Saturday and can be booked online.
Stretching uninterrupted for several miles, Lachania Beach lies below the unspoiled whitewashed village of the same name, one of the most picturesque in Rhodes. Though stretches are lined with sun beds, it's easy to find a fairly secluded spot backed by scrub-covered dunes. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.
Icons and frescoes from religious buildings throughout Rhodes Town (most of them long since destroyed) are displayed within this 11th-century church. The building was transformed into a mosque under Ottoman rule, but later stripped of all remnants of this period under Italian administration as part of a wider attempt to revive the Knights Hospitaller character of the city.
Flanking the northern coast above Kos Town, this long, narrow stretch of sand is guarded by a strip of resorts that run its length. Crowds ooze out from the hotels in their droves to hit the volleyball courts, bars, and sun beds, with the party continuing into the night. The farther west you go, the quieter the shore becomes. A cooling breeze means this area can be rather pleasant in the fierce burn of the afternoon; it also whips up the surf nicely, making it a good spot for windsurfing. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: partiers.
What was once the main harbor, in use since the 5th century BC, adjoins the commercial harbor on the east side of Old Town and is home to the city's municipal buildings and a picturesque former open-air market, built by the Italians, that now houses multiple cafés, souvlaki restaurants, and souvenir stores. It makes for a pleasantly twinkly walk at twilight hours, where you can people-watch those hopping between the various merchants dotted up and down the harbor and market. Day-trip cruisers, scuba dive boats, and charter yachts are the only vessels that sail from here now, but it was once one of the busiest ports of the Hellenic world. Two bronze deer statues mark the spot where legend says (wrongly) that the city's famous Colossus, a huge bronze statue of the sun god, Helios, once straddled the Mandraki Harbor entrance. Completed by the sculptor Chares of Lindos in the late 3rd century BC, the 110-foot-high figure only stood for around 50 years. In 227 BC, an earthquake razed the city and toppled the Colossus. After the calamity, the Delphic oracle advised the Rhodians to let the great Colossus remain where it had fallen. So there it lay for some eight centuries, until AD 654 when it was sold as scrap metal and carted off to Syria, allegedly by a caravan of 900 camels. Archaeologists now reckon its true location was next to the Palace of the Grand Masters.
In this north-coast resort 32 km (20 miles) west of Kos Town, the wide sand beaches backed by shade-providing pines are much discovered, backed by tavernas, rooms for rent, and all-inclusive resorts. The beach is lined with chairs and umbrellas and the launching pad for pedal boats and Jet Skis. Mastichari also has a fishing pier, from where boats set sail on day trips to the uncrowded islet of Pserimos. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.
Soaring vaults are all that remains of what was once a magnificent Gothic church, completed by the Knights of St. John in 1456. The knights believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, provided them and Rhodes special protection against the ever-present threat of an Ottoman invasion. Now, kids play among the scattered ruins and musical events are sometimes held here.
The spectacular ruins of a Byzantine-era castle and the settlement that once surrounded it crown the wooded hilltop of the impossibly steep road climbing south of modern-day Pyli. It was once the capital of the island yet barely a fraction of its visitors make the effort to see it. They're missing out. The 10-minute hike from the parking lot through the thickly wooded hillside isn't too arduous, though little explains what you're seeing, or where you're going. A junction divides the route to the old village and that of the castle, where its archways and walls still stand. The former route leads past a scattering of stones to the marvelous Taverna Oria, which has good food and incredible views over the area and ruins.
It lives up to its name in all but one important regard: its star attraction isn't actually butterflies. In summer the Callimorpha quadripunctaria, a red- and black-speckled species of day-flying moth known as the Jersey tiger, cluster by the thousands around the low bushes of the pungent storax plant, which grows all over the area. In recent years the number of moths has diminished, partly owing to busloads of tourists clapping their hands to see the creatures fly up in dense clouds—an antic that causes the creatures to deplete their scant energy reserves, thus disturbing them and affecting their reproduction activities (needless to say, it's probably best not to do this). Access to the valley involves an easy walk up an idyllic yet crowded trail through a pretty wood, past a stream and ponds; don't miss the lower half of the trail behind the car park. There are several refreshment points on the route—the best option with the tastiest meals is Butterfly Restaurant Bar, at the end of the downhill trail, which overlooks yet more beautiful green valleys. You must visit at the right time of year to see the moths, typically mid-June to mid-September. Outside of this season, it still makes a pleasant walk, albeit void of moths.
A lovely bay is ringed by soft and quiet sands, where it's easy to find a relatively secluded spot. The clear, calm waters are ideal for swimming, though winds tend to pick up in the afternoon—a boon for windsurfers. A few tavernas prepare delightfully simple seafood meals along the shore. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; swimming; windsurfing.
This small town perches on the wooded slopes of Mt. Acramitis above a vast, fertile valley. A popular stop on the tourist trail, Sianna is known for its fragrant honey and for souma, a uniquely Rhodian high-octane blend of sweet wine and grape or fig spirits; stop by a stand that sells both to sample.
This appealing sandy beach sits on the north coast, 13 km (8 miles) west of Kos Town. Like Mastichari, it comprises little more than a long strip of mid-market resort hotels catering mainly to vacationing Brits and Germans, behind a sweep of (often windswept) sand. Inland lie cattle pastures, fields, and citrus groves. Beachgoers can enjoy the amenities of some of the more built-up sections. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.
Escape the crowds by trekking to the Tomb of Kleoboulos, which is incorrectly named after Lindos's 6th-century-BC poet and sage; it's actually the final resting place of a wealthy family of the 1st and 2nd century BC. After about 3 km (2 miles), a 30-minute scenic walk on a stony path across the headland (on the north side of Lindos Bay), you encounter the small, rounded stone tomb. You can peer inside and see the candle marks, which testify to its later use as the Church of St. Emilianos, or admire the dramatic views of Lindos and Vlycha Bay all around you. The walk is the attraction as much as the tomb itself.
These open-access excavations, laced through a quiet residential district, have uncovered a portion of one of the main Roman streets and many houses, including the "House of the Europa" mosaic, and part of the Roman baths (near main Roman street) that was later converted into a basilica. The gymnasium is distinguished by its partly reconstructed colonnade, and the so-called Nymphaion is a lavish public latrine that has been restored. In the Odeon, 18 rows of stone seats remain intact. The site is always open, with free access, and significant finds are labeled.
The busiest of the villages in the Asfendhiou area is Zia, with its appealing smattering of churches and craft shops selling local honey, weavings, and handmade soaps. There is also a so-called traditional nature park—really a petting zoo where kids can feed goats, donkeys, and bunnies. Buses run here five times a day direct from Kos Town in summer, and thus the commercialization of the village has skyrocketed in recent years. But one thing the crowds can't take away is the views, with a handful of open-air tavernas, such as the excellent Oromedon, offering a fine vantage point for the village's coveted sunsets. It also makes a good base for walks in the surrounding countryside.
