Rhodes is the island that has been welcoming visitors for longer than almost anywhere else in the Mediterranean. The ancient Colossus stood at its harbour entrance. The Knights of St John built one of the finest medieval cities in Europe within its walls. The sun shines here for 300 days a year. And yet Rhodes — for all its fame — remains an island that rewards those who look beyond the obvious, with a depth of history, a variety of landscape and a quality of experience that few islands in Greece can match.

The Island

Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese and the fourth-largest in Greece. It is long and varied, with a mountainous interior, a coastline of beaches ranging from the developed east coast to the wilder west, and a capital — Rhodes Town — that is one of the great historic cities of the Mediterranean.

Rhodes Town: The Medieval City

The Old Town of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world. The Street of the Knights — a perfectly preserved 15th-century cobbled street lined with the inns of the Knights of St John — is extraordinary. The Palace of the Grand Masters is a magnificent fortified palace, rebuilt by the Italians in the 1930s and now a museum. The Archaeological Museum in the old Hospital of the Knights has an outstanding collection.

The Old Town is not a museum piece — it is a living city, with restaurants, bars, shops and residents, all within the medieval walls. Walking its lanes at night, when the day-trippers have gone, is one of the great pleasures of Greece.

Sights Beyond the City

Lindos is the island's other great sight — a hilltop village of dazzling whitewashed houses below an ancient acropolis, with a 4th-century BC Temple of Athena and extraordinary views. The village itself is beautiful but busy in summer; the acropolis is worth the climb at any time.

Ancient Kamiros is a complete ancient city on the west coast — less visited than Lindos but arguably more atmospheric. Monolithos Castle and Kritinia Castle are dramatic medieval fortifications in the island's mountainous interior.

Beaches

Rhodes has beaches of every kind. The east coast — Faliraki, Tsambika, Agathi — has the best sand and the most facilities. Tsambika is one of the finest beaches in the Dodecanese. The west coast is windier and better for watersports. Prasonisi at the southern tip, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean, is a world-class windsurfing and kitesurfing destination.

Eating and Drinking

Rhodes Town has an excellent range of restaurants, from traditional tavernas in the Old Town to more contemporary options in the New Town. Mavrikos in Lindos is one of the finest restaurants in the Dodecanese. Local specialities include pitaroudia (chickpea fritters), fresh fish and excellent local wine from the island's vineyards.

Weather

Rhodes has the best climate in Greece — 300 days of sunshine per year, hot summers (July–August at 30–35°C) and mild winters. The sea is swimmable from April through November.

How to Get There

Rhodes has an international airport with direct flights from most UK airports year-round. Ferries run from Piraeus (Athens) and there are connections throughout the Dodecanese.

Best For

Rhodes suits history lovers, families who want excellent beaches and good facilities, couples who want a base for exploring the wider Dodecanese, and anyone who wants a large, well-connected island with genuine depth. It is one of the great Mediterranean destinations.

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Thinking about Rhodes? Talk to us — we can combine it with Symi, Chalki, Karpathos or a day trip to Turkey for a perfect Dodecanese itinerary.