Our three favourite places on the Greek island of Rhodes

Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese island group, and the most easterly of all the Greek islands. This island is steeped in history and offers luscious little towns and beautiful beaches. It’s a great choice for a Greek getaway. We stayed in Faliraki in September 2021 and fell in love with the island. More specifically, three places just stood out to us, all for different reasons: history and culture, natural beauty and architectural splendor.

Rhodes Town

Rhodes town was formed in 408BC. In 1309 the knights of St John of Jerusalem occupied the town and changed it into a fortress that was capable of withstanding siege. There’s so much history and culture waiting to be uncovered in Rhodes Town, it really is captivating.

Palace of The Grand Master of The Knights

The UNESCO listed Medieval Old Town of Rhodes is brimming with history. The labyrinth of cobbled, narrow streets makes it a great place to explore. The streets are lined with history and small cafes as far as the eye can see. Located at the top of the famous Street of the Knights is the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes. Few places in Greece showcase gothic architecture which is what makes this so special. The external walls, pointed arches, stained glass windows, antique furnishings and intricate mosaics make it one of the top places to visit on the island. A visit to this wonderful edifice serves as a window to the past, teaching visitors about life and culture during the era of the knights (1310-1552).

Church of The Virgin Mary of The Burgh

Mandraki Harbour

The harbour is a representation of the islands rich history, it serves as a large open-air museum. Firstly, there is the Evangelismos Church (Church of the Annunciation). Designed by Italian architects, this building, much like the palace, is a great example of gothic architecture. Take in the beautiful arched doorways and windows, terracotta roofs and striking bell tower that overlooks the harbour.

Moreover, this harbour is reputedly the home of the Colossus of Rhodes. This is no longer standing, although Dylan spent a good hour looking for it before returning back to our hotel to ask about it. It turns out this enormous bronze statue was destroyed in an earthquake in 244BC. Upon the entrance of the harbour there’s a stag (Elefos) and a doe (Elafina), serving as a constant reminder of where the Colossus once stood.

On the breakwater side of the harbour sits the Fortress of Agios Nikolaos and the windmills of Mandraki. The fortress, built by the Grand Master, Zakostas, between 1464 and 1467 was the city’s key defence. Its name derives from the name of the church that used to stand on the same grounds. The windmills of Mandraki, located just outside the fort, is a really important archaeological site. Built as a way of grinding grains that were brought to the island in medieval times, they showcase the futuristic engineering that took place within Ancient Greece.

From the harbour, you can also see the impressive Nea Agora, literally translated to the new market. This impressive market is a must visit simply due to the impressive Arabian-style architecture of the building. Additionally, if you venture inside you’ll be immersed in spice and local food market stalls. There’s also little souvenir stalls, who doesn’t enjoy spending an afternoon searching for a souvenir to take home?

New Town

When travelling, we love immersing ourselves in history and culture, however, we also love to mix the historical with the contemporary. Rhodes Town is great for this. When you’ve uncovered the streets of the old town, you can venture into the new town. The new town is a great place to shop and unwind in with a drink in a contemporary bar. Additionally, in this part of town you’ll find Elli Beach. Lined with beach bars and showcasing amazing views of nearby Turkey, we loved to spend an afternoon here and we’re sure you’ll love it too!

Lindos

The UNESCO World Heritage listed Lindos was our favourite village we visited on the island. The village itself and the beach were second to none. There is a story in Greek mythology that explains how Lindos was founded. It is said that the King of Egypt’s son, Danaos, fled Egypt with his 50 daughters (The Danaides) as he was afraid of his brother, Aegyptus, and his 50 sons. Danaos and The Danaides landed in Lindos and built a temple (Acropolis of Lindos) for his daughters’ safety before leaving for mainland Greece. A few other myths exist, but you can read them for yourself here.

Expect to get lost in the winding maze-like old town, we certainly did. The narrow streets are lined with cute little souvenir shops, meze restaurants, wine and cocktail bars. Grab a coffee or beer and a light bite to eat before exploring at Village Cafe Lindos. Additionally, treat yourself to an evening full of great food and splendid views from the rooftop at Mythos.

Acropolis of Lindos

The archaeological site, The Acropolis of Lindos is a must visit. It is perched atop a hill which requires a 250 step climb to reach the top. This walk takes approximately 20-minutes from the village center. However, if you do not fancy the uphill walk, there are donkey rides that can take you to the top for a small fee. We decided to walk up and down, but in hindsight, it would’ve been better to find another way up due to the extreme temperatures. The climb, however, rewarded us with splendid views of the whitewashed village, beaches and nearby coastline.

The Beach

The beaches are undoubtably some of the best on the island. Lindos is home to three beaches. Lindos beach is the main, largest stretch of sand. There’s also Pallas beach and St Paul’s Bay beach is approximately a 10-minute walk away. The shallow, calm, turquoise-clear waters make swimming and snorkeling a must! We spent an afternoon sat on the idyllic Lindos Beach as it was the closest to the center. The beach is equipped with parking, toilets, showers and sunbeds and parasols to rent for the day, although we can’t remember the price.

The beach is also surrounded by five bars and restaurants so there is a good choice of where to grab some lunch. We got a chicken club sandwich, chips and a drink each at Ammos Beach Restaurant before getting the bus back to Faliraki. The food was delicious and the views of the bay were unmatched! The other restaurants, Coralli, Dolphins, Panos and Nefeli looked equally as delicious. We wished we had enough time to try them all!

Kallithea Springs

We decided to spend our last day here as it was a short bus journey from our hotel in Faliraki. Kallithea springs made for the most relaxing day we had whilst in Rhodes. The architectural beauty of the site complimented the natural surroundings as we made our way through the winding pathways of the gardens to the white-washed Rotonda. It is easy to see why the site has been the location of many film sets in the past.

The beach itself is beautiful, however, it’s small. The shallow, clear, turquoise waters and natural surroundings made it a great place to spend an afternoon. As we got a bit hungry, we decided to try out the Italian restaurant perched on the rocks overlooking the beach. Pane di Capo served one of the nicest meals we ate in Rhodes. We only got a pizza diavolo and a portion of chips to share, so we can’t comment on the other dishes, but you can never go wrong with a pizza!

Its safe to say Rhodes is a great destination. Whether you want to relax on the beautiful beaches or go sightseeing, it has it all. The contrast of contemporary and historical, especially in Rhodes Town, makes it one of our favourite Greek islands. With so much history to uncover as well as beautiful villages and gorgeous beaches, there really is something for everyone, whether you enjoy to relax on a beach and drink cocktails or go sightseeing, you’ll have a blast.