This article is about the island of Rhodes. For the settlement on the island, see Rhodes (city)

For the Sydney suburb, see Sydney/Sydney Olympic Park

Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος, Ródos) is one of the largest and most fertile of the Greek Islands, and is one of the most visited because of its combination of beaches, archaeological sites, and extensive medieval town. The climate is particularly good, with the weather typically sunny and mild. The island is usually counted as one of the Dodecanese, but due to its importance for travelers is considered separately here.

The rock-rose is so prolific here that it has been named the 'Island of Roses,' though modern scholars doubt the ancient theory that the island's name comes from the Greek word for rose. While the northern coast is renowned for its lively tourist resorts the south offers tranquil beaches and a slower, more simple pace of life.

36°12′11″N 28°0′12″E

Map of Rhodes

• 36.43333328.2166671 Rhodes (Ρόδος, Ródos) - the biggest city on the island and seat of the local government
• 36.328.152 Afandou (Αφάντου) - one of the big villages on the island. The golf course of Rhodes is situated in this area along with a long beach
• Kolymbia (Κολυμπια) - The laid-back resort village of Kolympia has 2 beaches lined with chic hotels with pools and spas a stunningly beautiful road with eucalyptus trees lining both sides. Along the road are hotels, shops, bars and restaurants.
• 36.21666728.1166673 Archangelos (Αρχάγγελος, Arhangelos) - the second largest town on the island
• 36.07198227.9284344 Asklipio - inland village, site of an old church and a castle
• 36.33333328.25 Faliraki (Φαληράκι) - Rhodes' action resort. Go there to party, everything else is better somewhere else. The hotels north from Faliraki are much quieter. Hotels near the water park do not interest clubbers, and are really family friendly. Nice beaches, a lot less winds than on the west coast and really good public transport.
• 36.3527.9833336 Fanes (Φάνες) - Rhodes' wind surfing and kite surfing resort. A small fisher's harbour, one five stars hotel, a lot of surfing. The hotel is really family friendly. Nice beach, summer winds, small tavernas and good public transport.
• 36.02333327.9083337 Gennadi (Γεννάδι) - around 64 km from Rhodes Old Town and nearby to Prasonisi, attracts several keen surfers. Among the last unspoiled stretches of coastline left on Rhodes.
• 36.16666728.0833338 Haraki (Χαράκι, Charaki) - small former fishing village next to Lindos. A chain of restaurants surrounds an enclosed beach.
• 36.41666728.159 Ialysos (Ιαλυσός) - blue waters, a seemingly endless organized beach, big hotel complexes as well as smaller friendly ones, shops of all kinds, and many night-clubs. The ideal conditions of the region, important international windsurfing competitions often take place here. It also includes a seaside resort village Ixia, which is close to Paradisi, Tholos, and the airport.
• 36.378428.234510 Kalithea (Καλλιθέα) - village north of Faliraki, famous for the spa built by Italians, snorkelling and resort hotels.
• 36.15474927.93656611 Laerma (Λάερμα) - inland village near some monuments, contains a few restaurants, inland from Lindos via Lardos. This village has been continuously inhabited since the Pre-Hellenic period. The Monastery Taxiarchis Michail is 4 km southwest of Laerma and is the largest monastery on Rhodes
• 36.09388928.01638912 Lardos (Λάρδος) - the market square of that town has restaurants and shops, nearby to Lindos.
• 36.08333328.08333313 Lindos (Λίνδος) - picturesque village, site of important ancient acropolis.
• Monolithos (Μονόλιθος) - village located on the west coast of Rhodes. Nestled amidst the lush greenery of the surrounding hills, it is famous for its historic castle ruins, which date back to the 15th century.
• 36.07563128.05040414 Pefkos (Πεύκος) - a smaller tourist resort close to Lindos. It started as a small collection of farms and private residences, but has grown into a town in its own right.
• Sianna (Σιάννα) - little traditional village on the slopes of Akramitis mountain
• 36.37482228.03641615 Theologos (θεολόγος or Tholos) - a traditional village

• 36.13143127.7398611 Castle of Monolithos - the medieval castle, built on top of a 100m rock in 1480 by the Knights of Saint John to protect the island from attacks. Getting there: if you are staying on the east coast, drive to Gennadi. North of the village, take the road across the island via Vati to Apollakia. The drive can be windy for moped riders, but the beautiful vistas make up for the work. Apollakia is not very special but has a couple of nice tavernas if you feel like having a refreshment. South of the village is a gas station, which you should use in case you are on a moped. Go on to Monolithos. Behind the village there is the actual attraction, which you will see from the road: the Castle of Monolithos on a 240-m-high rock. The castle does not offer much architecture-wise, but provides you with splendid views across the west coast. To the north-west, you can see the Castle of Halki.

Rhodes is a major tourist attraction for the seekers of sunny beaches. While many of its beaches are gravel, not sand; the island can boast 300 or more sun days in a year. Consequently, you will stumble into tourists and hotels and beaches full of deck chairs for rent, into shops and restaurants that cater to these tourists. It can be overwhelming at times. If this bothers you, Rhodes is probably not for you. Still, there are some areas where mass tourism has not yet penetrated too much. And there are advantages too, accommodation on Rhodes itself can be purchased for relatively low prices, and most of the locals speak at least English and German and often some other languages, like Swedish, French, Turkish, Italian or even Finnish. Look for bays, beaches frequented by Greeks and areas at or beyond Lindos.

History

Rhodes has one of the longest and most splendid histories of any place in the world. Inhabited since Neolithic times, the island had important Bronze Age settlements, and at the dawn of the historical era was already famous for its three powerful cities of Lindos, Ialysos, and Kameiros, as mentioned in Homer. In 408 BCE these three cities joined to found the island's capital city, also called Rhodes. Rhodes city and island played a vigorous role in subsequent ancient Greek and Roman history, its most memorable episode doubtless being the prolonged siege of the city by Demetrios Poliokertes in 305 BCE. In Hellenistic times Rhodes became extremely prosperous through trade and was one of the most influential cultural centers of the Greek world. Later as a province of the Roman empire Rhodes' influence declined, though it was still an important regional capital and was one of the earliest centers of Christianity.

Rhodes later became part of the Byzantine Empire and from the 7th century on fell under the general eclipse of the Dark Ages. Later in the Middle Ages, Rhodes' importance again increased, as it came under the influence first of the Venetians, then of the Genoese, and finally of the Knights of Saint John, an organization of Crusaders who took over parts of Palestine but were later expelled by the Saracens and the Knights Templar and took refuge in Rhodes, wresting control of the island from the Genoese in 1306, ruling for two centuries, and building Rhodes once again into a major maritime power, until the island was conquered by Süleyman the Magnificent in 1523, becoming part of the Ottoman Empire.

Greek is the native language of the people of Rhodes. However, due to the high level of tourism English, and to a lesser extent German, is likely to be spoken by most people the traveler comes into contact with. The local dialect can be described as a 'sing-song', with strong Turkish and Italian overtones. Many words used by Rodites (Rhodians) will not be readily understood by mainland Greeks.

No trip to Rhodes is complete without at least briefly seeing the walled fortress of medieval Rhodes. A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best preserved medieval walled towns in Europe, the crusading knights were based here for a while before the city was captured by the Ottomans. Impressive on the outside, the Palace of the Grand Masters is not worth the entry fee, so head to the Archaeological Museum and then explore the back streets on foot.

If you're into castles, Rhodes has a lot to offer with its medieval history. Lindos, Kastellos and Monolithos all have castles. There are medieval remains at Filerimos Hill including a monastery and a chapel, and good views over the north of the island.

• Asklipio (inland from Kiotari.) In the little church there are fascinating displays, honoring the continuity of the cult of healing from ancient times to a modern midwife and nurse. In Greek mythology, Asklepios was the son of the god Apollo who created the art of medicine.
• Cape Prasonisi. The southernmost tip of Rhodes. There is a peninsular connected to the main island by a sand bar. Unless you have a 4x4, think twice before driving your car across the sand bar. It becomes progressively less solid and it is easy to get stuck there in the sand.
• Epta Piges. (Seven springs) and that is literally all there is to see there except for a short forest walking trail. In the hot summer months, the cool shade provides a pleasant respite from the sun.
• Kamiros. Ancient ruins.
• Tsambika Peak.
• The Valley of the Butterflies. Since the butterflies - which are actually coloured moths - in this area need quiet for their procreation and since the area is visited by many tourists, the population of the Petaloudes "butterflies" is constantly on the decline, even to a degree that it does not make any sense anymore to go there, as you will hardly see any of the moths. It is still a beautiful area regardless.

• Sunbathing
• Horse Riding
• Swimming
• Snorkeling
• Diving
• Hiking
• Surfing and 'kitesurfing on the west coast and especially on the south end of the island
• Many hotels will offer activity programs
• Most tour operators will offer excursions
• Climb Mt Attavyros. A challenging 2-3 hr climb to the island's highest point (1215 m). On leaving Embonas on the road towards Siana, drive up one of the agricultural roads on the left and find a place to park. On foot, you continue up through the wine growing area in the obvious direction. There is no explicit marked path but red paint on rocks towards the top marks the best route. It is a steep climb with many large loose rocks. The descent can be especially tricky. It is also possible to drive up the mountain: the approach road comes from the South.
• Prasonisi Surfing and quiet un-spoiled beaches distant from the main tourism areas. This coastal region beach is beginning to develop with new hotels and villas belonging to people from Rhodes. The sandy shore from Gennadi to Prasonisi is among the last unspoiled stretches of coastline left on Rhodes.
• Kamiros and Mt. Profitis Ilias

• Sponges
• Ceramic watch for the many "Keramik factory" outlets along the roads).
• Olive oil
• Bottle of wine- local wines are famous (e.g. CAIR) and tasty
• Religious icons
• Jewelry stores are common, particularly in Rhodes Town
• Umbrellas - manufactured by the two large industries of the island (there is, though, a popular "joke" souvenir - on an island with 300+ sun days a year, these are rarely needed)
• Colorful sea shells are a popular souvenir item, but very many of them are actually imported, and have no authentic connection to the island whatsoever.
• Many brand name products for sale in the tourist shops may be fakes and/or unlicensed (t-shirts, towels, hand bags, and so on)

See the Eat section under each town or region of Rhodes for specific listings.

The tap water is drinkable and restaurants will serve glasses of ice water upon request. Local drinks include Mythos (beer), souma and Ouzo. Local wine is cheap and excellent.

Bars and restaurant listings can be found in the articles covering the different towns and regions of Rhodes

See individual towns for more accommodation options. For budget travellers, there is no longer a campground on the island but there is a youth hostel in Rhodes Old Town.

Rhodes is generally, quite safe, however vigilance is required in Faliraki, infamous for the lewd behavior of young, drunk, mainly British partiers attracted to the cheap alcohol and large numbers of small nightclubs. A string of crimes committed by these young tourists against locals, as well as against other tourists, gained national attention in the summer of 2003; they ranged from vandalism to serious acts of violence. Following this the local Police increased their presence to successfully crack down on such behavior - zero tolerance of bad behaviour is now in place. Expect a night in the cells and some heavy handed handling from the commando trained officers. For families with young children the best times to visit would be daytime even up to 22:00 local time when the clubbers tend to come out en masse.

• Many daily excursions via boat to all the Dodecanese Islands (Symi, Tilos, Halki, Kos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kastellorizo and other islands are offered from Rhodes city
• A ferry to Marmaris in Turkey is also available