With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, Rhodes, fittingly, gives praise to Greek sun god Helios. Beyond the myriad beaches, lies historical drawcards such as the ancient Acropolis of Lindos and Europe’s best-preserved and liveliest medieval city.
Inland offerings are plentiful too, ranging from a remote traditional village whose women’s cooperative remains faithful to age-old recipes, to a young vintner quietly spreading the word on wine produced with the island’s little-known grape varieties. For active travellers, Rhodes delivers hiker-approved coastlines, where fascinating little monasteries and phenomenal sea views are the reward for a day’s trek.
Here, our experts select the best of the lot.
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Best for history
Rhodes Old Town
Consider hiring a resident licensed guide to introduce you to the living, breathing Unesco World Heritage-listed medieval old town. Archaeologist and guide Portokalenia Vratsali, who painstakingly documented the artefacts in the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, will passionately regale you with the finer details of Palace of the Grand Master, the 11th-century Church of Our Lady of the Castle and the Rhodes Jewish Museum. Walking with her down the Street of the Knights to the museum, you’ll catch yourself turning around, expecting a cavalier on horseback to clip across the cobblestones any minute.
Website: odysseus.culture.gr
Price: £-££
Acropolis of Lindos
Situated atop 116m-tall cliffs above Lindos town, the Acropolis of Lindos is Rhodes’s most significant archaeological site. The presence of the ancients is palpable as you walk about the 4th-century Temple of Athena Lindia, the Propylaea and a Hellenistic Stoa. The dramatic spectacle of two natural harbours from above reveals why the Knights converted the sanctuary into a stronghold. In summer, it’s best to visit after 2pm once cruise ship passengers have departed from the site. Afterwards, pop into Gelo Blu for artisanal gelato made with fresh fruit.
Website: odysseus.culture.gr
Price: £
Monolithos Castle
Clamber about the wind-sculpted rocks and scarce remains of Monolithos Castle, a once-mighty outpost erected by Grand Master d’Aubusson in 1476. Only part of the external walls of the fortifications are still standing yet it’s worth the trek for the remarkable views of the Aegean, Halki Island and Mount Akramytis. Curiously, some say the name refers to a mysterious black monolith the Knights brought from the Holy Land and buried there. Spend the day swimming at Fourni Beach, below Monolithos village, before traipsing up to the castle to behold a sublime sunset.
Price: £
Best for culture
Panagia Tsambika
Rhodians hold the local Virgin Mary, Panagia Tsambika, in great reverence, and here, at Panagia Tsambika monastery, Orthodox faithful hike 300 (fairly flat) steps to reach its chapel on top of a lofty peak. Bring your camera to capture staggeringly beautiful views of expansive Tsambika Beach and its ultramarine waters from the top; on a clear day, Lindos is visible. At a newer monastery nearby, women hang votives around an icon of the Virgin, believing it possesses a miracle-working power to grant them fertility.
Opening times: Original monastery, all day; new monastery, daily, 8am-8pm
Price: Free
Archangelos Folk Museum
Take a peek into the island’s past at the Archangelos Folk Museum, housed in an early 19th-century home. Founded by Vasilis Anastopoulos, it contains traditional island costumes, hand-painted ceramics and embroidered pillows from the 18th to 20th centuries, among other all-original exhibits. Highlights include intricately woven bridal wear from the wider Dodecanese island region, including a dress from Kalymnos dating to 1880.
Young locals like Vasilis are involved in the museum’s day-to-day workings, so don’t be shy to strike up a conversation and ask them to tell you about the village’s history, specific exhibits and how they’re assisting to keep traditions alive.
Contact: Agiou Antoniou St, Archangelos; 00 30 693 804 7639; facebook.com/Archangelosfolkmuseum
Opening times: Fridays, 9am-3pm (calling ahead recommended)
Price: £
Best for foodies
Estate Anastasia Triantafyllou
Young vintner Jason Zafeirakopoulos brings a soft-spoken enthusiasm for the delicate white, red and semi-sweet wines his family produces at small-scale Estate Anastasia Triantafyllou, located near the Valley of the Butterflies. A Rhodian representative of Greece’s highly dedicated new generation of winemakers, he orchestrates wine tastings (book in advance) for small groups on a breezy patio looking out over sun-kissed rows of vines. You won’t find Triantafyllou wines anywhere else, so pick up a bottle of Mandilari, an intense, tannin-rich red produced with indigenous local grape Mandilaria, which tastes of sour cherry and blackcurrant and ages sweetly.
Website: estateanastasia.com
Price: £-££
Farm-to-fork cooking classes
Gather your tribe for a fun-filled al-fresco cooking class and lunch focused on classic Greek dishes at a 1950s farmstead in Archangelos village. Tour the farm, collect vegetables from the organic garden and savour the aroma of wild herbs. Youngsters can get to know the farm animals and collect freshly laid eggs. Among the Rhodes specialities you might expect to prepare are giaprakia (rice-stuffed vine leaves). If cooking isn’t your thing, opt for a sommelier-led Greek wine-tasting experience where you can sample local cheese, cold cuts and olives.
Website: rhodescookingclass.com
Price: ££
Apollona Women’s Agritourism Cooperative
Make your way to traditional Apollona village, thought to be named after Apollo, the mythological god of light. Here, at the Apollona Women’s Agritourism Cooperative, you might happen upon the lovely ladies at the cooperative making a batch of melekouni (a Rhodian sesame and honey sweet originally reserved for weddings) or loaves of holy bread, known as prosforo, for the church. As well as the melekouni, it’s worth grabbing a bag of crisp carrot- or orange-flavoured koulourakia (cookies), best savoured with coffee. You can also pick up goods from the cooperative at the Apolloniatisses store in Rhodes Town (68 Apostolou Pavlou Steet).
Other must-tries in Apollona include the farm-to-fork fare at Paraga, and the ruby red Athlos at Piperis winery; it’s a revelation.
Contact: Cooperative, 00 30 22460 91284; store, 00 30 22410 64322
Opening times: Cooperative, Mon-Sat, 8.30am-6pm. Store, Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm; Tue, Thu & Fri, 5pm-8pm; Sat, 9am-2pm
Best outdoor adventures
Boat trips
Rhodes is surrounded by half a dozen idyllic isles that can be easily reached on a half- or full-day excursion leaving from the main harbour. Sea Dreams sail over to Symi, with its pastel-coloured Neo-Classical mansions and tavernas serving fresh grilled shrimp. Alternatively, you can reach Fethiye in Turkey (bring your passport) in two hours, where cliff faces carved with spectacular Lycian rock tombs and silky sand beaches are close by – these include the Blue Lagoon, so-called for its sheltered position and striking turquoise waters.
Website: seadreams.gr; makritravel.com
Price: ££–£££
Valley of the Butterflies
The Valley of the Butterflies is wonderfully intriguing. Walk the mile-long pathway through forest alongside a creek up to Kalopetra Monastery, keeping your eyes peeled for the well-camouflaged Panaxia quadripunctaria, actually a species of jersey tiger moth. Silence is golden, particularly during the May to September breeding season, the only period you may catch sight of the elusive creature. It’s still worth visiting at other times of the year, however, particularly on a warm day. Start from the bottom of the trail and walk up to the on-site Museum of Natural History, where children can pore over a moth hatchery.
Website: butterfliesrhodes.gr
Price: £
Profitis Ilias
Take a refreshing drive inland through pine and fir forests toward Profitis Ilias, Rhodes’ third-tallest mountain. Stop first at a fountain where you can see gizani, a tiny, rare species of fish found only in Rhodes, then visit Eleousa village square to walk through an abandoned Italian occupation-era building. If you have time, drive a little further to marvel at fading Byzantine frescoes in minuscule 15th-century Agios Nikolaos Foundoukli chapel. Pack a picnic and spread it out on one of the tables opposite the church below centuries-old plane trees. Note that the temperature can be a good five degrees lower here.
Price: Free
Rhode Trip
Few venture to the island’s rugged western coast, but it’s worth the effort. Rhode Trip specialises in hiking trips and offers a full-day guided tour from traditional Kritinia village through peaceful pine-studded forests down to pebbled Glyfada Beach. Tour guides Vasilis and Alex enthusiastically convey in-depth knowledge of their native Rhodes and you’ll learn about the island’s rich flora and fauna, including the fallow deer. Lunch at a seaside taverna encompasses local chickpea dish, pitaroudia, and there are plenty of panoramic views along the way. Private, customised tours are also available, ranging from one day to several, with varying levels of difficulty.
Website: rhodetrip.gr
Price: ££
Best for families
Natural springs
Epta Piges makes for a diversion that children, especially, will find fun. The name refers to seven springs that flow from the Loutani River through thick woodlands down a creek and feed a man-made lake, originally created to provide water to nearby Kolymbia. Take off your shoes and walk through the narrow tunnel along which the water runs. Cool off below the artificial waterfall then head up to the springs, where a wooden bridge links the banks of a gully, to quench your thirst. While there, you can stop by the taverna (run by the Petas family since 1945) for chargrilled goat chops.
Price: Free
Throne of Helios
With a name inspired by the ancient god of the sun, this 9D cinema offers an entertaining way for youngsters to learn about Greek myths and legends and Rhodes and its long history. AI-powered seats provide an even more interactive experience of the big screen action, which entails two movies shown in 30 minutes. Factor in time for a tour of the museum, where touchscreens reveal more on Helios and the island. When it’s sizzling hot outdoors or in the rare event of rain, it’s an enjoyable way to spend time with the kids.
Website: throneofhelios.com
Price: £
How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.