Rhodes, one of the twelve islands of Greece, is located in the southeast of the Aegean Sea. It is famous for its rich history dating back to ancient times, clear sea, sun and natural beauties. Rhodes is a medieval city, It welcomes thousands of tourists every year with its magnificent beaches and lively streets. It is also one of the closest islands to Turkey but other We can say that it is more touristic compared to the nearby islands. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself among the tourist crowds on the streets of Lindos.
How and when to get to Rhodes Island?
Rhodes and the Greek Islands in general are ideal destinations for summer, but they are also very pleasant in spring. Keep in mind that both the ferries and the island can be crowded, especially during the summer months and holidays. If you are planning to go during these periods, buy your tickets in advance and make your reservations to avoid any surprises.
Flights from Turkey to Rhodes are made from Marmaris and Fethiye. The ferry ride takes about 2 hours. There are also flights from Bodrum from time to time. You can buy your tickets from authorized tour companies. You can find the most suitable ticket for you on Ferryscanner, ferries.gr or Yesil Marmaris Lines websites.
Don’t forget to buy your duty stamp online before you arrive at the port.
How many days should I allocate for Rhodes Island?
On a day trip you can only visit the northernmost port city, the center of the island. We recommend planning a trip of at least 3 nights and 4 days to fully understand the island. If you are planning to go to Symi Island, you can add +1 day to your plan.
Rhodes Accommodation:
There are five-star hotels in Ixia and Ialyssos, on the west coast of the island. For a more affordable and authentic experience, small hotels, hostels and apartments in or near Rhodes Town can be a good choice. In Lindos, boutique hotels with traditional Greek architecture are one of the best options. We stayed in an airbnb house in the village of Archangelos, between the center of Rhodes and Lindos. If you would like to review this house we are pleased with, you can reach here.
Our favorite restaurant on the island, it’s also a boutique hotel converted from an old Turkish house: Marco Polo Mansion/Restaurant – This is also a good choice for an authentic stay in the center.
Compared to the rest of the Greek islands, Rhodes stands out for its upscale restaurants with innovative and experimental cuisine. The most popular among them is Noble Gourmet, an award-winning restaurant; It is located in a 5 star hotel. We didn’t get to experience this place during our short visit, but when it comes to Rhodes and food, it’s a place that can’t go unmentioned.
Impressive Cuisine:
•Marco Polo Restaurant
•Rattan Cuisine Cocktail
•Eteon Greek
Restaurants/Taverns:
* Taverna Paraga, Apollona
* Palestra Restaurant, Lindos
* Votsalo Restaurant & Bar, Lachania
* To limeri tou listi, Profilia
* Kalypso Restaurant, Lindos
* Tamam Restaurant, Rhodes
Cafe:
* Monk Coffee, Rhodes
* Ginger, Lindos
* Rainbird, Lindos
A good alternative with Vegetarian/Vegan flavors is ONO by Marouli, Rhodes.
Street delicacies of Rhodes:
•Nom Street Food
•Urban Burger Bar
•Dromos
•Steki Fast Food
The ones on our list that we could not try:
•Noble Gourmet Restaurant
•Broccolino Restaurant
•Hellas, Pefki-Lindos
•Pasatempos, Kalamonas
•Kounna Beach Bar, Anthony Quinn Bay
•Pavo Cafe
•Piatakia, Rhodes
•Pane Vino, Rhodes
What to see:
– Mandraki Harbour, Statue of Rhodes, castle and windmills
– Palace of the Great Master of the Knights of Rhodes
– Knights Street and Maison de France
– Archaeological Museum
– Acropolis of Rhodes, Ancient theatre and stadium
– Suleymaniye Mosque & Fethi Pasha Library
– 7springs &Butterfly Valley
– An abandoned Italian settlement: Eleousa, Rhodes
– Acropolis of Lindos and the white streets of the village
– The southernmost peninsula of the island: Prasonisi
Our favorite bays:
Anthony Quinn Bay – Faliraki
St. Paul’s Bay – Lindos
Paralia Agios Pavlos – Lindos
Oasis Beach – Kallithea
Beaches that stand out for their wide sandy beaches and businesses:
Elli Beach, Rhodes
Lindos Beach, Lindos
Faliraki Beach
Pefki Beach
Tsambika
Afandou
Paralia Prasonisiou 🏄🏼♂️⛵️
One of the most popular villages on the island of Rhodes is Lindos. No trip to Rhodes is complete without a visit to Lindos, with its rich history, white houses, sea caves and impressive beaches.
Thought to have been founded in the 10th century BC, it is one of the most important places in Lindosad. Hellenistic columns, temple ruins, ancient theater, which have survived to the present day can be seen in the Acropolis.
Located 45 minutes drive from the center of Rhodes, you can reach this village with your own car, by sea or by bus. Once you arrive you can walk to most places, including the Acropolis and the beaches.
As it is a popular village, accommodation in Lindos is more costly than in other areas. We recommend that you start exploring these streets early in the morning (around 9am) as groups of tourists start arriving from early in the day and if you are going to enter Acrapolis, we recommend that you buy your ticket in advance. You can allocate 1 day for Lindos and its surroundings.
There are also pleasant beaches where you can spend the day after visiting the village. St. Paul’s Bay, Lindos Beach, Pallas Beach are the closest ones. Tambakio and Pefki are good options if you want to venture further afield by car. We tried Pefki.
Even if there is a business on the beaches throughout the island, you can swim for free without using an umbrella-lounger. Prices are usually around 15-20€ for 2 sunbeds and an umbrella. In most businesses, this amount is deducted from your purchases.
Lindos food and drink stops:
Coffee/bar: Ginger Lindos and Rainbird
We didn’t try it but it is a frequently recommended Italian restaurant: Broccolino
A family restaurant with aterrace view: Kalypso Restaurant
For fresh seafood by thebeach: Palestra
In the heart of the medieval city, converted from a historic Turkish building, Marco Polo Mansion & Restaurant.
Efi Dede, whom we identify with Marco Polo, welcomes us like an old friend. We move to one of the tables in their colorful gardens, as if we are meeting a beloved relative for a beautiful day.
Relaxing with good food in this garden, where the dim lights turn into a real masterpiece as it slowly gets dark, is a truly pleasant experience.
Let’s talk about the food! The menu consists of starters and main courses that you won’t find on other Greek islands. They tell you about the daily changing flavors that are not on the menu and the chef’s suggestions at your table.
What we tasted for starters: Octopus, Sea Bass Ceviche & Tuna Tartare
For the main courses, we tasted Lamb Chops and the fish dish of the day served with leeks.
For dessert we tried Crumble and a reinterpreted baklava. Although it is often disputed between Greece and Turkey who owns it, we can say that it is a very successful interpretation.
The eating and drinking experience ends sweetly when Efi, who colors the place with her character, offers some of her own liqueurs. We recommend this place to everyone, where we started our first day in Rhodes with a very impressive meal. Booking is a must, you can do it easily via email.
The hotel consists of carefully restored rooms. The building, once owned by a wealthy Turk, consists of the rooms of his servants and a harem. The restoration process was completed as faithful to the original as possible, without losing the characteristic features of the place. This care is clearly felt in the colors, materials and furniture used.
Let’s end with Lawrence Durrell’s quote from Rhodes, which almost summarizes this place: ”In Rhodes the days pass as softly as the fruit falling from the trees.”
When we were very impressed by Marco Polo, which we experienced on the first day in Rhodes, we asked Mrs. Efi, who took care of us, about the places she would recommend to us in Rhodes. The rest of the days we enthusiastically tried these suggestions.
Although we often choose the places we prefer on our travels based on our research, recommendations from locals are always very valuable. On our second day, after exploring Lindos and the beaches around the island, we head towards the village of Apollona and Taverna Paraga.
We should also mention that Rhodes has a lush green nature compared to the majority of Greek islands. Because as you move towards the villages in the interior, an impressive nature welcomes you.
Taverna Paraga is one of the places at the entrance of the village that respects this nature. A restaurant where you can find authentic and Rhodes-specific dishes, but also where the items on the menu are classified according to how local the ingredients used are. It is very successful to have flavors made entirely from ingredients produced in Rhodes. The majority of its workers are women from the village. It closes at 8pm, which is quite early compared to other taverns.
Ingredients are preferred from small producers. You can buy some of the products if you wish. Most of the delicacies on the menu are baked in Paraga’s stone oven, as are the breads, and they are all delicious.
As soon as you sit down at the table, they welcome you with a tarhana soup cooked with bone broth in a jug.Our choices from the menu were Rhodian bread and cheese dip plate, ‘Land of Apollona’ from salads, fried zucchini and lamb prepared specially for that day. As on most islands, the traditional dishes prepared with lamb and goat meat in the mountain villages are also prominent here. The portions are very very big, be warned 🙂
The wine menu offers a selection of wines from different parts of the Mediterranean.
We are in Éteòn, which we visited on the last evening in Rhodes. This is a new generation Greek taverna and experience venue.
Éteòn, in ancient Greek, means authentic, that which is real and original. The restaurant has reflected this in its menu and you can taste good examples of Greek cuisine classics. Apart from the classics, there are also lesser known local flavors and local wines. Éteòn also has a shop where you can buy local products.
Minimal but impressive decoration. It is especially pleasant to watch the open kitchen, where the use of fire is at the forefront.
The menu is divided according to ingredients and cooking methods. We tried “shrimp saganaki” from seafood, “lamb kleftiko” from bakery, “Greek salad” from salads and “Open baklava” from desserts.
Biz daha klasiklerden gittik ancak menüdeki daha az bilinen ürünleri tercih etmek mantıklı olabilir.
In ancient Greece, bread was of great importance, in fact all meals were seen as an accompaniment to bread. At Eteon, a snack platter of sourdough bread, olives and dips is served as soon as you sit down at the table.
The preparation of the Greek salad at your table with all the ingredients and the Lamb Kleftiko cooked in paper, one of the most delicious dishes we ate on the island, were the details that stayed in our minds.
The average bill for a meal for two with a glass of wine is €70
Two of the largest islands in Greece and close to Turkey; We compared Lesbos and Rhodes. Which isyour favourite?
Rhodes with its fine dining, nature discoveries and historical richness?
Lesvos with its budget-friendly, modest tavernas and quiet villages?
You can findour review in the video with the link below.
– Mandraki Harbour, Statue of Rhodes, castle and windmills
– Palace of the Great Master of the Knights of Rhodes
– Knights Street and Maison de France
– Archaeological Museum
– Acropolis of Rhodes, Ancient theatre and stadium
– Suleymaniye Mosque & Fethi Pasha Library
– 7springs &Butterfly Valley
– An abandoned Italian settlement: Eleousa, Rhodes
– Acropolis of Lindos and the white streets of the village
– The southernmost peninsula of the island: Prasonisi
Rhodes Old Town: A UNESCO World Heritage site, Rhodes Old Town is famous for its medieval streets and historic buildings. Palace of the Grand Masters and Archaeological Museum of Rhodes are among the must-see sights in Rhodes.
Lindos: Famous for its ancient acropolis, whitewashed houses and blue flag beaches. Lindos is one of the most popular tourist centers of Rhodes;
Seven Springs & Butterfly Valley: Inhabited by rare species of butterflies, this natural reservation is well worth a visit, especially during the migration period of butterflies in summer. Even if it is not possible to see butterflies, it is very pleasant to walk around this valley. If it is not a season when butterflies can be seen, they say so at the box office before you buy tickets.
Seven Springs / Epta Piges is another delightful route, featuring an artificial pond fed by water from the surrounding springs. You can swim here, but first you have to walk through a 200m tunnel on foot and get your feet wet. We do not recommend it for those who are afraid of staying indoors, if you are thinking of going in, you better wear something resistant to water on your feet.
Ancient Kamiros: One of Rhodes’ most important archaeological sites, Kamiros is the perfect place to explore ancient Greek urban life;
