Best Things to Do in Rhodes (2026 Guide)

The best things to do in Rhodes begin with its medieval Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site encircled by 4 km of 15th-century fortifications. The Avenue of the Knights (Ippoton Street) — a perfectly preserved medieval cobbled street lined with the inns of the Crusader orders of France, Italy, England, Provence, Germany, and Auvergne — is unparalleled in Europe. The Grand Masters Palace at the street’s top was rebuilt by Mussolini in the 1930s but houses an extraordinary collection of Byzantine and early Christian mosaics from Kos. The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes (in the Knights’ medieval hospital) holds the Aphrodite of Rhodes — a 2nd-century BC marble figure considered one of antiquity’s finest. Lindos Acropolis (accessible by donkey from the village or by stepped path) has a 4th-century BC Doric temple to Athena Lindia on a 116 m cliff above one of the Aegean’s most beautiful natural harbours. The Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes, 25 km southwest of Rhodes Town) hosts millions of jersey tiger moths from June-September.

Best time to visit

May-June and September-October are Rhodes’ finest months: warm (24-28°C), calm Aegean Sea, uncrowded beaches and sights. July-August is high season — extremely hot (33-38°C), crowded at Lindos (the donkeys are overwhelmed; walking is preferable), and accommodation prices are at maximum. Rhodes’ sunshine record is exceptional: the island averages 300+ days of sunshine per year and the east coast beaches remain pleasant well into November. November-March is quiet and mild (14-18°C) — the Old Town is extraordinary without tourists but some restaurants and accommodation close.

Getting around

Rhodes International Airport (Diagoras) is 16 km from Rhodes Town, served by direct flights from most major European airports (Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 from UK airports) and by Olympic Air/Aegean from Athens (55 minutes). KTEL buses run from the Eastern and Western Bus Stations in Rhodes Town to main island destinations (Lindos, Faliraki, Kolymbia). Rental cars and scooters are the best way to explore the island independently — available widely in Rhodes Town. The coastal road south from Rhodes Town (E95 on the east coast) is excellent for independent exploration. Catamarans connect Rhodes to Kos, Symi, and other Dodecanese islands seasonally.

What to eat and drink

Rhodes has a distinct local cuisine with Turkish and Italian (the island was Italian 1912-1943) culinary influences alongside Greek traditions. Pitaroudia (chickpea fritters with mint and capers), melekouni (sesame and honey wedding sweets), and afelia (pork braised in red wine with coriander seeds) are island specialities. The Old Town’s Diakou Street and the surrounding labyrinth has excellent meze tavernas — Stis Oras on Platanos square in Lindos serves some of the most reliable island-view dining. For fish and seafood: the harbour of Kameiros Skala on the west coast (outside tourist season) is where local fishermen sell directly. The Athena restaurant in Archangelos village, 28 km south of Rhodes Town, is a reliable authentic Greek meal away from the tourist circuit. Rhodes wine production (Athiri white, CAIR Mouscat Spumante) is modest but interesting; the Emery Winery in Emponas produces the most serious island wines.

Areas to explore

Rhodes Old Town — The Avenue of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master, the Archaeological Museum, and the Turkish Quarter (Socratous Street) with its mosques, hammams, and the Suleymaniye Mosque. Freely explorable on foot in 2-3 hours.

Lindos — The acropolis, the whitewashed village below it, and the two beaches: Lindos Main Beach (sheltered, clear, tourist-facing) and St. Paul’s Bay (where Paul landed in AD 43, a smaller bay around the headland). 50 km south of Rhodes Town.

Faliraki / Anthony Quinn Bay — Faliraki itself is a resort town; Anthony Quinn Bay (Vagies Bay, 3 km south) is a small cove of clear water where Quinn filmed The Guns of Navarone and The Beachcombers, partially landscaped by the actor himself.

Prasonisi — The southernmost point of Rhodes, where the Aegean and Mediterranean meet. A natural sandbar connecting a small island to the mainland (submerged in winter). World-class windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions.

Monolithos Castle — A Crusader castle on a 236 m clifftop on the west coast, 80 km from Rhodes Town. One of the most dramatic castle ruins in the Aegean, almost entirely tourist-free outside high season.

Kamiros — One of the three ancient cities of Rhodes (with Lindos and Ialyssos). A 5th-century BC Doric city completely excavated — streets, houses, and public buildings visible at a scale no other Greek site outside Athens matches.