Rhodes, Dodecanese
Gate of Amboise in Rhodes Old Town, Greece (51699459120).jpg · dronepicr · CC BY 2.0

Dodecanese

Rhodes: the walled medieval city, and the small islands beyond

A medieval walled city that survived almost intact, and a gateway to the small Dodecanese islands most of its visitors never see.

Rhodes is best known for the large, anonymous beach resorts along its coast, and they are not the reason to come. The medieval city of Rhodes Town is the reason: extraordinarily well preserved, and a natural short stop, either on its own or strung together with stays on the smaller islands nearby.

Staying within reach of the compact, walled medieval city, the nucleus of Rhodes Town, is what makes a short stop here work. As a legacy of the crusading Knights of Saint John, this area was their main operational base from 1309 to 1522. The list of monuments worth visiting is longer than any page can hold, but the names alone carry it. Medieval engravings on the exterior and interior marble staircase leading to rooms filled with exquisite mosaics and opulent furnishings can be studied at The Palace of the Grand Masters. Passing along the Street of the Knights, first the Archaeological Museum, then the Decorative Arts Collection and then the Byzantine Museum are all essential. The list goes on, which is the argument for arriving with a decent guide book. An alternative to staying in Rhodes Town would be to opt for accommodation in Lindos. Located some 50 kms south of Rhodes Town, Lindos provides a mix of history and beaches. The village itself is pedestrianised and consists of narrow, cobbled streets amidst a maze of beautiful, small whitewashed houses. A visit to the Acropolis ruins that dominate the skyline above the village is a must.

Hire a car for a day or two and one can visit the beautiful, traditional, unspoilt villages in the interior of Rhodes Island. Steer well clear of the mass market, beach resort areas, head inland and the hilly, wooded interior will reveal such delights at Platania and Apollona as well as temples and monasteries.

Rhodes can be combined with Athens, Astypalea, Chalki, Crete, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Patmos, Tilos, Samos, Lesvos, Leros & Symi.

Things to do

Rhodes offers many possibilities for excursions and activities, the most-taken being the half-day guided City Tour, which concentrates on the sites inside the medieval city.

Other land based excursions include Lindos and a full day visiting the traditional villages inland. Day trips by boat are extensive including a 5 hour cruise of Rhodes’ coastline including beautiful bays and beaches, Marmaris in Turkey and the islands of Symi, Kos, Kalymnos, Leros, Lipsi, Patmos, Kastelorizo and Tilos.

Islands that pair with Rhodes

13 routes

Rhodes: the practical questions

How do you get to Rhodes?
Direct flights from the UK all season, which is why Rhodes is the gateway for the whole southern Dodecanese. Onward ferries and short flights reach Symi, Chalki, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Tilos, Patmos and Leros from here.

Is Rhodes worth it if resorts are not the appeal?
The large anonymous beach resorts along the coast are not the reason to come and are easily avoided. The medieval city of Rhodes Town is: a compact walled quarter that was the main operational base of the Knights of Saint John from 1309 to 1522, and one of the best-preserved of its kind anywhere.

What should you see inside the walls?
The Palace of the Grand Masters, with medieval engravings and a marble staircase leading to rooms of mosaics and furnishings. Then the Street of the Knights, and along it the Archaeological Museum, the Decorative Arts Collection and the Byzantine Museum. A decent guide book earns its place here more than on most islands.

Where should you stay?
Within reach of the walled city, which is what makes a short stop work. The alternative is Lindos, fifty kilometres south, a pedestrianised village of narrow cobbled streets and small whitewashed houses beneath an acropolis, which combines history with beaches.

What is there beyond the coast?
Traditional villages in the wooded interior. Head inland from the resort strip and the hill villages reveal places like Platania and Apollona, along with temples and monasteries. The standard organised excursion is the half-day guided City Tour, which concentrates on the medieval city.

How does Rhodes fit an island-hopping route?
As an anchor. It connects to more Dodecanese islands than anywhere else, so a route built out from Rhodes has the most ways to change plan when a sailing is cancelled. See island hopping for the full map.

More of the Dodecanese