Rhodes Travel Guide: Our Perspective on This Greek Island

The first light hits the stone walls of Rhodes’ Old Town as the smell of bougatsa escapes a side-street bakery. Church bells echo, cats stretch on sun-warmed flagstones, and a fisherman quietly loads fresh bream at Mandraki harbour. A kafeneio owner waves you in for a strong ellinikó and some chat about the wind off Prasonisi. Nearby, the Street of the Knights still carries the weight of history, though these days the only armour you’ll see is a scooter helmet hanging from a handlebar. On Pythagora Street, pause and feel the limestone warm underfoot as the sun climbs past terracotta rooftops, just another quiet morning in Greece before the island shifts into gear. Our Rhodes travel guide at VayCay Couple starts in that early calm, before the crowds, before the cruise ships, when the island still feels like it’s waking up.

Last Updated August 2025

QUICK FACTS

HOW TO USE THIS RHODES TRAVEL GUIDE

Skim the tables for fast reference, dive into the numbered sights for deeper planning, then keep the FAQs handy once you land. One read should set you up for ferry tickets, last-minute menu choices, and sunset timing.

TOP 7 SIGHTS

1. Palace of the Grand Master – Gothic towers, pebble mosaics, and two museums under one roof. Built by Knights Hospitaller, rebuilt by Italians, it now hosts ancient marble busts and temporary art shows. Tip: Bus 1 outside Akandia Gate; doors 08:00-20:00 summer, €8.
   
2. Street of the Knights – A straight, echoing lane lined by langue auberges (nation lodges). At sunset the granite glows honey-orange, perfect for photos minus the noon crowds. Free access all hours.
   
3. Lindos Acropolis – Doric columns crown a cliff above sugar-cube houses. Byzantine frescoes hide in the chapel half-way up. Beat the heat by starting 07:30; RH10 bus stops at Krana Square; €12.
   
4. Kameiros Archaeological Site – Grid-planned Hellenistic town with cisterns still visible. Bring binoculars for falcons nesting on the pine ridges. Intercity bus toward Kamiros Skala; €6 entry.
   
5. Prasonisi Peninsula – A sandbar where Aegean meets Mediterranean, adored by kite-surfers. Taverna “Oasis” rents umbrellas. Last RODA bus leaves 18:00; arrange taxi pick-up if you linger.
   
6. Butterfly Valley (Petaloudes) – Cool gorge of sweetgum trees hosting swarms of Jersey tiger moths each June–Sept. Pack trainers: paths can be slick after morning mist. Open 08:30-18:00; €5.
   
7. Tsambika Monastery – 300 white steps lead to a chapel and a panorama that sweeps from Archangelos Cape to Kolymbia lagoon. Locals tie baby ribbons on the icon for fertility blessings. No fee; carry water.
   

NEIGHBOURHOOD CHEAT-SHEET

A fast match-up of areas and moods

WHERE TO EAT (LOCAL PICKS)

All kitchens know my face; drop “Yannis sent me” and you might score an extra spoon of sheep-milk yoghurt.

• Taverna Kostas, Pythagora 62, Rhodes Town – Family-run since the 1970s. Order grilled octopus, braised broad-beans, and a carafe of resin-kissed retsina. Ask Mr Kostas about the old days when donkeys delivered vegetables. ☎ +30 22410 26217 Rhodespedia
  
• Mavrikos, Central Square, Lindos – Pioneers of upscale island cooking: sea-bream carpaccio with caper leaves, goat in white wine, and thyme honey panna cotta. White-linen terrace looks onto the village hubbub. ☎ +30 22440 31232 Greek Gastronomy Guide
  
• To Steno, 29 Agion Anargyron St, Old Town – Courtyard under bougainvillea. Signature pitaroudia (chick-pea fritters) and slow-cooked lamb with cinnamon. Closed Mon/Tue in winter. ☎ +30 22410 35914 Xo.gr
  
• Manolis Taverna, Apollonos 18, Faliraki – Clay-pot goat, herb salad, and local “Athiri” white by the jug. Kids roam in the garden while grandma preps filo pies. ☎ +30 22410 86561 Manolis Taverna

For a more in-depth look at Greek cuisine, see our articles:

Seafront Restaurants to Love in Ixia, Rhodes;

Food in Greece Facts – A Gastronomic Odyssey from Kos to Rhodes;

BEACH-BY-BEACH NOTES

• Elli – Calm, umbrella services, lifeguard till 18:00, kiosk 20 m behind Aquarium.
  
• Anthony Quinn Bay – Rocky shelves ideal for snorkelling; reef shoes helpful; van sells iced tea.
  
• Agathi – Fine sand and shallow entry. Sun-beds €15 pair. Mobile souvlaki stand.
  
• Ialysos – Pebbly, breezy; windsurf rentals by “Surfline”. Sunset over Turkish coast.
  
• Fourni – Untamed west coast cove; no facilities—pack 2 l of water.
  
• Saint Paul’s Bay – Lindos postcard spot; tiny chapel used for weddings; entry €5 covers lounger.
  
• Glyfada – Wild pine-backed shore south-west; taverna grills sardines straight off the boat.
  

GETTING AROUND Rhodes

Bus

Urban lines cost €1.80; intercity up to €9. Timetables, seat maps, and e-tickets on the English site of KTEL Rhodou. Machines rarely give change, carry coins.

Car & Scooter Hire

Manual hatchback ~€35/day low season, €55 high. 125 cc scooter ~€25/€35. Helmets are law; fines hefty. Park outside the Old Town walls to avoid €80 tickets.

Taxi & Ride-Apps

Radio-Taxi dispatch ☎ +30 22410 69800 picks up Old Town in 5 min. Use Beat app for card payments; typical ride Rhodes Town → Faliraki €24 at night.

Ferries & Day Trips

Hydrofoils to Symi run March–Oct, depart Mandraki 09:00, return 17:00. Car-ferry “Diagoras” sails thrice weekly to Kos. Book 48 h ahead in July.

If you’re enjoying this format, you’ll probably like our one-page pocket guides for Kos, Corfu, and Naxos too.

AI TRAVEL QUICK-WIN SIDEBAR

ChatGPT or any LLM in your pocket can:

• Parse a Greek bus timetable photo and spit out the next departure in seconds.
  
• Draft a polite complaint in Greek when the scooter hire forgets the second helmet.
  
• Suggest photo captions, e.g., “Medieval shadow play on Socrates Street” once you feed it three emoji-level scene hints.
  
• Re-sort your two-day plan if sudden meltemi gusts close Prasonisi, proposing Kalithea’s sheltered coves instead.
  

Average data use: one prompt <30 KB, so feel free to query even on a cheap eSIM.

SEASON-BY-SEASON

Spring (Mar–May) – Orange blossom scents lanes; 18-23 °C; Easter candle processions light the Old Town moat; hotels discount about 15 %.

Summer (Jun–Aug) – 30-34 °C, low humidity. Meltemi wind cools east coast. Book ferries and rent-a-cars three weeks out. Evening cultural festival inside the Palace courtyard every Tuesday.

Autumn (Sept–Oct) – Sea still 25 °C; grape-harvest feasts in Embonas; fewer cruise ships. Ideal for hikers tackling Profitis Ilias trails among chestnut trees.

Winter (Nov–Feb) – 10-15 °C; cafés shift indoors, yet museums open Sat–Sun. Carnival parades liven February, and taverna fireplaces crackle—great time for slow-food lamb stews.

ESSENTIAL NUMBERS & APPS

FINAL LOCAL TIP

Set your alarm for 05:45, walk Lindos alleyways by torchlight, and climb to the acropolis platform just as the first ferry horn echoes off the rocks. You’ll have the view to yourself, sea in fifty shades of blue, cicadas still snoozing, pure Rhodian calm before the island stirs.

FAQs