With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, Rhodes fittingly praises the Greek sun god Helios. In addition to the countless beaches, there are historical attractions such as the ancient Acropolis of Lindos and the best preserved and liveliest medieval city in Europe. On the northeast coast, a trek to a hilltop monastery rewards you with phenomenal beach scenery. The inland offering is plentiful: from a remote traditional village whose women's cooperative remains faithful to age-old recipes, to a young vintner quietly spreading the word about wine produced from the island's little-known grape varieties. Meanwhile, the pristine, windswept west coast is a hiker's dream.
For more Rhodes inspiration, check out our guides to the best hotels, restaurants, nightlife and beaches.
Find what to do by area
Rhodes town
Experience the medieval city with an expert
Devour any guidebooks you like, but consider hiring a licensed guide to introduce you to the living, breathing medieval Old Town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeologist guide Portokalenia Vratsali will passionately delight you with the finer details of important sights such as the Palace of the Grand Master, the 11th-century Church of Our Lady of the Castle and the Jewish Museum of Rhodes.
Insider tip: The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, whose artefacts Portokalenia has painstakingly documented, is a must visit. As you walk with her through the Street of the Knights to the museum, you find yourself turning around expecting a cavalier on horseback to clip over the cobblestones at any moment.
Contact: odysseus.cultuur.gr
Price: £-££
Northeast coast
Pay your respects to a wonderful icon
Rhodians have great reverence for the local Virgin Mary, Panagia Tsambika. Orthodox believers walk 300 steps to reach the Panagia Tsambika Monastery and its chapel atop a high peak. At a newer monastery nearby, women hang votives around an icon of the Virgin, believing it has miraculous power to grant them fertility. Tsambika or Tsambikos is a common first name in Rhodes.
Insider tip: Capture stunning views of the expansive Tsambika Beach and its ultramarine waters from the original monastery; on a clear day Lindos is visible. Bring water for the hike, which is easier than it sounds as the steps are fairly flat.
Contact: New Monastery, 00 30 22440 22340
Opening hours: Original monastery, all day; new monastery, daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m
Price: Free
Northern Rhodes
Find a butterfly-like moth
Young people find the Butterfly Valley intriguing. Walk the kilometer-long path through the forest along a creek up to the Kalopetra Monastery. Keep your eyes peeled for the well-camouflaged Panaxia Quadripunctaria, actually a type of jersey tiger moth. Silence is worth its weight in gold, especially during the breeding season from May to September, the only time when you can see this elusive creature.
Insider tip: At other times of the year it is still worth visiting, especially on a warm day. Start at the bottom of the path and walk to the local Natural History Museum, where children can delve into a moth farm.
Contact: butterfliesrhodes.gr
Price: £
Drink from natural sources
Epta pigeons provides a distraction that children will especially enjoy. The name refers to seven springs that flow from the Loutani River through dense forests along a creek and feed an artificial lake, originally created to supply water to nearby Kolymbia. Take off your shoes and walk through the narrow tunnel through which the water flows.
Insider tip: Cool off under the man-made waterfall and then head to the springs, where a wooden bridge connects the banks of a gully, to quench your thirst. While you're there, stop at the taverna (run by the Petas family since 1945) for grilled goat chops.
Taste some refined island wine
Young vintner Jason Zafeirakopoulos brings a softly spoken enthusiasm for the delicate white, red and semi-sweet wines his family produces at the small-scale Estate Anastasia Triantafyllou, located near the Butterfly Valley. As a Rhodian representative of Greece's fiercely dedicated new generation of winemakers, he deftly orchestrates wine tastings for small groups on an airy terrace overlooking sun-drenched rows of vines.
Insider tip: Pick up a bottle of Mandilari, an intense, tannic red produced with the indigenous local grape Mandilaria, which tastes of tart cherry and blackcurrant and ripens sweetly. You won't find Triantafyllou wines anywhere else, so they make an excellent gift.
Contact: estateanastasia.com
Opening hours: Wine tastings must be booked in advance
Price: £-££
Taste traditional Rhodian sweets
Go to the traditional Apollona village, believed to be named after Apollo, the mythological god of light. At the Apollona Women's Agritourism Cooperative you will find melekouni (a Rhodian sesame and honey sweet originally reserved for weddings) and other delicacies. Farm-to-table lunch in Paraga, then head to the Piperis winery for a bottle of ruby Athlos; it's a revelation.
Insider tip: You might come across the lovely ladies from the co-op making a batch of melekouni or sacred breads, known as prosforo, in front of the church. Grab a bag of crunchy carrot or orange flavor Koulourakia (cookies), best with coffee. You can also pick up goods from the cooperative at the Apolloniatisses store in Rhodes Town (68 Apostolou Pavlou Steet).
Contact: Cooperative, 00 30 22460 91284; Shop, 00 30 22410 64322
Opening hours: Cooperative, Mon-Sat, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm. Shop, Mon-Fri, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm; Tues, Thurs & Fri, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM; Sat, 9am - 2pm
Picnic in the mountains
Take a refreshing drive inland through pine and pine forests towards Profitis Ilias, the third highest mountain in Rhodes. First stop at a fountain where you can see gizani, a small, rare fish species found only on Rhodes. On the village square of Eleousa you walk carefully through an abandoned building from the Italian occupation. Drive a little further and admire the fading Byzantine frescoes in the tiny 15th-century Agios Nikolaos Foundoukli Chapel.
Insider tip: The temperature here can be more than five degrees lower. Pack a picnic and spread it out on one of the tables opposite the church, under centuries-old plane trees. The views of the hinterland are restorative for the soul. There is even a playground.
Southeast coast
Witness an ancient miracle
Located atop the 116-meter-high cliffs above Lindos town, the Acropolis of Lindos is Rhodes' most important archaeological site. The presence of the ancients is palpable as you walk through the fourth-century Temple of Athena Lindia, the Propylaea and a Hellenistic Stoa. The dramatic spectacle of two natural harbors from above reveals why the Knights turned the sanctuary into a stronghold.
Insider tip: In summer, visit after 2:00 PM once cruise ship passengers have left the site. It's quite a hike, but it's better to skip a donkey ride to the entrance. Then head to Gelo Blu for artisanal gelato made with fresh fruit.
Contact: odysseus.cultuur.gr
Price: £
west coast
Catch a sunset atop castle ruins
Clamber over the wind-sculpted rocks and sparse remains of Monolithos Castle, a once mighty outpost built by Grand Master d'Aubusson in 1476. Only part of the outer walls of the fortifications still stand, but it's worth the trek for the remarkable views of the Aegean Sea, Halki Island and Mount Akramytis. There is a small white chapel dedicated to Saint Panteleimon.
Insider tip: Spend the day swimming at Fourni beach, below the village of Monolithos, before strolling to the castle to watch a sublime sunset. Some say the name refers to a mysterious black monolith that the knights brought from the Holy Land and buried there.
Conquer the island's wild west
Few venture to the rugged west coast. Specializing in walking tours, Rhode Trip offers an easy guided day trip from the traditional village of Kritinia through peaceful pine-dotted forests to the pebbly beach of Glyfada. You will enjoy panoramic views and learn about the island's rich flora and fauna, including fallow deer. Lunch in a seaside taverna consists of a local chickpea dish, pitaroudia.
Insider tip: Guides Vasilis and Alex enthusiastically convey in-depth knowledge of their native Rhodes and are happy to organize tailor-made private tours for families and groups of friends. These can vary from one day to several days, with different levels of difficulty.
How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to bring you 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 traveler. We update this list regularly to stay informed of the latest vacancies and to provide current recommendations.
