Things to do in Rhodes
As the 4th largest Greek island and the 9th largest island in the Mediterranean overall, Rhodes has something for everyone. Rhodes is the 2nd easternmost Greek island and is situated a mere 18km from Turkish shores making it far closer to Turkey than Greece's capital of Athens. In fact, Rhodes was actually under Turkish occupation until 1912 after over 4 centuries under Turkish rule. From historical sites to gorgeous beaches, a majestic old town to spectacular viewpoints, Rhodes is a Greek island you can't afford to miss.
Rhodes Old Town
As mentioned above Rhodes old town is majestic! As a World Heritage Site the old town offers a labyrinth of cobbled streets surrounded by high city walls with a gentle buzz of people which soon bursts into life the closer you get to the heart of the city.
There are small shops selling everything from your standard fridge magnets and bottle openers to local products such as sea sponges and locally sourced wines. They line the streets and the friendly owners treat you like a family member which almost makes you feel obliged to purchase something. It was so easy to get lost in the aura that the old town created and we just followed any street that we came to, too busy soaking everything in rather than worrying about where we were.
It was not too busy when we were here however this was during Spring at the beginning of season, so tourist levels might be different depending on when you go. The old town is truly a special place and we stopped at one bar on the main street for a local beer and the nibbles that they provided. If you love to wander and soak in the atmosphere of a beautiful, historical site then the old town is definitely for you.
Lindos
One of the most picturesque locations in Rhodes is Lindos. Located on the Eastern side of the island, Lindos is roughly 40km away from the city of Rhodes and the previously mentioned Old Town. It is easily accessible by taxi from the Old Town or there are many excursions by coach, we chose the second option and it only cost around £20 each for a return trip with each leg being an hour long.
After we disembarked the coach we set our sides on the infamous Acropolis of Lindos (see below) and began wandering the streets of Lindos. Lindos is like many Greek towns with cobbled streets, white blushed buildings, narrow alleys and a plethora of bars and restaurants. It isn't a big town by any stretch of the imagination and a day is probably all you need here, but that doesn't take away from its beauty. We decided to settle in one of the rooftop bars where we had a view of the Acropolis with a local beer and a glass of wine. After racking up the steps around the town there is the beautiful Lindos beach only a few minutes walk away from the centre. Take a stroll and a beach towel and you will be set for an afternoon of relaxing and taking in the views, there are also water sports activities nearby if you fancy venturing out on the water.
Lindos offers a little bit of something for everyone. History of the Acropolis, rooftop bars, shopping with high end brands and a beach. Everybody will be catered for here so we highly recommend including a day trip to Lindos in your Rhodes itinerary.
The Acropolis of Lindos
Another one of Rhodes' amazing historical sites is the Acropolis of Lindos! Standing at 116m above sea level, the Acropolis of Lindos is an archaeological site to behold. When you reach the summit and are walking in the paths of the ancient Greeks you are surrounded by astonish views of the town of Lindos, Lindos beach and the shimmering blue of the Mediterranean ocean. We are not the biggest admirers of History and whenever people suggest going to see Historical sites like this we are often apprehensive, but this was different.
We have found that the Acropolis of Lindos have the most amazing views and ruins are breath-taking. We didn't spend too long reading the numerous information boards instead we were soaking up the atmosphere, but if History is your thing than there is a seemingly endless supply up here. We recommend including a trip up to the Acropolis in your day trip to Lindos, but go first thing on your trip before the heat rises and the crowds gather.
Tsambika Beach
Rhodes may not necessarily be known for its beaches with many being pebble beaches as opposed to sandy, but we managed to find the local's favourite beach...Tsambika! This beach was STUNNING and has gone down as one of our all time favourite beaches! Like all of Greece the water was crystal clear, but this beach was so vast and was set against huge mountains which were littered with trees and wildlife which made the scene so wholesome. There was also a huge rock painted as a Greek flag, a subtle reminder of where we were.
As mentioned earlier we visited Rhodes in April which is just at the beginning of season, so the beach was very quiet with a handful of sunbeds dotted around and no beach bar open. This is what made it for us though as it allowed us to really enjoy the scenery and the space, but we were told by a taxi driver later that this beach is usually ultra busy in Summer so be wary of this if you are planning to visit. There are usually rows upon rows of sunbeds probably for a small fortune, a couple of beach bars and shops as well as an inflatable total wipe-out course which we would have loved to have gone on.
Visiting Tsambika beach is an absolute must as part of any Rhodes visit, we included it in 1 day alongside our Tsambika hike (see below), but if you are a real beach lover in the Summer we are sure a whole day here would be perfect. In order to get here you can take a taxi (this was a little more expensive than we would have liked) or you can hop on a local bus (a little unreliable but a whole lot cheaper).
Tsambika Monastery
It was just through pure luck that we managed to find Tsambika Monastery, quickly looking at where the beach was on our phone led to us stumbling upon it. We had seen reels and videos about this place with an amazing view of Tsambika beach but we had no idea where to start, until we saw it. The Tsambika Monastery sits at almost the highest point in the area and has a spectacular viewpoint that looks over the beach.
We managed to hike from the water's edge of the beach all the way to the top of the hill in about 1 hour, if you like hiking and fancy the challenge then this is how to do it. The incline is steep but not too long and after the hill climbing there is a further 365 (ish) steps until you reach the summit. If you don't fancy sweating your way there it is possible to drive up to the steps where there is a carpark and then its just the steps up to the monastery. The monastery itself is small and is clearly well looked after and sacred, its free to visit and is worth a quick look but it is the viewpoint that most people are there for. We did this hike as part of our day trip to the beech and we would highly recommend doing this all in a day.
St Paul's Bay
Set at the base of the Acropolis, St Paul's Bay is a secluded area within walking distance of Lindos town centre. When researching Rhodes and scrolling through reels, St Paul's Bay always popped up showing crystal clear water and beach areas to relax. The reels didn't do it justice, this place was beautiful! As previously mentioned we visited in Spring so it was not too busy but this made it even better as we arrived and instantly found a prime spot by the water and even came across a cute beach dog! There are 2 parts to St Paul's, on each side of the bay there are beach areas with a small number of free sunbeds on one side whilst the other side charges around 30 euros, so make sure to get the free ones (closest side to the Acropolis). We stopped for a little swim on the free side and then walked along the road to the other side to say we had done it fully. Instead of paying for a sunbed we found a small little pier where fishing trips depart and we sat and had a little picnic we prepared in the morning.
We spent a full week in Rhodes and really tried to make the most of our time here. It really has something to offer everyone and we highly recommend! We hope that this post has shown you to a few great things to do in Rhodes and helps you to find more! Rhodes is not limited to what's written here, we have already planned a few things for when we go back. But make sure to check out all possible things to do.
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