Rhodes Villa Holidays

Rhodes is an island with layers — and the more time you spend there, the more you find. The medieval old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved in Europe, is a functioning living city rather than a museum piece, with restaurants and bars inside walls built by the Knights of St John in the 14th century. Beyond it, the island stretches 80km south through beach resorts, ancient ruins, mountain villages, and eventually the wild unspoilt tip at Prassonisi where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean.

Where to Stay The old town of Rhodes itself is unlike anywhere else to stay in Greece — within the walls, surrounded by medieval architecture. Lindos on the east coast is the other iconic base: a whitewashed hillside village with an ancient acropolis above and a beautiful sandy bay below. The east coast has the calmer sea and most of the resorts. The west coast is windier — good for water sports, quieter for everything else.

Beaches Lindos beach below the village is one of the best in Greece — a wide bay of pale sand with the acropolis visible on the hill above. Anthony Quinn Bay near Faliraki is small, clear and sheltered. Tsambika beach on the east coast is a long arc of fine sand popular with families. Prassonisi at the southern tip has a dual personality — calm lagoon on one side, open sea on the other.

Things to Do Spend a full day in the old town of Rhodes — walk the Street of the Knights, visit the Palace of the Grand Masters, then get lost in the backstreets. Make the day trip to Lindos and climb to the acropolis before 10am to beat the heat and the crowds. Drive the interior through villages like Embonas, where the local wine is made, and Monolithos, where a ruined castle sits on a rock above the sea.

Food & Drink Rhodes has good food across the board — fresh fish along the east coast, excellent mezedes in the old town tavernas. Pitaroudia (chickpea fritters) are the local speciality. The wines from the Embonas area in the interior are worth seeking out. Avoid the tourist strip restaurants immediately outside the old town walls and walk five minutes further in.

When to Go May to October. Rhodes is one of the sunniest islands in Greece and the season runs longer than most. July and August are very busy around Lindos and Rhodes town. June and September offer the best combination of weather, open businesses, and manageable crowds.