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Rhodes
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Rhodes combines a UNESCO-listed medieval city, ancient ruins, Aegean beaches and Greek island culture with evocative streets, museums and dining.

History in Stone

On the northern tip of Rhodes, the modern city gathers around one of Europe’s most atmospheric fortified districts. The Medieval City of Rhodes, enclosed by formidable walls and recognised by UNESCO, preserves the legacy of the Knights of Saint John in arcaded streets, vaulted passages, towers and grand residences. At its centre, the Palace of the Grand Master rises above the Street of the Knights, while the Archaeological Museum occupies the former Hospital of the Knights.
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A City of Many Layers

Beyond the medieval walls, Rhodes Town reflects the island’s later history through Mandraki harbour, Italian-era public buildings, neoclassical houses and the remains of ancient Rhodes. The waterfront is associated with the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the ancient world’s celebrated wonders, although the statue itself has long disappeared. The Acropolis of Rhodes, on Monte Smith, offers a quieter archaeological landscape among temples, a theatre and a stadium, with broad views over the city and sea.

Island Life and the Waterfront

Rhodes is both a historic capital and a working island centre, with ferries, excursion boats, cafés, tavernas and busy markets shaping everyday life. Mandraki and the harbour front provide an easy transition between sightseeing and the Aegean, while Elli Beach lies within reach of the centre. In the evening, locals and visitors move between the old walls, waterfront promenades and streets of the New Town, where traditional Greek food, contemporary dining and seasonal island energy coexist.

When is the best time to visit Rhodes?

Best: May–June, October · 25–29°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January1890
February1980
March2070
April2340
May (best)2730
June (best)2920
July3120
August3120
September2930
October (best)2550
November1980
December17100

Getting to and around Rhodes

How to get there

Rhodes is served by Rhodes International Airport, also known as Diagoras Airport, near Paradisi on the western side of the island, with road connections into Rhodes Town. Seasonal international flights are common, while domestic services connect the island with Athens and other Greek destinations, subject to timetable changes. Ferries and high-speed passenger services arrive at the commercial and passenger port near the town centre, linking Rhodes with Piraeus, other Dodecanese islands and parts of the Aegean. Long-distance buses connect Rhodes Town with resorts and villages across the island, while driving is the main option for reaching more remote beaches and archaeological sites.

Transportation

The Medieval City, Mandraki harbour and much of the New Town are manageable on foot, although the Old Town’s cobbles and occasional steps make comfortable shoes useful. Local buses serve Rhodes Town and many island destinations, with the main urban bus areas around the central town and harbour. Taxis are widely used for airport transfers and journeys beyond the central districts. Car hire is helpful for exploring the wider island, but parking near the Old Town can be limited, particularly in summer. Excursion boats and ferries operate from the harbour, while cycling can suit flatter waterfront routes more than the busier roads beyond the centre.

Best attractions in Rhodes

Rhodes offers sightseeing across several distinct settings. Inside the Medieval City, the Palace of the Grand Master, the Street of the Knights and the Archaeological Museum reveal the scale and sophistication of the Knights Hospitaller’s stronghold. The fortified walls themselves provide an evocative route around the historic core, while the Jewish Quarter and Suleymaniye Mosque add further layers to its urban story. Outside the gates, Mandraki harbour is lined with waterfront buildings, excursion boats and views towards the sea, and the nearby New Market introduces the city’s everyday commercial life. On Monte Smith, the Acropolis of Rhodes combines the Temple of Apollo area with a Hellenistic theatre and stadium, as well as wide views over the town. Elli Beach offers an easy seaside interlude close to the centre, while the Aquarium of Rhodes presents marine life from the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean in an Art Deco-era building.

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Best landmarks in Rhodes

The Palace of the Grand Master is Rhodes’s most commanding landmark, a fortress-palace rebuilt and adapted over centuries and closely associated with the Knights Hospitaller. Nearby, the Street of the Knights preserves the ceremonial axis of the medieval city, with stone inns and institutional buildings representing the order’s European langues. The Archaeological Museum occupies the former Hospital of the Knights, whose Gothic architecture gives the building particular historical weight. At Mandraki, the Church of the Annunciation and the Bank of Greece belong to the Italian period and demonstrate the monumental civic style introduced outside the medieval walls. The Suleymaniye Mosque and Ibrahim Pasha Mosque reflect the Ottoman chapter of Rhodes, while the Acropolis on Monte Smith connects the modern city with the religious and civic centre of ancient Rhodes. Together, these landmarks make the city’s layered history visible without leaving the urban area.

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Explore Rhodes on the map

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Neighbourhoods in Rhodes

Best restaurants in Rhodes

Rhodesian cooking draws on Greek island traditions, Dodecanese recipes and the produce of the surrounding countryside. Menus commonly include dishes such as pitaroudia, savoury chickpea fritters associated with Rhodes, local-style dolmades, grilled fish, octopus, lamb, stuffed vegetables and meze served for sharing. The island is also known for sweet treats including melekouni, a sesame-and-honey bar traditionally linked with weddings and celebrations. In Rhodes Town, tavernas occupy lanes inside and around the Medieval City, while cafés and restaurants extend along Mandraki and the New Town waterfront. Market areas and bakeries provide opportunities to sample pastries, fruit, cheese and breads, and contemporary kitchens increasingly reinterpret island ingredients without abandoning familiar Greek flavours. Meal times are generally unhurried, with outdoor tables especially popular in the warmer months.

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Best bars in Rhodes

Rhodes Town’s evening life divides between the atmospheric lanes of the Medieval City, the waterfront and the New Town, where bars stay active through the tourist season. Inside the walls, small wine bars, cocktail venues and relaxed cafés make use of courtyards and stone-fronted buildings, while the harbour area offers open-air tables and views over the water. The streets around Orfanidi and the New Town are associated with a younger, later-night scene, including music bars and clubs that become livelier in summer. For a quieter evening, the old fortifications, waterfront promenades and restaurants provide a setting for a drink without club-oriented noise. Cultural performances, seasonal concerts and evening events may also take place at historic venues, but programmes vary throughout the year.

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Best nightclubs in Rhodes

Rhodes Town’s evening life divides between the atmospheric lanes of the Medieval City, the waterfront and the New Town, where bars stay active through the tourist season. Inside the walls, small wine bars, cocktail venues and relaxed cafés make use of courtyards and stone-fronted buildings, while the harbour area offers open-air tables and views over the water. The streets around Orfanidi and the New Town are associated with a younger, later-night scene, including music bars and clubs that become livelier in summer. For a quieter evening, the old fortifications, waterfront promenades and restaurants provide a setting for a drink without club-oriented noise. Cultural performances, seasonal concerts and evening events may also take place at historic venues, but programmes vary throughout the year.

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Best shops in Rhodes

Shopping in Rhodes Town ranges from practical island markets to souvenir streets within the Medieval City. Socrates Street and the lanes leading from it contain jewellery shops, leather goods, ceramics, textiles, olive-oil products and gifts aimed at visitors, while smaller workshops and galleries offer more individual interpretations of Greek craft traditions. The New Market area beside Mandraki is associated with food stalls and everyday shopping, although the atmosphere and retail mix change over time. Look for local honey, herbs, wines, soaps, ceramics and melekouni alongside more general Greek souvenirs, checking labels when provenance matters. The New Town provides pharmacies, supermarkets, fashion shops and services used by residents, creating a useful contrast with the historic quarter’s atmospheric but more visitor-focused retail streets.

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Rhodes essentials

Currency and Payment
Greece uses the euro, with the international code EUR. Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted in hotels, larger restaurants, supermarkets, museums and established shops, though smaller tavernas, kiosks, taxis and market stalls may prefer cash or have minimum card payments. ATMs are available in Rhodes Town and other popular settlements, but international visitors should check their bank’s foreign-exchange and withdrawal charges. Carrying modest amounts of euros is sensible for small purchases and remote areas. Receipts and menus may show prices including VAT, while service charges and tipping practices vary by establishment rather than following one universal rule.
Safety
Rhodes is accustomed to international visitors, but ordinary precautions remain important. Keep wallets and phones secure in crowded lanes, busy buses, ports and beaches, and avoid leaving valuables visible in parked vehicles. The Medieval City has uneven paving, narrow passages and slippery stone, especially after rain, so walking carefully is advisable. Summer heat and strong sun can cause dehydration, particularly during exposed visits to archaeological sites; water, shade and sun protection are useful. Take care on roads outside the town, where traffic and scooters may be unfamiliar, and use licensed taxis or established transport arrangements for late journeys.
Emergency Situations
The unified European emergency number in Greece is 112, free from mobile and fixed-line phones and suitable when police, fire or medical assistance is needed. Greece also uses 100 for police, 199 for the fire service and 166 for the National Centre for Emergency Assistance ambulance service. Operators may be able to assist in English, but stating the precise location, nearby landmark and nature of the emergency clearly is important. For urgent medical treatment, emergency departments and local health services can advise visitors on the nearest appropriate facility. Travel insurance details, identification and information about regular medication should be kept accessible.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress respectfully when entering churches, monasteries or mosques, particularly by covering shoulders and knees where requested, and avoid touching religious objects or historic surfaces. Do not climb on archaeological remains, cross barriers or remove stones from ancient sites. In tavernas, meals are often relaxed and shared, and a modest tip is customary when service has been satisfactory rather than an automatic obligation. Greet staff politely, keep voices moderate in residential parts of the Old Town and follow beach and swimming-safety notices. Greek customs vary by setting, so observing local behaviour is more appropriate than assuming that every island tradition follows the same pattern.
Local Tips
Use the Old Town walls, Socrates Street and the Palace area for orientation, then move towards quieter lanes around the Jewish Quarter and the southern fortifications. Mandraki harbour is useful for understanding the city’s layout and arranging maritime excursions, while Monte Smith provides a different perspective on the ancient settlement and modern coastline. Visit major monuments earlier in the day during the hottest months and keep time for an unhurried taverna meal rather than treating dining as a quick stop. Rhodes Town is a useful base for island travel, but buses and roads become busier in high season, so allow flexibility for journeys outside the centre.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloΓεια σας[Yia sas]
GoodbyeΑντίο[Adio]
YesΝαι[Ne]
NoΌχι[Ochi]
Please/You're welcomeΠαρακαλώ[Parakalo]
Thank youΕυχαριστώ[Efharisto]
Excuse me/SorryΣυγνώμη[Signomi]
How are you?Τι κάνεις;[Ti kanis?]
Fine. And you?Καλά. Εσύ;[Kala. Esi?]
Do you speak English?Μιλάτε αγγλικά;[Milate anglika?]
I don't understandΔεν καταλαβαίνω[Den katalaveno]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseΘα ήθελα να δω το μενού, παρακαλώ[Tha ithela na do to menu, parakalo]
I don't eat meatΔεν τρώω κρέας[Den troo kreas]
Cheers!Υγεία![Ygeia!]
I would like to pay, pleaseΘα ήθελα να πληρώσω, παρακαλώ[Tha ithela na plirosso, parakalo]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Βοήθεια![Voithia!]
Go away!Φύγε![Fiye!]
Call the Police!Καλέστε την Αστυνομία![Kaleste tin Astinomia!]
Call a doctor!Καλέστε γιατρό![Kaleste giatro!]
I'm lostΈχω χαθεί[Eho hatei]
I'm illΕίμαι άρρωστος[Eimai arrostos]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Θα ήθελα να αγοράσω...[Tha ithela na agoraso...]
I'm just lookingΑπλά κοιτάω[Apla kitao]
How much is it?Πόσο κοστίζει;[Poso kostizi?]
That's too expensiveΑυτό είναι πολύ ακριβό[Afto ine poli akribo]
Can you lower the price?Μπορείτε να μειώσετε την τιμή;[Borite na meiosete tin timi?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Τι ώρα είναι;[Ti ora ine?]
It's one o'clockΕίναι μία ώρα[Ine mia ora]
Half past (10)Μισή (10)[Misi (10)]
MorningΠρωί[Proi]
AfternoonΑπόγευμα[Apoyevma]
EveningΒράδυ[Vradi]
YesterdayΧθες[Hthes]
TodayΣήμερα[Simera]
TomorrowΑύριο[Avrio]
1Ένα[Ena]
2Δύο[Dio]
3Τρία[Tria]
4Τέσσερα[Tessera]
5Πέντε[Pente]
6Έξι[Exi]
7Επτά[Epta]
8Οκτώ[Okto]
9Εννιά[Ennia]
10Δέκα[Deka]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Πού είναι ένα/το...;[Pou ine ena/to...?]
What's the address?Ποια είναι η διεύθυνση;[Pia ine i diefthinsi?]
Can you show me (on the map)?Μπορείτε να μου δείξετε (στο χάρτη);[Borite na mou dixete (sto charti)?]
When's the next (bus)?Πότε είναι το επόμενο (λεωφορείο);[Pote ine to epomeno (leoforeio)?]
A ticket (to ....)Ένα εισιτήριο (προς ....)[Ena isitirio (pros ....)]

History of Rhodes

Ancient Settlements and the Synoecism

Rhodes has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and by the Archaic period the island was associated with the important communities of Lindos, Ialysos and Kameiros. In 408 BC, these three city-states joined in a synoecism, creating the city of Rhodes on the island’s northern tip. The new city was laid out according to a planned urban design traditionally associated with the architect Hippodamus of Miletus. Its position between the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean supported maritime trade, while local prosperity encouraged monumental construction. The Acropolis on Monte Smith developed as a religious and civic centre, with sanctuaries, a theatre and a stadium whose remains still evoke the scale of the Hellenistic city.

The Hellenistic Maritime Power

During the Hellenistic age, Rhodes became a major naval and commercial power. Its ships and harbour connected the island with ports across the eastern Mediterranean, and its political influence rested partly on a reputation for maritime skill and diplomatic independence. The city’s prosperity was expressed through public buildings, sculptures and religious monuments. The Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue dedicated to the sun god Helios, was erected after the failed siege of 305–304 BC and collapsed in an earthquake around 226 BC. Although no visible remains of the statue survive, the story reflects the city’s wealth and symbolic importance during one of the most influential periods in its history.

Roman and Byzantine Transitions

Rhodes entered the Roman sphere in the early first century BC, and its political autonomy was gradually reduced while its educational and cultural reputation continued. The city remained part of the eastern Roman, or Byzantine, world after the division of the Roman Empire. Raids and shifting regional power affected the settlement, and defensive works were repeatedly adapted. Byzantine control was interrupted at different times by other powers, including Arab forces, but the city retained its strategic value because of its harbour and position on routes between the Aegean, Anatolia and the Levant. These centuries established the layered urban and fortification history later transformed by the Knights.

The Knights of Saint John

The Knights Hospitaller took control of Rhodes in 1309 and made the city the headquarters of their military and religious order. They strengthened the existing defences and built the monumental complex now known as the Palace of the Grand Master, together with the Hospital of the Knights and the Street of the Knights. The fortified city was organised around communities or langues representing different parts of western Europe, while Greek Orthodox, Jewish and other communities also formed part of urban life. The Knights resisted major attacks, including the Ottoman siege of 1480, before Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent captured Rhodes in 1522. Their buildings remain the defining architectural legacy of the Old Town.

Ottoman Rhodes and a Changing City

After the surrender of the Knights in 1522, Rhodes became part of the Ottoman Empire. Mosques, fountains, baths and houses altered the appearance and social geography of the walled city, while Christian and Jewish communities continued to shape its life. The Suleymaniye Mosque and the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque are among the visible reminders of the Ottoman period, though the city’s built environment remained a mixture of earlier and later traditions. Rhodes was not isolated from wider Mediterranean commerce, but its strategic importance and population changed over time. The Old Town’s dense streets, courtyards and religious buildings still reveal the coexistence of several historical periods within the same defensive enclosure.

Italian Rule and Modern Rhodes

Italy took control of Rhodes in 1912 during the Italo-Turkish War, and the island remained under Italian administration until the Second World War. Italian authorities restored selected medieval monuments, introduced new public buildings and reshaped parts of the area outside the walls, leaving a distinctive collection of administrative and waterfront architecture around Mandraki. Rhodes was occupied by Germany from 1943, and the island later passed under British administration before joining Greece in 1947. The modern city developed around the historic core, port and beaches, while tourism became increasingly important in the post-war period. Today, Greek civic life, island traditions and successive layers of foreign rule are all visible in its streets and buildings.

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Evendo: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Rhodes, Greece

Discover Rhodes with Evendo, a 100% free travel guide app covering attractions, landmarks, shops, and more. Plan your trip effortlessly with detailed info and local tips.

  • Detailed information on attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities
  • Rich content including images, descriptions, local tips, maps, and contact details
  • Easy booking for hotels, tours, tickets, and experiences
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More about the Evendo app

Evendo is your ultimate app-based travel guide to Rhodes, Greece. Discover top attractions, landmarks, shops, restaurants, and more—all in one place. Download now for free!

  • History of Rhodes and travel essentials
  • Curated local tips for an authentic experience
  • User-friendly navigation and 'Near me' feature
  • 100% free with no in-app purchases

Imagine embarking on a journey to Rhodes, Greece, where ancient history meets modern charm. Evendo, your app-based travel guide, is here to ensure you make the most of your trip. With its rich set of information on attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities, planning your adventure has never been easier.

Explore iconic landmarks like the Palace of the Grand Master, wander through the medieval streets of the Old Town, or relax at the pristine beaches of Lindos. Evendo provides detailed descriptions, local tips, images, maps, and contact details for each location, helping you navigate your way through the city's wonders.

Craving a culinary delight? Discover top-rated restaurants such as Tamam, renowned for its exquisite Mediterranean cuisine, or indulge in traditional Greek dishes at Marco Polo Cafe. The app’s curated local tips ensure you experience Rhodes like a local.

But that’s not all. With Evendo, you can easily book hotels, tours, tickets, and experiences directly through the app, eliminating the hassle of searching and planning. Whether it's a guided tour through the ancient ruins or a day trip to the stunning Symi Island, Evendo has you covered.

And the best part? Evendo is 100% free to use, with no in-app purchases or hidden costs. Download Evendo today and have the world in your pocket!

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