The sun hits the ancient stone of the Palace of the Grand Master at 4pm, and the shadows of the Knights’ quarter stretch long across the cobbles. Rhodes receives roughly 300 days of sunshine every year, more than any other Greek island, and the light has a quality here that makes everything look older and more significant. The Colossus once stood at the harbour entrance, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, toppled by an earthquake in 226 BCE after just 56 years. The island has been accumulating history ever since: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Ottoman, Italian. Here are five things worth your time.
In This Article
The Old Town: A Living Medieval City
The Old Town of Rhodes is a UNESCO World heritage site and the largest continuously inhabited medieval town in Europe. The Street of the Knights is the most famous thoroughfare, lined with the inns of the Knights Hospitaller, each national chapter of the order occupying its own building. The Palace of the Grand Master dominates the upper town, rebuilt by the Italian occupation forces in the 1930s with mosaic floors taken from Kos embedded in its halls. The Old Town transforms at sunset. The day trippers from the cruise ships depart around 5pm, and the restaurants in the cobbled squares become places where locals outnumber tourists. The octopus hangs to dry on lines outside tavernas, and the sound of forks on plates echoes off the medieval walls.
Lindos: The White Village Under the Acropolis
Lindos is the postcard image of Rhodes: whitewashed houses cascading down a hillside toward a blue bay, with an ancient acropolis perched on the cliff above. The Temple of Athena Lindia dates from the 4th century BCE, and the view from the top takes in St Paul’s Bay, a heart-shaped cove where the apostle is said to have landed in 51 CE. The donkeys that carry tourists up the 300 steps look philosophical and resigned to their fate. The beach below is sandy and warm, and the taverna at the foot of the hill serves grilled octopus that was swimming in the Aegean that morning. Arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the worst of the crowds and the heat.
Tsambika Beach: Golden Sand and a Pilgrimage
Tsambika is widely considered the most beautiful beach on Rhodes. The sand is golden, the water is shallow and warm, and the setting is framed by low green hills. Above the beach, the monastery of the Virgin Tsambika sits on a hilltop reached by 350 steps. Women who struggle with fertility climb these steps to pray for a child, and the monastery is filled with photographs of infants born after such prayers. The beach itself is family friendly, with sunbeds and umbrellas for about 8 euros for the day. The beach bar serves Greek salad and cold Mythos beer, and the water stays swimmable from May through October.
The Valley of the Butterflies: Bark That Takes Flight
Petaloudes, the Valley of the Butterflies, is a phenomenon unique to Rhodes. From June to September, thousands of Jersey tiger moths, known scientifically as Panaxia quadripunctaria, congregate in a shaded valley on the western side of the island. Their camouflage is so effective that the trees appear to be covered in ordinary bark until the moths move, and suddenly the bark erupts into orange and black as thousands of wings flash in the dappled light. The walk through the valley takes about an hour along wooden walkways and shaded paths. The phenomenon peaks in August, and the best time to visit is early morning before the crowds arrive and the heat drives the moths deeper into the foliage.
Symi: The Day Trip That Rewrites Your Priorities
The ferry from Rhodes Town to Symi takes one hour and costs about 25 euros return. The harbour of Symi town is one of the most beautiful in Greece, lined with neoclassical mansions painted in shades of ochre, terracotta, and pastel blue. The octopus hangs to dry on every available railing, and the fishing boats bob at their moorings as if posing for a photograph. The monastery of the Archangel Michael Panormitis sits on the south coast, a pilgrimage site that draws visitors from across the Dodecanese. The island is small enough to explore in a single day on foot, and the seafood at the harbour tavernas was swimming in the Aegean the same morning it arrives on your plate.
What did you find on Rhodes that surprised you, the medieval silence of the Old Town at dusk, the moths in the valley, or the pastel mansions of Symi?
Category: Greece Travel Guides. Updated: June 11, 2026.
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