Rhodes Town: our top 5 must sees

Rhodes tops the list of our must visit islands in Greece. It’s packed with history,  surrounded by crystal clear sea and, despite recent fires, home to beautiful forests. However, our number one reason to visit is the exquisite medieval Old Town.

Rhodes Old Town is UNESCO listed and charms at every corner. It does get crowded with tourists in the Summer – especially Sokratous and Hippocrates Square. Luckily, just steps off the main tourist drags, you can lose yourself in the cobbled alleyways. At night or early morning, it’s even better, totally magical and hard to beat.

Don’t miss:

Ippoton AKA the Street of the Knights

This 14th century street is a medieval marvel. Running between two of Rhodes Town’s big hitters the Palace of The Grand Master of the Knights and the Archeological Museum – both of which are magnificent. Ippoton  housed the ruling Knights Hospitalier from various countries and states in various “inns” – from the 14th century onwards. It’s a straight cobbled hill with ironwork lighting and courtyards each side.

Our tip – visit at night after the tours and soak up the atmosphere from the soft lighting. 

Circle the fortifications

The walls surrounding Rhodes Old Town were a defensive wonder of the ancient world. Built on Byzantine foundations by the Knights of St John from 1309 to 1522 they consist of 11 gates, 3 towers, 2 bastions and 3 terrepleins or embankments many of which are spectacular. You can walk on top of the walls from the Palace of the Grand Master to Kokkini Gate. For the rest, we suggest zig zagging in and out of the city via the gates as you circle the old town and don’t miss the gardens in the moats.
 
Our tip – as always in Rhodes, look up to appreciate the embellishments embedded in the ancient stonework.

Visit a mosque

Rhodes has exceptional Ottoman architecture and a selection of exquisite mosques. We suggest wandering in Hora – the Turkish quarter – south of Sokratous. Walk between Ibrahim Pasha Mosque (built in 1540 by Suleyman the Magnificent) and the large pink stoned Suleymaniye Mosque. Make sure you wander up the quiet side streets many have arched buttresses and mini tunnels.

Our tip – don’t be afraid to get lost, you won’t regret it. 

Hit the beach

Rhodes town is surrounded by beaches. Our favourite is Paralia Enidriou about 15 minutes walk from the centre. It gets busy, but it has deliciously vivid blue water and bobbing waves. 

Our tip – at sunset walk across the gardens of Enidriou plaza to the other side of the promontory to Sunset Beach for outstanding views. Also, check out the Art Deco Aquarium at the tip of the plaza built during the Italian occupation.

 

Day trip to Symi

Rhodes is a busy maritime hub and you are spoilt for choice for day trips to smaller islands. Our favourite is Symi,  just 55 mins away with Dodekanisos Seaways. Symi has one of the most picturesque harbours in the entire Mediterranean. It’s a crescent of colourful Neoclassical buildings with a selection of seafront tavernas and shops.  If it gets too hot, there’s a small beach at one end of the harbour and direct swimming access from a few points on the dockside. If you’re tempted to stay over for a night we loved the Aliki Hotel. Bang on the harbour front, it was built in 1895 and is packed with antiques and charm.
 
Our favourite hotel in Rhodes is the Evdokia. Housed in a 13th century building, it’s 5 minutes by foot from the port and bang in the centre of the Old Town down a quiet alley. The huge homemade, locally sourced breakfasts are outstanding. 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *