Top Tourist Places in Rhodes: What's Actually Worth Your Time

I have spent thirty-seven years walking the streets of Rhodes, and I still discover something new almost every week. This island has a way of revealing its secrets slowly, to those patient enough to linger. If you are planning a visit and looking for the top tourist places in Rhodes, let me share what I have learned through countless mornings spent wandering before the tour buses arrive and evenings spent at the same taverna my grandfather frequented. The island rewards the curious, but it also demands that you step off the obvious path to understand why Rhodes has captivated visitors for three thousand years.

The Medieval Old Town: Where Time Folds Back on Itself

The Old Town of Rhodes stands as one of the best preserved medieval walled cities in Europe, and I say this not as a point of local pride but as a simple fact that still astounds me whenever I pass through the Gate of the Harbour. UNESCO recognized it in 1988, and walking through the D'Amboise Gate at dawn, when the cobblestones still hold the coolness of night and the souvenir shops have not yet opened, you understand immediately why. The Street of the Knights, known locally as Ippoton, runs for roughly 200 meters from the Agios Frangiskos Gate to the Palace of the Grand Masters, and the entire atmosphere changes the moment you enter this avenue. The buildings here were constructed in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by the Knights Hospitaller, each nation occupying its own quarter along the street, and you can still see the emblems carved above the doorways if you know where to look. The Spanish, the French, the Italian, the German, the Auvergne, the Provence, the Anglo-Bavarian, and the Aragonese all maintained their own inns along this stretch, and the stonework remains remarkably intact after five centuries.

Most tourists walk straight down the Street of the Knights, photograph the Palace entrance, and leave within an hour. That is their mistake. Come instead on a Tuesday morning and turn left down the narrower alley called Aristotelous Street, where the medieval craftsmen established their workshops. Here you will find a small bakery that has been producing pitarakia, small cheese pies wrapped in phyllo, since before my father was born. The owner, a woman named Eleni, still wakes at four in the morning to prepare the dough by hand, and the smell that drifts into the street around nine o'clock is worth waking up early for. Order two of the cheese pies and one with spinach, and eat them standing at the counter rather than taking them away. The palace itself costs twelve euros to enter, and I recommend buying the combined ticket for fifteen euros which also grants access to the Archaeological Museum nearby, housed in what was once the Hospital of the Knights. Do not miss the mosaic floors on the second floor of the palace, depicting mythological scenes that were uncovered during restoration work in the 1940s.

The Palace of the Grand Masters: Power Cast in Stone

Sitting at the highest point of the Medieval City, the Palace of the Grand Masters dominates the skyline in a way that still strikes me as intimidating even after hundreds of visits. The original fortress was built by the Knights in the thirteenth century on the site of a previous Byzantine citadel, and it served as the administrative center of the Order until their expulsion in 1522. The Ottomans later used it as a garrison, and parts of the building were destroyed in an ammunition explosion in 1856. What you see today is largely the result of reconstruction work carried out during the Italian occupation of Rhodes between 1912 and 1943, when the Italians undertook extensive restoration efforts. The irony is that many of the decorative elements, including the famous mosaic floors depicting hunting scenes and mythological figures, were actually added by the Italians based on discoveries from Kos and other nearby islands. So while the structure is authentically medieval, the interior decoration represents a particular Italian interpretation of classical Greek design.

The best time to visit the palace is in the late afternoon, around four o'clock in summer, when the light enters the courtyards at an angle that makes the stone walls glow amber. The first floor contains the grand halls used for state ceremonies and the private apartments of the Grand Master, while the ground floor displays archaeological finds from the island including a fascinating collection of Mycenaean pottery. Most visitors rush through in forty-five minutes, but I suggest allocating at least two hours to properly absorb the scale of the place. The palace was designed as a fortress first and a residence second, and understanding this duality enriches the experience considerably. One detail that most tourists miss is the small chapel tucked into the corner of the western courtyard, dedicated to Saint Mary of the Castle, which contains original fourteenth century frescoes that survived both Ottoman occupation and the 1856 explosion. Access requires a separate ticket of three euros, but it is money exceptionally well spent if you have any interest in Byzantine religious art.

Lindos Acropolis: Whitewashed History Above the Aegean

My grandmother was born in Lindos, and I have been climbing the path to the Acropolis more times than I can count since I was a child clutching her hand. The village itself sits two and a half hours south of Rhodes Town by bus, and most visitors make the journey as a day trip during the summer months. The Acropolis rises dramatically above the whitewashed houses, with the ancient temple of Athena Lindia occupying the same hilltop that humans have considered sacred for at least three thousand years. The first thing you notice as you climb the 300 steps to the entrance is the relief carved into the rock face depicting the goddess Athena alongside two wolf-headed deities from the Ptolemaic period, and most visitors pass it entirely while chatting with their companions. Look to your right about halfway up the stairway for this remarkable piece of ancient propaganda.

The Temple of Athena was constructed around 300 BCE during the Hellenistic period, and its columns still stand in a state of remarkable preservation thanks to restoration work that has been ongoing since the 1950s. The Byzantine church of Saint John, built in the thirteenth century and later converted into a fortress by the Knights, adds a medieval layer to the site that most people overlook entirely. I have spoken with countless tourists who came expecting to see only Greek ruins and were surprised to discover the church integrated into the complex. From the top, on a clear day, you can see all the way to Turkey on the horizon, and this geographic position explains why Lindos was such an important settlement throughout antiquity. The acropolis opens at eight in the morning daily, and tickets cost twelve euros for the site plus an additional three euros if you wish to enter the small archaeological museum near the entrance. I cannot stress enough how important it is to arrive before nine in the summer, because by eleven o'clock the tour buses have arrived and the narrow paths become extremely crowded.

Anthony Quinn Bay: The Secret Beach of a Hollywood Legend

After filming the movie The Guns of Navarone in 1961, actor Anthony Quinn became so enchanted with a particular cove on Rhodes that he reportedly attempted to purchase it. The story may be embellished, as many Rhodesian tales tend to be, but the name has stuck nonetheless. Officially called Ladiko Beach, this small inlet with its twin coves and distinctive rock formations is located about fifteen kilometers from Rhodes Town along the coast toward Faliraki, and reaching it requires a short walk down a stone-paved path from the main coastal road. The water here is remarkably clear and deepens quickly, making it popular with snorkelers and swimmers who appreciate the rocky underwater terrain. During high season, finding parking within two hundred meters of the entrance is essentially impossible before ten in the morning, and even after that the lot fills and empties throughout the day.

Bring water shoes if you have them, because the sea floor is rocky rather than sandy, and the smooth stones underfoot can be surprisingly slippery. I have a particular affection for this place because it was where my father taught me to swim, and I return every summer despite the crowds because the underwater visibility is genuinely extraordinary. The surrounding cliffs provide shade until mid-morning, making the early hours the most comfortable for sitting on the rocks and watching the other swimmers. There is a small cantina near the beach entrance that sells cold drinks and basic Greek snacks, and the souvlaki served there is genuinely good, better than most beachside establishments on the island. The one thing most tourists do not know is that the larger western cove is actually clothing optional, a fact that surprises many visitors who arrive expecting a conventional beach. Come early, stay until noon, then continue to Tsambika beach for an afternoon swim at a more family-friendly spot.

Seven Springs: Where Rhodes Drinks From the Earth

The Epta Piges, or Seven Springs as it is known in English, lies about twenty-five kilometers from Rhodes Town in a valley near the village of Kolympia, and reaching it requires turning off the main coast road and following signs into a heavily wooded area. The water here emerges from seven separate sources and flows into a small lake before disappearing underground, only to reappear near the coast where it feeds a river that eventually empties into the Aegean. The walk through the forest to reach the springs takes about ten minutes from the parking area, and the temperature drops noticeably as you enter the valley, making this an excellent activity for the hotter summer afternoons when the coast feels unbearable. The tunnel that carries water from the lake to the river is walkable for several hundred meters, and this is where most visitors turn back because the passage becomes narrow and wet.

I bring my own torchlight whenever I visit, because the part of the tunnel that most tourists never see contains fascinating geological formations and the sound of rushing water echoing off the stone walls creates an almost hypnotic atmosphere. The restaurant near the entrance serves fresh trout raised in tanks on the premises, and ordering the fish grilled simply with lemon and olive oil remains one of my favorite meals on the island. The venue can get busy with tour groups between noon and three in the afternoon, but mornings before eleven and evenings after five offer a completely different experience. The entire area is surrounded by pine forest, and the smell of resin and the sound of wind through the branches contribute to a sense of place that distinguishes this from the beach-focused attractions that dominate most visitors itineraries. My insider tip is to visit after heavy rain when the springs flow more dramatically, though the path can become muddy under these conditions.

Tsambika Monastery and Beach: Above and Below

Perched on a hilltop roughly twenty kilometers south of Rhodes Town, the Monastery of Tsambika commands views that stretch across the eastern coast of the island on clear days, and the climb to reach it takes approximately twenty minutes from the parking area below. The current monastery building dates from the seventeenth century, constructed on the site of an earlier Byzantine church that itself replaced a pagan temple, and the interior contains a revered icon of the Virgin Mary that supposedly appeared to hunters in the area centuries ago. Childless women historically made pilgrimages here to pray for fertility, and the practice continues today with small photographs of babies hung throughout the church as offerings. The monastery is still active, run by a small community of nuns who maintain the grounds and sell homemade religious items at a small table near the entrance.

The beach at Tsambika lies directly below the monastery cliffs, accessible by a steep concrete road that can be challenging to navigate with a loaded stroller or for anyone with mobility issues. The sand is wide and golden, the water shallow and relatively calm, making this one of the most family-friendly beaches on the eastern coast. Parking costs three euros in summer and fills by ten in the morning on weekends, so I recommend arriving early if you plan to spend the day. The beach bars here have improved dramatically over the past decade, and the one closest to the monastery path serves decent coffee and better tiropita than most tourist establishments in Rhodes Town. The one drawback worth mentioning is that afternoon winds can kick up enough sand to make the beach uncomfortable, particularly in August when the meltemi winds are strongest. Come in the morning, climb to the monastery for the views, swim until noon, then head inland for lunch in the village of Archipoli where the taverna near the church square serves exceptionally good local cuisine.

Kallithea Springs: Art Deco Paradise by the Sea

The Springs of Kallithea, located just seven kilometers from Rhodes Town in the area known as Kalitheas, represent one of the most unexpected discoveries awaiting visitors to this island. The thermal springs here have been used for healing purposes since antiquity, and the Knights Hospitaller built the first bathing facilities in the fourteenth century, but the structures you see today date primarily from the Italian occupation of the 1920s and 1930s. The Italian architects and engineers created what amounts to a small art deco town, with colonnades, mosaics, and elegant curved structures that make the site visually stunning. The main building features a dome that was restored in 2007 after decades of neglect, and the water still flows at a constant temperature of around thirty degrees Celsius into the various pools.

Entry costs eight euros, and I consider this money exceptionally well spent because the combination of architectural beauty, natural water, and sea views creates an atmosphere found nowhere else on Rhodes. The site opens at eight in the morning and closes at different times depending on season, with extended hours during summer. I recommend coming as soon as it opens, because by midday the tour groups arrive and the peaceful atmosphere I associate with the place disappears almost entirely. The outdoor pools overlook a rocky cove where you can also swim in the sea, and spending a morning alternating between thermal water and salt water is a genuinely restorative experience. There is a restaurant on the premises that serves Greek standards, nothing remarkable but adequate for a lunch break. What most visitors do not realize is that the underground thermal pool, accessed through a stone tunnel near the main building, offers a much more intimate experience than the open-air facilities and remains considerably less crowded throughout the day. The water temperature there runs slightly warmer, and the enclosed space creates an almost womb-like atmosphere that my wife finds deeply relaxing.

The Valley of the Butterflies: Nature's Seasonal Spectacle

Petaloudes, the Valley of the Butterflies, lies about twenty-five kilometers from Rhodes Town near the village of Kalopetra, and it represents one of the most unusual natural attractions on an island better known for its beaches and medieval architecture. The Jersey tiger moths that give the valley its name migrate here every summer, attracted by the resin of the storax trees that line the narrow gorge, and during July and August the valley can contain millions of these distinctive insects with their striking orange and white wing patterns. The walk through the valley takes approximately forty-five minutes if you do not stop, though most visitors spend considerably longer enjoying the waterfalls, wooden bridges, and cool shade that make this one of the few places on Rhodes where the heat of summer becomes bearable. The park opens at eight in the morning daily, and tickets cost five euros for adults with reduced rates for children and seniors.

Come as early as possible, because the butterflies are most active and visible before ten in the morning when the temperature remains moderate. By early afternoon, most of the moths have retreated to the shade of the trees and are considerably less visible, though the walk through the valley remains pleasant regardless. I must be honest about one aspect of this experience that disappoints many visitors: the butterflies are considerably less numerous than they were twenty years ago, and this decline appears to be linked to changes in water availability and temperature patterns across the region. Some years are better than others, and the summer of 2023 saw notably fewer moths