Things to do in Rhodes
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Rhodes Town Beach
The town beach begins north of Mandraki and continues around the island's northernmost point and down the west side of the New Town. The best spots will depend on the prevailing winds but tend to be on the east side.
reviewed
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Indigo
You wouldn't expect to find quality in among the fast-food joints of the New Market. But there is Indigo. Salads feature strongly: the Indigo salad with croutons, rocket, walnut, lettuce oil and garlic entices, as does a 'playful chicken' salad made up of chicken strips in vegetables and a hazelnut salad with blue cheese. Subtle and scrumptious at the same time.
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Avenue of the Knights
An appropriate place to begin an exploration of the Old Town is the imposing cobblestone Avenue of the Knights where the knights lived. The knights were divided into seven 'tongues' or languages, according to their place of origin - England, France, Germany, Italy, Aragon, Auvergne and Provence - and each were responsible for protecting a section of the bastion. The Grand Master, who was in charge, lived in the palace, and each tongue was under the auspices of a bailiff.
To this day the street exudes a noble and forbidding aura, despite modern offices now occupying most of the inns. Its lofty buildings stretch in a 600m-long unbroken wall of honey-coloured stone blocks, a…
reviewed
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Acropolis of Rhodes
The Acropolis of Rhodes was the site of the ancient Hellenistic city of Rhodes. The hill is named after the English admiral Sir Sydney Smith, who watched for Napoleon's fleet from here in 1802. It has superb views.
The restored 2nd-century-AD stadium once staged competitions in preparation for the Olympic Games. The adjacent theatre is a reconstruction of one used for lectures by the Rhodes School of Rhetoric. Steps above here lead to the Temple of Pythian Apollo, with four re-erected columns. This unenclosed site can be reached on city bus 5.
reviewed
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Palace of the Grand Masters
A truly magnificent 14th-century palace, it was destroyed in the gunpowder explosion of 1856 and the Italians rebuilt it in a grandiose manner, with a lavish interior, intending it as a holiday home for Mussolini and King Emmanuel III. It is now a museum, containing sculpture, mosaics taken from Kos by the Italians and antique furniture.
An around €10 inclusive ticket covers the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Decorative Arts.
reviewed
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Archaeological Museum
Housed in the old 15th-century knights' hospital is the Archaeological Museum. Its most famous exhibit is the exquisite Parian marble statuette, the Aphrodite of Rhodes, a 1st-century-BC adaptation of a Hellenistic statue. Less impressive to most is the 4th-century-BC Afroditi Thalassia in the next room.
A around €10 inclusive ticket covers the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Decorative Arts.
reviewed
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Marco Polo
You mightn't know about this seriously select dining locale if you didn't read it here. Original Graeco-Italian creations include pork with balsamic vinegar, rocket and sliced parmesan cheese, pork fillet with manouri cheese (a creamier and unsalted version of feta) and fig jam, or Santorini fava lentils with caramelised onions with a sweet wine sauce and mint. Select, but palate-pleasing wine list. Dining at its best in a palm tree caressed courtyard.
reviewed
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Nireas
Another back-street beauty, Nireas is nominally a fish restaurant but still covers the full gamut of dishes. The mydia ahnista (steamed mussels) in a rich flavoursome broth are worth particular mention, as are the skillet-seared mydia saganaki (mussels with tomato and feta cheese). Eat mezes (appetiser) style if you can. The locale is quiet and relaxing.
reviewed
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Mosque of Süleyman
Bearing many legacies of its Ottoman past is the Hora (M0144). During Turkish times churches were converted to mosques, and many more Muslim houses of worship were built from scratch, although most are now dilapidated. The most important is the pink-domed Mosque of Süleyman (M0145) Built in 1522 to commemorate the Ottoman victory against the knights, it was renovated in 1808.
reviewed
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Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter is an almost forgotten sector of Rhodes Old Town, where life continues at an unhurried pace and local residents live seemingly oblivious to the hubbub of the Hora, no more than a few blocks away. This area of quiet streets and sometimes dilapidated houses was once home to a thriving Jewish community.
reviewed
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To Meltemi
Unusual in that the New Town sports virtually no beachside tavernas, Meltemi occupies a prime spot just north of Mandraki harbour. Dishes run a predictable gamut of fish and grills, while the oven-baked feta and an original 'Meltemi salad' are worth sampling. Piped music and nautical memorabilia complete the scene.
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To Steki tou Tsima
To Steki is an unpretentious and totally untouristy fish restaurant on the south side of Old Town. Sample from an imaginative, and occasionally unusual, array of fish such, as yermanos (leatherback) and shellfish-based mezedhes: try grooved fouskes (sea squirts) to be different!
reviewed
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Aquarium
If you fancy a fishy experience, the Aquarium is worth a look. The Art Deco building was built during the 1930s by the Italians as a biological research station. Visitors can view anthozoa, molluscs, crabs, echinoderms, sea turtles and specimens from up to 12 types of fish families.
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O Meraklis
After a night out on the tiles a plate of belly-caressing tripe and entrails soup is what is needed - at least according to Greeks who swear by its hangover-curing properties. It's pretty much all it serves. It's rough, it's ready, it's an experience worth trying.
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To Steno
It's a short walk out of the Old Town from the Agios Athanasios gate to To Steno and it's worth the effort for the old-style atmosphere and outdoor dining in summer. Dine ouzo-style with mezedhes such as chickpea patties, zucchini fritters or country sausages.
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Halki
Looking and feeling somewhat out of time, Halki is a thoroughly idiosyncratic eatery almost hidden away in the New Town. Forget about swish décor; choose instead from a wide range of mezedhes and dishes on display. Order the excellent draught house wine.
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Hatzikelis
A former bakery turned fish restaurant, Hatzikelis shuns the mainstream tourist trade and sticks to noticeable quality. The shellfish excel. Look for mussels, scallops with garlic butter and kefalotyri cheese, fresh clams or sea urchin roe. Divine!
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Waterhoppers Diving Centre
Waterhoppers Diving Centre offers a range of diving courses, including a 'One Day Try Dive', for around €40 to around €50. You can get information at Mandraki Harbour. Kalithea Thermi is the only site around Rhodes where diving is permitted.
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Diving Centres
Diving Centres offers a range of diving courses, including a 'One Day Try Dive', for around €40 to around €50. You can get information at Mandraki Harbour. Kalithea Thermi is the only site around Rhodes where diving is permitted.
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Laganis
If you are looking for an unpretentious places with genuine food and uninflated prices, seek out this family-style taverna in the back streets. Two dishes worth sampling are the succulent fish souvlaki or the mussels filled with cheese and oven-baked.
reviewed
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La Varka
Blink and you've missed this quietly satisfying café-restaurant tucked away among a myriad of establishments. The menu is small, but it's fair dinkum Greek. Tourists don't often find their way here, though it's easy to find. Symi shrimps excel.
reviewed
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Scuba Diving Trident School
Scuba Diving Trident School offers a range of diving courses, including a 'One Day Try Dive', for around €40 to around €50. You can get information at Mandraki Harbour. Kalithea Thermi is the only site around Rhodes where diving is permitted.
reviewed
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Resalto Club
This indoor Greek music centre features live music on weekends. The repertoire ranges from entehna (artistic compositional) to laïka (urban popular music) to the ever-present rembetika (Greek blues).
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Museum of the Decorative Arts
The Museum of the Decorative Arts houses a collection of artefacts from around the Dodecanese. An around €10 inclusive ticket covers the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Decorative Arts.
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Sound & Light Show
This impressive show takes place from Monday to Saturday next to the walls of the Old Town. English-language sessions are staggered, but in general begin at either 21:15 or 23:15. Other languages offered are French, German and Swedish.
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