Exploring Rhodes - An Authentic Greek Island

A little overview of the highlights on my Greek getaway.

Rhodes is the capital and largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, boasting archaeological sites, lush green mountains, beautiful beaches, whitewashed villages, traditional Greek tavernas and much more. Rhodes offers a mixture of laid-back beach appeal and action-packed adventure opportunities, so is great for those looking for exploration plus those who simply want to relax. I chose Rhodes as a relaxing holiday, but I did venture out a couple of times and was glad I did!

Old Town
Rhodes’ Old Town was by far my favourite destination in Rhodes. It’s set in the grounds of a castle with medieval moats - I was truly fascinated by the evidence of ancient civilizations. There were old houses and mansions, walls, gates, statues, minarets, fountains, bustling squares and cobblestoned streets within the Old Town; it’s certainly somewhere you could get lost and live in the moment. It’s a dedicated UNESCO World Heritage Site and Europe’s oldest medieval inhabited city, so feels as though you’re stepping back in time here.

The Old Town has an endless selection of market style shops, fashion boutiques, bars, taverns and authentic roof-top restaurants to choose from. The choice can be overwhelming, especially when the owners are all outside trying to lure you in with discounts, so my advice would be to just go for the first place that looks nice. Me and my husband found a beautiful multi-tiered restaurant set in an old Greek mansion, which offered us a great price on beer boots (a litre of beer served in a giant glass beer boot) and the best table in the restaurant, which offered ocean and sunset views. The service was extremely warm and friendly and the food was delicious!

Lindos
We were recommended Lindos as a day trip from Rhodes, so we thought we’d visit. Lindos is a little fishing village and archaeological site renowned for its stunning beaches, bustling nightlife and towering Acropolis. We visited by boat (you can either visit by coach or boat) and en route we were treated to a swim stop at a beautiful place called Antony Quinn, a bay area in the Faliraki region of Rhodes surrounded by lots of vegetation, with clear turquoise waters and rock formations. It was a cloudy day so we didn’t witness the best vistas, but the bay was nonetheless alluring.

After being dropped at the harbour in Lindos, we decided to have a little exploration of the village itself. Lindos is an example of truly authentic Greece, with whitewashed houses, pretty little windows decorated with colourful flowers and narrow cobblestone alleys teeming with local shops selling souvenirs, Greek soaps, porcelain, leather, jewellery and art, as well as taverns, bars and ice-cream parlours. The main beach here is gorgeous and as you walk up to the village you can enjoy some excellent views of it.

The actual area we stayed in Rhodes was called Ixia, a cosmopolitan resort with many beachfront hotels, a mixture of sandy and pebbly beaches, great shopping and charming tourist-friendly taverns and bars. We stopped for lunch at a local bar called the Glory Days Sports Bar and Grill which was amazing. We had chicken Gyros, a favourite local dish consisting of Greek pitta, chicken kebab and Tzatziki, and for dessert I indulged in a mouth-watering ice cream coffee. I definitely recommend this awesome bar if you’re in the area!

The beach nearest to our hotel was quite pleasant, especially when the sun was shining. The waters were lovely and blue and sunsets were incredible - it was also very peaceful here.

Greece is a beautiful country home to Rhodes as well as many other beautiful cities and islands such as Crete and Athens. Have you visited Rhodes or planning to visit? If you do, don’t miss these highlights!