What excursions are offered in Rhodes: prices, description. Rhodes Island: traveling by car and review What to see in Rhodes on your own by car

The Greek island of Rhodes is not that big, only about 80 km in length, but despite its size, the island has quite a few unique attractions worthy of attention. You can explore them in different ways, for example, by booking an excursion from local travel agencies. You can explore the island on your own by public transport or by taxi if your budget allows.

However, you will have the most productive and complete acquaintance with the island of Rhodes if you use the services of local rental cars and rent a car. In this case, you are your own boss and will not depend on anyone.

Renting a car in Rhodes is not difficult; there are more than enough rental cars, they are available in almost every village and in every hotel. Most of them will have a Russian-speaking employee. Moreover, in Rhodes there are increasingly more car rental offices where the rental agreement is drawn up in Russian, this makes it much easier for Russian tourists to navigate in terms of insurance and rental conditions. The general rules for renting a car in Greece remain the same. One of these companies, quite popular in Rhodes among Russian tourists, is "Luxury Cars".

Traveling around Rhodes by car is easy and simple, the roads are quite good, the traffic is not intense and, most importantly, to get lost, you need to really try, even if you don’t use a navigator. Traffic rules in Greece are almost no different from Russian ones, everything is the same. There are, of course, some peculiarities, for example, two hundred meters before the traffic light you can see an additional section of yellow blinking light, warning that there is an intersection with a traffic light ahead.

When traveling by car in Rhodes, special attention should be paid to parking areas. Basically, they are free everywhere, but in large villages and in particular in the city of Rhodes there are paid parking lots. Blue markings on the ground indicate paid parking. If you park in such a place, immediately look for a parking meter to pay for parking. The cost of parking in Rhodes is on average 1.5 euros per hour. To pay for it, you need to insert coins into the parking meter (it does not accept paper bills) and press the button on the board with the desired parking time. After these manipulations, the parking meter will give you a ticket that you need to place under the windshield of your car.

Any tourist can easily create a route for traveling around Rhodes himself. To do this, you need to get acquainted with the sights in advance. By the way, there are more than enough of them on the island. In addition, you can simply drive around towns and villages and discover new places unknown to the mass tourist. For example, visiting the small non-tourist village of Fanes will leave an indelible impression on you, believe me. And for those who like photography, there is simply a treasure trove of landscapes and scenes.

To begin with, I offer you my simple route for traveling around Rhodes by car. By the way, it didn’t take us that long to compile it, and one of our acquaintances, who lives in Rhodes, helped us with this, and it was thanks to him that we learned about the village of Fanes. But, more about her later.

This time we rented a small Nissan micra with an automatic transmission. Its fuel consumption was no more than six liters per 100 km, quite economical for Greek gasoline prices. By the way, gasoline in Rhodes costs an average of 1.7 euros per liter of AI-95, and gas stations are located every 2-3 km along any road. Filling your car with gasoline is very simple, you drive up to the gas station, give money to a specially trained person who is available at every gas station and that’s it, you don’t need to do anything else, you don’t even have to get out of the car.

When traveling around Rhodes, it is advisable to choose a car that is more powerful than a Nissan micra. On mountain roads and on steep climbs, it goes uphill with tension. It probably wouldn’t be very comfortable to travel on such roads with a manual transmission if you had previously driven an automatic.

We decided to choose a simpler route for the first day, so that we could first get acquainted with the surroundings and get used to the car and the peculiarities of local traffic rules. We rested at the Virginia Hotel near the village of Kallithea, so the starting point of our trips will be Kallithea.

So, day one.

Route: Kallithea - Kallithea Baths - Seven Springs (36º15′12.90″ and 28º06′52.91″) - Tsampiko Monastery (36º13′50.08″ and 28º08′04.56″) with the Panorama tavern - Haraki village (36º 10′00.73″ and 28º05 ′37.08″) with swimming on the beach - Lindos - Kallithea.

After breakfast we leave the hotel towards Faliraki. I immediately draw your attention to the fact that there are no signs with the name of the area, so we pass by the first planned attraction, “Kalithea Thermae”. Next, we decide to immediately go for a swim at Anthony Queen Beach. The heat is unbearable, so moving around Rhodes in a car is not so comfortable, despite the air conditioner in the car working at full power.

We found the beach quickly following the signs “Ladiko beach” and “Antony Quinn”. These two unique beaches are located just outside the village of Faliraki as you head south along the east coast. There is only one parking lot at these two beaches and finding a free space in high season is not so easy. The parking itself is free. If you face the sea, Ladiko Beach will be on your right, and Antony Quinn on your left. Both beaches are magnificent, located in small bays. There are no waves here, the water is clean, like the beaches themselves. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available for 8 euros per day per set, changing rooms and fresh water showers. It is better to come to Anthony Queen Beach in the morning, otherwise you will not find free spaces not only in the parking lot, but also on the beaches. People sunbathe here so densely that because of the sun loungers along the shore, sometimes you can’t even enter the sea, you literally have to step on their bodies.

Tourists on Anthony Queen Beach

Anthony Queen Beach

After swimming in a heavenly place, we head further to the next attraction of Rhodes, which is called “Seven Springs” (Epta Piges). We climb up the mountain along a rather winding serpentine road. The car moves with difficulty. We park in the free parking lot under a tree in the shade. If you leave the car under the sun, the body becomes so hot that the first five minutes in the car you feel like you’re in a steam room, despite the air conditioning running.

Where to park your car in Rhodes town Before entering the springs there is a small tavern where you can drink some water or orange juice, which is what we did.

Seven springs in Rhodes

However, you still need to leave. It's a pity that such beauty is so far from our hotel. On the way, we stop in Haraki again to drink a cold frappe and swim on a cozy beach. The day was quite eventful and interesting, there were a lot of impressions. Tomorrow we continue to travel by car around Rhodes to new unexplored places and famous attractions.

Day three. The route is as follows: Kallithea - the village of Fanes (36º21′03.69″ and 27º58′56.75″) - Valley of the Butterflies (navigator coordinates - 36º15′11.47″ and 28º06′50.90″) - ostrich farm (36º21′ 09.05″ and 28º02′51.02″ ) - Monastery of St. Nektarios (36º15′56.20″ and 28º04′38.12″) - Anthony Queen Beach - Mount Filerimus - Rhodes Town - Kallithea.

First we stop at the non-tourist village of Fanes on the west coast of Rhodes. We park the car and go for a walk along the narrow colorful streets, take pictures of the colorful houses and never stop responding to the greetings of the local residents, who are the first to say hello with a smile. It’s clear that we are welcome here and it’s very nice. Photo of the village of Fanes in a separate topic. For lovers of exoticism and local color, I highly recommend coming here.

Fanes

Village of Fanes

Then we head to the Valley of Butterflies. The road leads along a mountain serpentine through coniferous forests.

Road in the mountains

A short stop on the mountain road.

Such souvenirs can be bought in the mountains from local residents.

It so happened that first we stopped at the Butterfly Valley, and only then at the ostrich farm. We park the car in the highest parking lot, because... all other places are occupied. From the upper parking lot to the entrance to the place where the butterflies live, you need to go down about 400 meters. It is truly an amazing sight, thousands of Hera bear butterflies settled on the trees and stones along the stream. Once you scare them away a little, you find yourself surrounded by red fluttering petals. The further you go down along the stream along the wooden planks, the more your jaw involuntarily drops at the sight of so many colorful fluttering insects. In the second half of summer, especially in August, butterflies gather in this place in the greatest numbers.

Butterflies in the Butterfly Valley

Next stop is an ostrich farm. The entrance ticket costs 8 euros. We didn't like it here at all. Firstly, in the heat there was no desire to feed these long-legged birds, and secondly, all this would be more interesting for children, so we walked around a small ostrich cage, returned to the parking lot and went for a swim at Anthony Queen Beach, stopping on the way for honey . Saint Nektarios helps get rid of alcohol addiction and provides assistance to those who need money. It is also believed to help cancer patients. It was not possible to get into the monastery itself; it was already closed. In general, if you are going to visit Rhodes monasteries and churches, it is better to do it before lunch, otherwise most of them will be closed.

Near the monastery of St. Nektarios you can buy excellent honey, which is what we did. And near the road, next to the stairs leading to the monastery, there grows a huge plane tree with a hollow, where an adult can easily fit.

Entrance to the monastery of St. Nektarios

And this is the monastery of St. Nektarios itself

Next we head to Anthony Queen Beach, named after the American film actor. The path to the beach has already been trodden by us, but there are no places on the beach, all the sun loungers are occupied. But we still manage to find one free sun lounger and settle down on it. I go to the diving center, which is located right on the beach. For 60 euros I dive with an instructor for about forty minutes, my wife relaxes on the shore. Unfortunately, the instructor did not allow me to dive deeper than seven meters, he said that they have such rules for new clients. Well, okay, I already saw something interesting at the bottom, for example, a long garfish, a couple of octopuses among the stones and many schools of fish.

Bottom line. Yes, indeed, traveling around Rhodes by car is much more interesting than using public transport. True, we later bought an excursion to the island of Halki, but this is a completely different type of travel, and besides, going to Halki by car is not comme il faut. And I highly recommend using the services of Renkar"Luxury Car Rental", has been tested by many tourists over the years.

Good luck to you!

More about Rhodes

The fourth largest island in Greece attracts tourists all year round. Rhodes is a combination of ancient history, myths and legends with modern luxury holidays. It is washed by the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, has a coastline of 250 kilometers, and the island’s area is 1,401,459 square meters. km. During the summer months, the number of tourists can exceed the local population, because the island has unique attractions that can be seen in a few days if you explore Rhodes by car.

Complete information about your trip to Rhodes

If a tourist is interested in the question of what to see in Rhodes on their own by car, then first of all you need to find out the main attractions.

• Capital of the island. The old town is included in the UNESCO list, and the Rhodes Fortress is the longest in Europe - 4 km.
• Ancient Kamiros. There was once a thriving city here, founded in the 9th century BC, but now there are only ruins on the site.
• Tsambika. The sacred mountain, on top of which the monastery is located, to get there you need to overcome 307 steps.
• Valley of Butterflies. In summer, bear butterflies fly here and occupy all the trees and stones.
• Lindos. A snow-white small city that conveys the flavor of all of Greece, it was built in the 6th century BC.

These are not all the attractions, so the question of where to go by car in Rhodes should not arise.

The distances between objects are quite large, and public transport does not go everywhere, so a car is the best way to see everything.

Trip plan with map

It is advisable for a tourist to stay on the island for at least a week, during which time he can easily see all the beauty, taste delicious food and sunbathe on the beaches.

Map with attractions

Note! It is better to start your trip from the capital of the island - Rhodes, from where the route network of the entire island begins.

Rhodes - routes by car can be like this:

• Kallithea - Kallithea Baths - Seven Springs - Tsampiko Monastery with the Panorama Tavern - Haraki village with swimming on the beach - Lindos - Kallithea.
• Kallithea - monastery of St. Ponteleimon - Prasonisi beach.
• Kallithea - the village of Fanes - Valley of the Butterflies (coordinates for navigator - ostrich farm - monastery of St. Nektarios - Anthony Queen beach - Mount Filerimus - city of Rhodes - Kallithea).

Any route can be modified; when traveling around Rhodes by car, you need to take a trip plan with a map. The south of the island is not as popular as the North, there are fewer tourists there, especially on the beaches, and prices for services can sometimes also be lower. But in a day you can see several objects in the north and go explore the southern coast of Rhodes; you can get there in a few hours.

Note! You can only rent a car in Greece if you are 21 years old and you need to have a passport and a driver's license with you.

If tourists are interested in beaches, then they should definitely visit the best places on the island:

• Anthony Quinn. It is located near the village of Faliraki, you can find it by following the signs. There are no waves, the beach is clean sand, you can take an umbrella or sun lounger for an additional fee.
• Haraki. On the east coast of the island there is a small village with clean beaches. There are a lot of people here in summer, so it’s better to come early in the morning.
• Prasonisi. One of the largest beaches on the island, people often come here by car and set up camping.
• Ghenadi. This place is not so popular among tourists, although the water here is clean and there is plenty of space for sun loungers.

In summer the sea warms up to +30 Celsius, and the tourist season itself lasts from May to October. If the sea is not of interest to the traveler, then you can visit the island even in winter; besides, prices for housing and other services drop significantly. And the temperature even in February can reach +15, precipitation falls in late autumn and winter, but the sun shines 300 days a year.

Anthony Queen Beach

When it becomes clear what to see on your own by car in Rhodes, you will also need to study the road network, the possibility of renting a car and the availability of gas stations.

You can rent a car:

• From the tour operator.
• In an Aeroport.
• At Rodos cars points.

It is better to find out about delivery points and costs from the service provider, because prices are constantly changing.

You can refuel your car at gas stations; they are small stores where they sell gasoline, but sometimes such stores do not have any signs, so it is not always clear where the gas station is.

Note! There is a main road with 2 lanes along the perimeter of the island; gas stations are located on it; in the interior of the island there are practically none, so you will need to return to this road.

Police are rare on the island, and traffic rules are controlled by road signs and rare traffic lights. Care must be taken, especially when traveling in the mountains.

There are also few parking lots on the island; if you go to the beach, you can stop right there; in the city center they are already occupied by locals.

A tourist can move around every day and stop in new places. There are no problems with accommodation on the island; in every tourist town you can find accommodation, but if there are plans and routes, then you need to book places in advance, especially for the tourist season.

What should a tourist visiting the island know?

You can find budget accommodation options, but you need to book them six months before your trip. There are often inexpensive hotels and hotels that offer breakfast or even dinner; many have access to the beaches, an equipped beauty salon and a swimming pool.

What is attractive about traveling by car compared to other methods?

Driving around Rhodes by car is much more convenient than using public transport, especially if it is a family vacation and there is a child in the company.

Important! If you are traveling with a child, then the car must have a child seat; it can be rented along with the car.

Panorama of Rhodes

Local transport services

Public transport on the island operates on schedule, but often in the evening it is impossible to go anywhere. The only solution for tourists without a car is to go on an excursion. There are excursions on motor ships here, and there is a ferry service between the cities. But sightseeing buses are not common everywhere, so it’s easier for tourists to go somewhere on their own.

Note! Renting transport on the island is not at all difficult, you just need to find a company that provides such services, and there are many of them on the island.

You need to be careful on the road, as the Greeks themselves can exceed the speed limit and violate traffic rules. The tracks themselves are in good condition, but there are often serpentine roads, so you need to slow down and be careful when turning.

You can cross the entire island from North to South in 1…2 hours, but it is better to spend several days on the trip, because there are many attractions in Rhodes. With your own transport, you can easily move from city to city and spend the night in a new place every night. Traveling by car will give you the opportunity to see all the beauties of the island while spending a little money.

Traveling by car around the island of Rhodes (Greece). Sights, roads, car rental, tourist photos, beaches, tips, reviews and impressions.

Preface

The vacation started spontaneously. Open Schengen haunted us, and we kept an eye on the flights. A lucrative offer appeared to go to Rhodes for 4 days, which could not be missed. The trip took place at the beginning of September 2017 - at this time there was an opportunity to enjoy the warm sea and gentle sun. There are much fewer tourists in Rhodes at this time than in the summer, which makes the holiday even better.

We stopped in the Old Town - this is the capital of the island. The Dragon of Rhodes is a private mini-hotel with 3 rooms. During the first day we managed to swim, relax, lie on the beach, take a walk, have a great meal and even drink local wine.

The thought of renting a car has already crossed our minds. I wanted to ride around the island on an adventure. Rhodes is quite small, and therefore it is difficult to get lost in it. It's decided! We leave tomorrow morning!

Hotel room

Our breakfast

Rent a car in Rhodes

The Greeks are very hospitable, friendly and helpful people, especially in Rhodes. There are three ways to rent a car here:

1. Upon arrival at the airport.
2. From the tour operator.
3. At special Rodos cars points.

The third option is the simplest, fastest and most profitable - such points are located around the island at almost every turn. A nice Russian girl, Natasha, who worked there, helped us figure out all the details. Within 20 minutes she explained everything, copied the documents (no international licenses were needed, our Russian ones were fine), took the money and gave the keys!

We took a Mercedes Smart with a consumption of 5 liters per 100 km for 150 euros per day. Two tall people with half their luggage, water, food and wetsuits easily fit into the car. We turned on the “Here we go” navigator, music on the smartphone (there are no wires in the car, we had our own) and drove off towards adventure.

Our beauty

This is the design inside

"Here we go" app with offline maps

Our approximate route

The island of Rhodes is washed by two seas - the Aegean and Mediterranean. We began our journey from the capital of the island of the same name - the city of Rhodes - along the Mediterranean side. The aquarium at the northernmost point served as a landmark. That's where we started.

We decided not to go into the aquarium itself. But even from afar, a beautiful picture opened up to us - the border of two seas. The place where the seas connect but do not mix was clearly visible. You won’t see such a miracle in any aquarium!

Gas stations, traffic rules and police

Gas stations are small shops where Greek women sell gasoline. 1 liter here costs 1.5 euros. There are many gas stations in the city, they grow right in the middle of houses and cafes - sometimes it is not immediately clear that this is a gas station. They are found infrequently on the highway and represent a complex that is intuitively understandable to the Russian person.

At the station they will come up to you and fill up your car for the amount you offer. We paid 30 euros for a full tank. At the local gas station, as in Russia, you can buy all sorts of little things. Be careful: not all gas stations are open 24 hours a day.

The island is surrounded by a main road with 2 lanes in both directions - gas stations are mainly located on it. If you go deep into the island, you will eventually have to return here. You can cross the island in an average of 1 hour.

Traffic rules in Rhodes consist of several traffic lights, “Brick” signs, “Roundabout” signs and that’s it! There are much more signs here about what, where and how many meters from here it is. If you are driving using a navigator, then you don’t have to worry at all: they will definitely yield to you, wave their hand and smile. For example, in the evening local residents stopped us and told us that we had not turned on the headlights, in addition they treated us to grapes and told us to definitely come again!

We never met the police. There are no checkpoints, no duty cars, no cameras. And, most amazingly, there are no accidents!

In the capital of the island, in the city of Rhodes, traffic is one-way and roundabout, so at first you can get confused. This is what happened to us - we accidentally drove in the oncoming lane... A taxi driver was driving towards us, who stopped, came up to us, showed a sign and explained with a smile that we were breaking the rules. Meanwhile, he waved his hand to other road users to let us go in reverse. Everything was so easy, polite and even, in my opinion, a little fun...

Parking is not easy to find, especially in the beach area. There are markings only in the city of Rhodes, and there are no tow trucks here. All the cars are very small, there are a lot of scooters in the area, but everyone parks carefully so as not to disturb anyone.

Gas station in Rhodes town

Refueling on the highway

Road signs

We popped in here for a swim and a bite to eat after reading great reviews. The beach is really wonderful. The water is crystal clear, the sand is fine, and renting sunbeds costs 5 euros. There is everything you need for a good rest: showers, toilets, water attractions and cafes. There is no music, but this is a family place - here you can relax your soul, contemplating the natural beauty and listening to the sound of the sea.

The cafe sells mostly fast food and drinks, so we stopped at a nearby small restaurant. A meal for two in a tourist place will cost you 50 euros, and in a local village - 30 euros. The Greeks cook very tasty food and serve large portions. Feel free to take one salad for two, but one serving is definitely enough for children. Even if you come to the restaurant at rush hour, the dishes will be served to everyone at the same time, no one will have to wait for their order. This is a classic Greek service.

Greek colorful restaurant

Felerimos

This local attraction happened to be on our way, so we decided to check it out. We had to climb a steep hill, but the car managed. This attraction is located closer to the central part of the island; the road here is very picturesque, surrounded by pine forests. Felerimos is a hill where a huge cross is installed. There is an observation deck with stunning views, and not far from here there is a beautiful monastery and a peacock park.

Our goal is to look around, take a photo as a souvenir, and stock up on peacock feathers, of which there are more than enough here. They naturally fall out of tails, so we collected a whole bunch. As for the monastery, it was closed, but the building itself, the courtyard, the park, the garden - all this struck us with incredible beauty. Felerimos is a place for walking and contemplation; there is no sultry heat here, and from the observation deck you can clearly see the island.

famous cross

Island view

Monastery

Chasing peacock feathers

Lindos

Further along the way we had a stunning view of a small bay, which was overgrown with small white houses in the style of a Greek village. This is a stunning heart shaped Lindos. I have never seen a more romantic place in my life!

Unable to resist, we went down to swim. The bay is small, so the water here is very warm. There is complete silence and tranquility in Lindos. White houses climb the cliff up to the acropolis. The altitude here is quite high, and especially lazy tourists are transported by donkeys. The houses have shops, cafes and mini-hotels. This is an incredibly colorful place!

From the cafe came delicious aromas that you couldn’t help but be tempted by. This is the peculiarity of Greece: you just want to go to the owner’s cafe for a cup of coffee and try her cinnamon rolls.

We don’t want to leave Lindos, but new adventures await us.

Heart Bay

Lindos houses

Souvenir shops

Almost at sunset we reached the southernmost point of the island. The place is called “The Kiss of the Two Seas”: here on a narrow isthmus the Aegean and Mediterranean seas touch each other. We drove here with all the stops for about 7 hours.

This is an amazing place for windsurfing and kiting, with rentals and instructors available. An hour of lessons with all equipment costs 50 euros. There is a cafe, a shop and a camping-type hotel. There are a lot of motorhomes here and we even saw tents.

The romantic atmosphere and the strong wind from the Aegean Sea combine to create an ideal place for those who want to learn how to surf the sea on a board. There are Russian-speaking instructors and even online registration: you come on time and study for 1 hour.

The uniqueness of this place lies in the fact that, being in the calm Mediterranean Sea, you also get the fresh wind from the Aegean Sea. This is probably why my review turned out to be so emotional. Ideal conditions for learning are created here. By the way, the parking lot there is sandy, and we got a little stuck. But the car, as before, again coped with the difficulties.

Equipment rental

Aegean side

We had to return at night. We decided to go around the island, so we drove back along the Aegean side. This part of Rhodes is less developed, there is nothing to see here: there are only pebble beaches and strong winds - in short, a paradise for surfers. There is an airport on this side.

At night there is practically no lighting, the road is narrow, in some places along cliffs, so it is not easy to drive here. There are no fellow travelers or oncoming traffic. But we decided to drive slowly at 60 km/h and discuss what an amazing day we had! For those who follow in our footsteps, I advise you to either visit this place in the morning, or spend the night on Prasonisi, or return along the Mediterranean side.

Airport

We got there in 2 hours. In general, you can drive around the entire island in 4 hours.

Valley of the Butterflies

In the morning we had a little time left before returning the car, and we decided to go to the Valley of Butterflies. It is located on the Aegean side, very close to the city of Rhodes. Entrance - 10 euros.

I will say right away that this is not a valley, but a gorge, where it is damp and dark. It would be more correct to even call this place a small forest. And all the butterflies here are black! It was a little boring: black butterflies were just sitting on black trees. They didn't even fly. In my mind, this was supposed to be a heavenly place, but it turned out a little differently. As a result, we were left dissatisfied, so we do not recommend anyone to come here.

Gorge

Scary butterflies

Boring forest

Returning the car

It's time to say goodbye to the car. It was a little sad, because she gave so many impressions!
In the morning we handed over the car: no one checked or inspected it. We weren't even asked if the car was filled with gas.

By the way, gasoline cost us 50 euros for the entire trip. The workers wished us a pleasant stay and asked us to fly again.

Don't spend your vacation only on the beach and sea. Don’t be afraid to take a car abroad - sometimes it’s even safer than in Russia. With a car you can see a lot of interesting things. Such a vacation will definitely be remembered for a lifetime.

P.S. Rhodes is also famous for its nudist beaches... Next time we’ll check how things are with parking there.

Sign to nudist beach

As you know, Greece has everything, so why not spend an unforgettable piece of summer in this beautiful country with its tiny houses, olive groves and wonderful beaches? If you have only 5 days, but want to see all the main attractions, swim in the gentle sea, and buy interesting souvenirs, then feel free to go to the amazing Greek island of Rhodes with our guide.

A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the website until June 30:

• AF500guruturizma - promotional code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
• AF2000TGuruturizma - promotional code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Tunisia from 100,000 rubles.

And you will find many more profitable offers from all tour operators on the website. Compare, choose and book tours at the best prices!

You can get to Rhodes by plane or ferry. Regular flights to Greece from Russia depart daily, and from other Greek islands you can take a ferry to the “Island of Roses” (that’s how “Rhodes” is translated from Greek). To visit Greece you need to obtain a Schengen visa.

Where to stay

When thinking about where to stay on the island, give preference to the cozy village of Faliraki. To get to know the entire island in a short time, it is best to rent a car for a couple of days and explore the island on your own for the rest of the days.

Day 1. Relax in Faliraki - try Greek cuisine, relax in the Water Park water park

Faliraki is the largest village of Rhodes, located close to the airport, and has become a center of fun and entertainment for tourists. Calm and quiet during the day, the resort with golden sandy beaches, sky-blue sea and cozy taverns turns into a center of nightlife in the evenings.

You can spend the morning on a pristine beach, and when the sun starts to get hot, it’s time to think about lunch, a cool drink and a shady shelter. There are taverns, cafes and restaurants at every turn in Faliraki, and in all of them you can try Greek cuisine. Of the many Greek dishes that are definitely worth trying, perhaps the first most important is moussaka. This is a juicy puff casserole with meat and eggplants served with an airy and creamy béchamel sauce. Despite its apparent airiness, moussaka is an incredibly satisfying dish; you can safely eat it for two.

If you're looking for a thrill after lunch, head to the Water Park for a variety of rides, pools and extreme high-speed slides that will take your breath away. Getting to the water park is not difficult: a bus runs from the center of Faliraki directly to the water park. In the summer months you can splash around in the Water Park until 7 pm, in other months until 6 pm.

Day 2. Sights of the old town

Most of the island's attractions are located in the capital of Rhodes of the same name, conventionally divided into the Old Town and the New Town. Modern Rhodes is unlikely to surprise you with anything - this is an ordinary part of the city, with a large number of hotels and shops, but the old city is loved by tourists due to its medieval atmosphere. You can get to the old part through numerous gates, such as the Port Gate or the D'Amboise Gate.

The most “knightly” attraction is considered to be the Palace of the Grand Masters, from where they ruled the island. Directly to the palace is the Street of the Knights of John, a medieval architectural monument, each knowledge of which is special.

In the old town, despite the atmosphere of ancient times, you can always find a cozy restaurant, but if you want to take a walk, you can buy gyros - the Greek equivalent of Arabic shawarma, seasoned with spicy tzatziki sauce, and eat it on the go.

If the heat is exhausting, you can while away the time at the Rhodes Archaeological Museum, admiring the results of archaeological excavations and, of course, the most valuable exhibits - marble sculptures of Aphrodite and Zeus. And when the evening cool descends on the city, take a walk to the Rhodian Acropolis: it will amaze you with its monumentality.

Day 3. Lindos - explore the Acropolis, buy gifts, try meze

On the third day, you can rent a car and go to explore the rest of the island, first of all, the town of Lindos, located in the east. However, driving a car through its center will be difficult: the streets are narrow and winding, but you can ride a donkey along them.

Like Faliraki, Lindos is a wonderful tourist resort, which, however, has retained more traditions and Greek flavor, the main source of which is the ancient Acropolis. In addition to the attractions (the ruins of the temples of Athena Lindos and St. John), the Acropolis also deserves attention due to its unforgettable view of the island.

After enjoying such beauty, you can treat yourself to another Greek dish - meze. In essence, meze is an assortment for every taste: vegetables, cheese, meat, seafood and various sauces. It’s immediately clear: this dish is for at least two!

After your meal, wander around the souvenir shops: you can buy cute leather and ceramic products, shoes, and jewelry. And driving a little away from Lindos, you will see the picturesque Vlycha Bay, a romantic place where you can relax before heading back.

Day 4. Ostrich farm and Prasonisi island

In the center of the island there is a zoo - an ostrich farm, a joy for both children and adults, so it’s worth starting the morning with communication with the animals. Among the inhabitants of the zoo are various species of birds, camels, donkeys, deer, ostriches (for example, there are more than 120 species). Exotic lovers can try a sandwich with an ostrich meat cutlet for only 4 euros!

Children will happily ride camels, and shopping lovers will be able to buy “ostrich” souvenirs: eggs, feathers and crafts made from them. And those who liked the sandwich with an ostrich cutlet will also be able to try ostrich fried eggs in the cafe located on the territory of the zoo.

After lunch, it’s time to head south and visit the “green island” - Prasonisi, washed by the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. In the summer months, the water level drops, and the island turns into a small sandy isthmus, on both sides of which two different seas splash: the calm Mediterranean and the raging Aegean. Swimming and water sports there are a pleasure: the clear sandy bottom and crystal waters are ideal for swimming, and the strong wind attracts windsurfers and kitesurfers from all over the world.

Day 5. Shopping

You can end your holiday in Greece with shopping. In addition to ceramic souvenirs, it is worth bringing olive oil, Greek wine, olives and natural cosmetics. Many people go to Greece for fur coats, and they are right: fur coats there are really cheaper than in Russia, and at the same time very high quality! In Faliraki, a shop with fur coats is located right behind the water park, where, having chosen a fur coat to suit your taste, you can, sipping champagne, wait a couple of hours until it is customized “to suit you”.

Tourists are offered various excursions, during which they can get acquainted with the beauties and amazing places of the island. As a rule, if a tourist does not arrive on the island on his own, but by purchasing a tour, the tour operator offers several excursions to choose from, and in general they do not differ from one travel agency to another. There is a standard set of places where tourists are taken. We were assigned the so-called hotel guide Ekaterina, a meeting time was set at the hotel, during which she told us everything about the rules and requirements for tourists while staying in Greece, as well as about the excursions offered. Excursions are booked immediately and paid for immediately (this is my least favorite moment, since when canceling excursions the rules are very strict - it is almost impossible to get a full refund).

You can also choose an excursion yourself by contacting excursion centers, of which there are plenty in every locality. It's cheaper here, but, as it turns out, not entirely reliable.

Excursions in Rhodes

So, what excursions were offered to us?

Firstly, there are excursions to the nearby islands: Symi, Kos, Nisyros, Kalymnos. The most popular excursion is to the island of Symi, famous for its colorful houses in a neoclassical style and natural sponges that are mined off the coast of the island. The excursion takes the whole day, it begins in the port of Rhodes, from there tourists go on a yacht to the island, visiting first Panormitis - the harbor at the monastery of the Archangel Michael, and then to the main harbor, disembarking and walking around the island. This is one of the most expensive excursions offered to us - the price is 80 euros per adult, 60 per child, the price also includes lunch on the yacht.

Among the excursions around the island itself, the most popular are: the city of Rhodes, Lindos, the valley of the Petaloudes butterflies and a sightseeing tour of the island.

Excursions in Rhodes

An excursion to Rhodes - the main city of the island - involves getting to know the Old Town - a fortress built in the Middle Ages by the Knights - St. John (Hospitaliers), visiting the port of Mandraki (where, according to one version, stood the famous Colossus of Rhodes) and visiting Mount Filerimos. This mountain is notable for the fact that there is a large cross on it (it can be seen from the plane when you arrive on the island), there are also remains of the acropolis (the ancient city of Ialis) and Byzantine architecture, as well as the monastery of the Virgin Mary with a miraculous icon. Cost – 50 euros per person.

Excursions in Rhodes

Another excursion is to the city of Lindos. This is a very beautiful place, here is the second largest and most important acropolis in Greece after Athens, a medieval fortress, and the city itself is a snow-white miracle with narrow picturesque streets along which you can get lost. In addition, there is St. Paul's Bay. According to legend, it was to this bay that the apostle arrived to bring Christian teachings here. The bay is shaped like a heart, so newlyweds often come here for their honeymoon.

Excursions in Rhodes

The excursion to Lindos is offered in two options: sea and bus. The boat excursion includes visits to the most beautiful bays of the island, including Ladiko and Anthony Quinn bays (with swimming), and the price also includes lunch on the yacht. Price – 60 euros per person. The bus tour also includes a visit to the seven springs with a “cleansing of sins” tunnel. It costs a little less - 40 euros per person, but its price does not include lunch.

Excursions in Rhodes

A sightseeing tour of Rhodes (island) is one of the longest. If all the others end somewhere at 14.00, then this one ends at 18.00. It includes a trip along the coast of the island with visits to various attractions: the Byzantine chapel of St. Nicholas, the chapel of St. Elijah (nearby is also the beautiful Elafos Hotel and the so-called “Mussolini's cottage”), a visit to a traditional Greek house with a tasting of wine, honey and olive oil oil (included in the price), a visit to the village of Embona with lunch (also included in the price), an excursion to the Church of St. Panteleimon - the healer in the town of Sianna, as well as swimming in Prasonissi - a place in the very south of the island where two seas meet - the Aegean and the Mediterranean . This excursion costs 60 euros per person.

My review of the sightseeing tour of Rhodes

There is also a special tour of the Orthodox shrines of the island, the program of which, in addition to the attractions already listed, includes a visit to the Tsambiki Monastery and several other sites. But we were not offered this excursion.

Excursions in Rhodes

In addition, the guide immediately advised against programs such as fishing and diving, although they were included in the advertising booklet. She explained this by saying that tourists will be disappointed - there is very little living life off the coast of the island (by the way, this is why seafood dishes are very expensive in Rhodes). She didn’t recommend the Petaloudes Butterfly Valley (there is also an ostrich farm there), although when planning a trip to Rhodes, I wanted to visit there. According to the guide, this excursion is interesting for children, but adults get less impressions than expected. Although, there are no comrades for the taste and color.

Excursions in Rhodes

I would like to immediately note that excursions are very expensive, for example, in the Czech Republic or Germany they cost an order of magnitude cheaper (almost 2 times), but, apparently, this is due to the fact that tourism is practically the only source of income on the island. Please note that tickets to the sites are not included in the price of the excursions.

From all that was offered, we immediately booked a sightseeing tour of the island, reasoning that it was possible to go to Rhodes and Lindos on our own, but we could only take a sightseeing tour with a tour group (although, if you wish, you can do it yourself in a rented car). We were not disappointed in our choice - the excursion called “Fantastic Rhodes” was truly wonderful - very eventful and interesting, not at all tiring.

We went to the city of Rhodes on our own. It was possible to go by bus (this trip costs only 2.2 euros per person one way), but we teamed up with a couple from Odessa who lived in the same hotel and went by taxi. They called a taxi for us at the hotel, the trip from Faliraki to Rhodes costs 20 euros one way (but we paid 10 each), in the end it cost us 20 euros both ways + the price for entrance to the Palace of the Grand Masters (6 euros each person, total 12) and a delicious lunch (25 euros) - total 47 euros (half the price!). We had plenty of time to walk around the city and see all the sights, not at a gallop like on a tour, but slowly and carefully. We were very pleased with the trip, the only negative was that we didn’t go to Filerimos.

Excursions in Rhodes

Excursions in Rhodes

On the same day, our friends in Rhodes bought an excursion to the island of Symi from a local travel agency (costs 35 euros, while at a travel agency - 80 euros per person), but they arrived disappointed: the yacht rocked all the time, in addition, it was overcrowded, We dropped them off on the island and gave them time to walk, but it was very hot and the walk didn’t go well. So they did not advise contacting local travel agencies.

We also planned to take an excursion to Lindos, but then again we went on our own - on a regular bus, and did not regret it at all. We had so much time that we were able to enjoy the ancient ruins, get lost in the narrow streets of Lindos and get a lot of impressions. And we did one more excursion on our own - we went to 7 springs on a regular bus.

Detailed story about the trip to 7 springs

Excursions in Rhodes

Excursions in Rhodes

The conclusion is this: you can spend a lot of money on organized excursions, or you can save a lot by going to many attractions on your own. Read about these attractions in advance on the Internet or in specialized literature, and you won’t need any guide. Getting to them is very easy; there are no problems with public transport on the island.