Rhodes Honeymoon Guide
With its year-round pleasant climate, ancient Greek temples, World Heritage-listed medieval Old Town, pristine mountainous interior and coastline of beautiful clean beaches, Rhodes offers all the ingredients you need for a perfect honeymoon or romantic getaway in the Greek Islands.
Along with Santorini and Mykonos, Rhodes is one of the most visited islands of Greece.
What to do and see in Rhodes
In the old city of Rhodes, explore the Avenue of the Knights lined with magnificent medieval buildings and admire the Temple of Apollo at the Acropolis of Ancient Rhodes.
In the beautiful hilltop town of Lindos, wander narrow winding streets lined with white-washed houses, explore the 15th century hilltop fortress and admire the ancient Greek temple that sits within the walls.
Visit the 15th century crusader castle perched on a coastal mountain near Monolithos and examine Byzantine churches adorned with frescoes at Tharri and Asklipio.
Go windsurfing at Prasonisi, party hard at the bustling beach resort of Faliraki and improve your tan at a choice of great beaches that edge the east coast.
Take a day trip to the unspoilt Greek Islands of Symi and Kos or head to Marmaris in nearby Turkey.
Top attractions in Rhodes, include…
Old Town of Rhodes
Explore one of the largest and best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town is probably the oldest continuously inhabited medieval town in Europe.
Stroll around the towering fortified walls then explore some of the 200 narrow cobblestone alleyways crammed with buildings that date from antiquity, Byzantine times and the Middle Ages.
Admire the 3rd century BC ruins of the Temple of Venus, found just inside the magnificent Eleftheria Gate. Walk the 600m-long Avenue of the Knights, where knights of the Order of St John once lived.
Visit the Hospital of the Knights (now the Archaeological Museum), the magnificent Palace of the Grand Masters and the 14th century Hospice of St Catherine.
Ponder the 3rd century BC Temple of Venus and the Mosque of Suleiman, with its distinct pink-striped Venetian exterior. Pass beautiful Gothic and Byzantine churches along the way.
Acropolis of Rhodes
Visit the restored ruins of the 2nd century AD Doric temples of Athena Polias and Zeus Polieus that stand on the ancient acropolis overlooking the city.
Explore passageways in the underground aqueduct Nymphaea and be awed by the Odeion Theatre in the Stadium.
Lindos
Typifying the best of Dodecanese architecture, this picture-perfect hilltop town is built of narrow stone-paved alleyways and traditional white-washed houses with elegant stone doorways and small internal courtyards. Browse handicraft shops selling ceramics, rugs, delicate embroidery and lace.
Visit the 15th century Byzantine Church of the Panagia, famously covered by more than 200 iconic frescoes, then stroll past the famous 2nd century BC relief carving of a trireme (ancient warship) to the ancient Acropolis.
Here sit the impressive remains of the Sanctuary of Athena Lindos, contained within the fortified walls and protected by a medieval castle built in the early 14th century by the Knights of St John.
Admire the temple and the marvellous views overlooking medieval Lindos and St Paul’s Bay.
Visit on a day trip or stay longer at the luxurious Melenos Lindos, the island’s first boutique hotel. The ancient town of Lindos is located on the east coast, around 45km south of Rhodes town.
Kamiros
Try to picture what life was like more than 2000 years ago in this ancient Doric city as you wander through the remains of aqueducts, streets, temples and homes.
Kamiros was only discovered in 1929 and is located around 40km south of Rhodes town.
Ialisos
Explore ancient 2nd and 4th century BC ruins and a monastery, which sprawl over the slopes of Mount Filerimos.
Visit the temple to Athena Polias and Zeus Polieus and the Monastery of Filerimos.
Ancient Ialisos is located on the island's north-west coast, around 9km from Rhodes town.
Mount Attaviros
The highest mountain on Rhodes (1196m) is a 5-hour round-trip trek from the village of Ayios Issidoros.
At the summit you will be rewarded with panoramic views across the island, taking in both the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
Valley of Butterflies
This lush green nature reserve offers scenic walks in a setting of bamboo bridges, ponds, streams and small waterfalls. During July and August, the valley is home to millions of black-and-white-striped butterflies.
The Valley of Butterflies is open from May to September and is located 27km south of Rhodes.
Best beaches in Rhodes
For the best beaches on Rhodes, head to the island’s east coast, where you can also find a wide choice of watersports and accommodation options.
Beaches on the west coast are mainly stony but offer ideal conditions for surfing, wind surfing and kite boarding.
The best beaches in Rhodes, include…
Faliraki Beach
Discover Rhode’s most developed and busiest beach resort – a 5km-long stretch of golden sand renowned for its beachside facilities, vibrant nightlife and wide choice of beachfront restaurants, tavernas and hotels.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and a range of watersport equipment and activities including banana boats, doughnut rings, jet skiing, water skiing, parasailing and windsurfing. The main beach is generally quiet in the morning but livens up after lunch.
The calm water of Faliraki is shallow and offer safe swimming. Escape the afternoon crowds by visiting the slides of Faliraki Water Park, the arcades of Luna Park fun fair or the go-kart track.
The less-crowded southern end of the beach, facing the calm waters of scenic Kathara Bay, offers a quiet place to sunbathe. Here you can find a pretty golden-sand beach, a clothing-optional beach and a small shingle beach, which nestles beneath cliffs made famous in the filming of The Guns of Navarone.
After dark, the centre of Faliraki town is famous for its all-night discos, wild bars and nightclubs, where you can party hard until sunrise.
Faliraki is located on the north-east coast just 12km south of Rhodes town.
Anthony Quinn Beach
Unwind on this pocket of white sand and shingle that gently shelves between rocks into the calm turquoise waters of Anthony Quinn Bay.
This picture-perfect beach, made famous by the film The Guns of Navarone starring Anthony Quinn, is surrounded by steep hills dotted with pine trees.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and a taverna that overlooks the lovely bay.
The beach sits 3km south of Faliraki Beach and around 15km south of Rhodes town.
Kalathos Beach
Escape the crowds at this long and wide golden-sand beach that shelves into clean crystalline waters perfect for swimming.
Facilities include sun beds and umbrellas. Kalathos is located on the east coast, around 38km south of Rhodes town.
Tsambika Beach
Dig your toes into the soft white sand of this picture-perfect beach, which stretches between mountainous headlands and shelves into the turquoise waters of a beautiful bay.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas, a mini-market and some watersports equipment.
Tsambika is located on the east coast, around 26km south of Rhodes town.
Lindos Beach
This very popular golden-sand beach shelves into crystalline blue water beneath the picture-perfect medieval town of Lindos, with its hilltop fortress and 4th century BC Greek temple.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and a choice of beachside tavernas.
Hike up to the hilltop fortress, stroll the cobblestoned streets of the white-washed old town, browse for local ceramics, kilim rugs and handicrafts and enjoy tasty Greek cuisine at one of the many tavernas.
Lindos Beach is located on the east coast, around 50km south of Rhodes town.
Pallas Beach
As an alternative to the popular but often over-crowded Lindos Beach, unwind on the golden sands of Pallas, which nestles in a sweeping cove just to the north of Lindos.
Come for a day or stay longer at one of the many holiday accommodation options.
Swim in the shallow waters, unwind on a sun bed or paddle a kayak around the turquoise waters of the sheltered cove.
Pallas Beach is located on the east coast, around 55km south of Rhodes town.
Agios Pavlos Beach
Agios Pavlos is located south of the Lindos acropolis in a sheltered bay almost totally surrounded by a mountainous shore.
A mix of golden sand and pebbles shelves into turquoise water that’s perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and beachside tavernas. According to legend, Saint Paul came here in 43 AD to preach Christianity.
Agios Pavlos Beach is located on the east coast, around 55km south of Rhodes town.
Kalithea Beach
Although the once-famous 7th century healing spas of Kalithea dried up long ago, this small bay offers a small beach (isolated from the sea by rocks) with good swimming and snorkelling in nearby coves.
Unwind in the abandoned ruins of an Art Deco spa, join a diving expedition or relax at the beachside lounge. Facilities include sun beds and umbrellas.
Kalithea is located on the north-east coast, around 10km from Rhodes town.
Prasonisi Beach
This narrow sandy isthmus connects a small isle to the main island of Rhodes.
Here you find big waves and world-class windsurfing and kite surfing on the west side of the beach and calm waters for swimming on the east side.
Facilities include sun beds, umbrellas and a choice of beachfront tavernas.
Prasonisi is located on the southern-most part of the island, where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean, around 75km south of Rhodes.
Ialysos Beach
For surfing and windsurfing head to this west coast beach of golden sand and white pebbles.
Trendy Ialysos has become very popular with the ‘beautiful people’ and is located on the north-east coast, around 7km from Rhodes town.
Where to stay in Rhodes
Rhodes offers a huge choice of honeymoon accommodation including the 5-star Rodos Park in Rhodes’ New Town, with its gleaming marble and polished wood interiors, and the Atrium Palace, a luxury resort overlooking Kalathos Bay in Lindos.
Best time to honeymoon in Rhodes
Anytime: However, the best time to visit Rhodes for a beach holiday is from mid-June to late-September.
To explore the island and to visit the ruins of ancient Greece or of the Middle Ages, the best time is spring in April and May – so avoiding the summer heat; and during September and October, although, autumn experiences more rainfall.
Rhodes has a Mediterranean climate with hot, sunny summers and mild, wet winters.
Summer, from June to mid-September, is hot and sunny, and enjoys a daily average temperature of 27°C (80°F), which can rise to around 34°C (93°F) on occasions.
For more climate info: Rhodes Weather Guide…
Getting to Rhodes
Rhodes is the largest and most visited of 12 Dodecanese Islands, lying 363km (226mi) southeast of the Greek mainland, and 18km (11mi) from the southern shore of Turkey.
As well as Rhodes, the Dodecanese Islands comprise Simi, Kos and Patmos, plus a number of smaller islands.
The most convenient route to Rhodes is by air to Rhodes International Airport (RHO), also known as Diagoras International Airport, located about 14km (9mi) southwest of Rhodes City.
By ferry, Rhodes is 1 hour from Simi, 4 hours from Kos, 7 hours from Patmos and 15 hours from Pireaus (the port of Athens).
A high-speed catamaran service operates between Rhodes and Marmaris, Turkey, taking 1 hour, twice daily.
Information on how to get to Rhodes…
Latest update: Rhodes Honeymoon Guide: 3 August, 2022
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