View Holiday Homes Rhodes

Rhodes or Rhodos – “Island of the Sun” – is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands. It is situated in the Aegean Sea some 11 miles or so from the coast of western Turkey. The island receives more holiday visitors than any of the other Greek islands, not least because of its excellent Mediterranean climate. Daytime temperatures as high as 32 degrees Celsius during the summer months, with up to 12 hours of sunshine per day and no rainfall. It also offers superb sandy beaches.

Rhodes International Airport, located less than ten miles from the capital city of Rhodos itself, is amongst the best in Greece. The island's picturesque, fertile landscape is interspersed with attractions such as the castles of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Rhodes thus has something to offer visitors of all ages. Major Towns & Attractions The capital city, Rhodos, occupies the northernmost tip of the island and is dominated by the Palace of the Grand Master or Castello built at the highest point of the – remarkably well preserved – medieval city. The palace now houses a museum dedicated to ancient Greece on the ground floor. On the first floor there is a modern Italian reconstruction of the palace in the days of the Knights of St. John, complete with fine mosaic floors imported from Kos. The old city of Rhodos is still divided into the Castello and Chora quarters as it was in those ancient times and there is much to wonder at throughout.

Partially rebuilt temple of Athena Lindia at the Acropolis of Lindos, Rhodes, Greece

Faliraki on the east coast, some 8 miles south of Rhodos, is the most developed of the beach resorts on the island. It is renowned not only for its long – over two miles – sandy beach, but also its wild and extravagant nightlife. As such it is perhaps better suited to younger visitors.

Further to the south, however, the natural bay of Kolymbia provides an altogether different type of experience with calm, tranquil surroundings and breathtaking views over the bay. A good selection of cafes, tavernas and shops can be found here.

Other attractions around the island include the Valley of the Butterflies, some 16 miles from Rhodos, and three miles from the village of Theologos. In August this is home to many thousands of butterflies of the genus Panaxia and is a beautiful location at any time of the year. The west coast spa of Kalithea is now unused but is nevertheless an interesting mixture of pavilions, pillars, arches and walkways.

Accommodation

As a long-established tourist destination with many popular resorts catering for huge numbers of visitors each year, there is no shortage of holiday accommodation in Rhodes. You can find studio or larger apartments; self-contained chalets; houses and villas. The accommodation ranges from “budget” to “luxury” with a good range available in most of the popular destinations for short and long term holiday rental throughout the year. Most feature, for example, a fully equipped kitchen, whilst apartment complexes may provide additional amenities, such as a sauna and gymnasium facilities. Villas often include a private pool or sometimes a communal swimming pool as part of a wider complex.