Official language: Greek
Time zone: UTC+3
(summer),
UTC+2
(winter)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Rhodes is a perfect destination, if you are looking for good weather. You can rest by the seaside, on beaches such as: Tsambika, Agios Pavlos, Ladiko, Kallithea and Prasonisi.
If you are in Rhodes between June and September, go to park Petaloudes, meaning the valley of butterflies, were you can see thousands of these multi-coloured insects with wings.
A peninsula Prasonisi, situated in a place where waters of the Aegon Sea and the Mediterranean sea are mixing, is known as perfect spot for windsurfers. In peak period long waves are guaranteed there!
Rhodes is the biggest island of archipelago Dodecanese, which every year is visited by hundreds of thousands tourists. Its capital, bearing the same name, can boast beautiful architecture. Historical old town is surrounded by 4 kilometres long defending wall, that is on UNESCO world heritage list. What is worth seeing there? Surely medieval Knights Street (Odos Ippoton), dated back to the 5th century B.C. port of Mandraki, the cathedral of Virgin Mary, the mosque of Suleiman or the orthodox church Kahal Shalom. The symbol of the city is the Grand Master’s Palace – towering above the city previous citadel of Knights Hospitaller, where now the archaeological museum is situated.
Fans of the ancient time should go to the heart of the island. In town Lindos there is located second (after Acropolis in Athens) most visited archaeological spot in Greece. Another interesting excavation area is Kameiros, situated on a slope of the mountain Profitis Ilias. It is also worth to visit a village Monolithos, whose symbols are stoned houses with red roofs and the castle of Knights Hospitaller, as well as an island Symi, where one can admire built on rocky shores colourful houses and buy natural sponges and spices of great quality.
Rodos has one of the oldest culinary traditions in the world. Basic ingredient is sesame sauce tahini, which is used for production of cookies (for instance melekouni – sesame cookies with cinnamon and cumin), but also for unsweet dishes such as flat-cakes tahinopites, fishes or soups. Among regional titbits there are also leguminous plants, goat meat, olives oil and tomatoes, eggplants. It is worth to look for local producers of wine, as the island can boasts of some exquisite drinks. Intriguing in taste is koriantolino, a local alcohol drink on base of anisate, which is ouzo. Where to eat? If you want to try fishes and seafood, go to tavern Nissaka at Kolymbia beach, typical Greek food is served by a restaurant Tamam at New World Street in Rhodes, as well as in Masasoura in a town Maritsa.