Guest guide

Must-see places

Welcome to Rhodes. Beyond the beaches, the island is full of history, nature and views worth the trip. Here are some of our favourite places to explore from Blue Wave Ixia Suites in Ialysos — from the hill right above us to the island's southern tip.

Ialysos and Rhodes Town

Filerimos Hill

Ialysosapprox. 1.5 km

Right above Ialysos, pine-covered Filerimos rises about 267 m and was once the acropolis of ancient Ialysos, one of the three ancient city-states of Rhodes. Wander past the foundations of the 4th-century BC temple of Athena Polias and Zeus Polieus and the restored medieval Monastery of Our Lady, then follow the shaded Way of the Cross, with its 14 stations, to a giant cross and wide views over the north of the island.

Learn moreGreek Ministry of Culture

Photo: Ovedc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Medieval Old Town of Rhodes

Rhodes Townapprox. 8 km

Step through the gates into a medieval town built largely by the Knights Hospitaller between about 1309 and 1523, wrapped in some 4 km of walls. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, its cobbled lanes and squares are made for slow, unhurried wandering.

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Photo: Olbertz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Palace of the Grand Master

Old Town, Rhodesapprox. 8 km

Crowning the Old Town, the Palace of the Grand Master, also known as the Kastello, is a medieval castle that served the Knights Hospitaller as palace, headquarters and fortress. It is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece.

Learn moreWikipedia

Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

East Coast

Kallithea Springs

Kallitheaapprox. 9 km

A seaside spa complex designed by Italian architect Pietro Lombardi and inaugurated on 1 July 1929. After decades of neglect it was restored and reopened to visitors in 2007, with its domes, arcades and gardens right beside the water.

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Photo: Julie Mac, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Anthony Quinn Bay

South of Falirakiapprox. 12 km

A small, rock-framed cove just south of Faliraki, loved for its clear green-blue water. Once known as Vagies Bay, it took the name of actor Anthony Quinn, who fell for this coast while filming The Guns of Navarone on Rhodes in 1961.

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Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seven Springs (Epta Piges)

Near Kolymbiaapprox. 19 km

A cool, shady oasis where springs feed a stream through pine and plane trees. Walk the 150 m tunnel, completed in 1931, with spring water running along its floor, to reach a small lake behind the dam; or take the forest path and look out for ducks, geese and peacocks.

Learn moreVisit Greece

Photo: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tsambika Monastery and Beach

Near Archangelosapprox. 21 km

A small whitewashed church perched on a hilltop high above the east coast, reached by a climb of roughly 300 steps from the upper car park. The reward is a sweeping view along the coastline, with the sandy curve of Tsambika Beach below.

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Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lindos Acropolis and Village

Lindosapprox. 37 km

Whitewashed Lindos climbs toward a rocky acropolis crowned by the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia, built around 300 BC, alongside a Hellenistic stoa and the castle of the Knights of St John. Below, the village curves around a large bay on the east coast.

Learn moreGreek Ministry of Culture

Photo: Thomas Berwing, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Inland, South and West

Valley of the Butterflies (Petaloudes)

Petaloudesapprox. 12 km

A green valley of streams, wooden bridges and small waterfalls, and one of the few places in Europe where oriental sweetgum trees thrive. From roughly May to September, thousands of Jersey tiger moths rest on the trunks, drawn by the trees' scented resin, so tread quietly.

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Photo: Karelj, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ancient Kamiros

Northwest coastapprox. 23 km

On the island's northwest coast, Kamiros was one of the ancient cities of Rhodes. Its Hellenistic town steps down a hillside in terraces, from the acropolis with the sanctuary of Athena to grid-planned streets of houses and a lower area of temples and a fountain house.

Learn moreGreek Ministry of Culture

Photo: Shadowgate, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Monolithos Castle

Monolithos, southwestapprox. 50 km

Set on a sheer, isolated rock above the southwest coast, this castle of the Knights of St John is commonly dated to around 1480 and stands on the site of an older Byzantine fortress. Inside the walls is the small whitewashed chapel of Agios Panteleimon.

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Photo: Chris06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prasonisi

Southern tip of Rhodesapprox. 70 km

At the island's southern tip, a sandy strip usually links Rhodes to the islet of Prasonisi in summer, while winter seas can cover it. With the windier Aegean on one side and calmer waters on the other, it is a favourite spot for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Learn moreWikipedia

Photo: Aldo Ardetti, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Information is for guests' convenience; check opening hours, access and any tickets before visiting. Distances are approximate straight-line distances from Blue Wave Ixia Suites, Eleftheriou Venizelou 19, Ialysos; road distances are longer. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown (CC BY / CC BY-SA).