Private, fixed-price transfers from Rhodes Airport to Rhodes Town and the resorts on both coasts of the island — plus what to see and how to get around once you arrive.
Rhodes is the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, and its airport lies on the west coast, just north of the village of Paradeisi and about 14 km south-west of Rhodes Town. From there the island splits into two very different coasts. North along the windward west side, past Kremasti, Ialysos and Ixia, the road reaches the town at the northern tip. Across the island, the sheltered east coast runs from Kalithea and Faliraki south through Kolympia, Archangelos and Lindos towards Prasonisi. Which coast your hotel is on decides the drive, so the airport transfer is the one part of the trip worth settling before you fly.
Rhodes Town deserves more than a night on the way. Its Old Town, constructed between around 1309 and 1523 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, lies inside a wall 4 km long, with the Palace of the Grand Master within it. In antiquity the island was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Down the east coast, the acropolis of Lindos rises above the village about 40 km south of the town; on the west coast lie the ruins of ancient Kamiros, and from late May the Petaloudes Valley fills with thousands of moths.
Old Town, Rhodes Town
The Old Town of Rhodes was constructed between around 1309 and 1523 and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1988. Its lanes lie inside a wall 4 km long, and the high town to the north was built entirely by the Knights Hospitaller. Here stands the Palace of the Grand Master, one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece. A gunpowder explosion in 1856 destroyed much of it; the Italian authorities rebuilt it between 1937 and 1940, and it became a museum in 1948.
Lindos, about 40 km south of Rhodes Town
Above the village of Lindos rises its acropolis, a natural citadel fortified in turn by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Knights of St John and the Ottomans. Its remains include the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia, dating from about 300 BC, and a Hellenistic stoa that was 87 metres long, with 42 columns. At the foot of the steps, look for the relief of a Rhodian warship cut into the rock around 180 BC. The walls of the Knights’ castle, built before 1317, follow the line of the cliff.
Petaloudes, western Rhodes
The Petaloudes Valley, also known as the Valley of the Butterflies, is home to thousands of Jersey tiger moths of a subspecies found on Rhodes. After the wet season, from late May, they cover the entire landscape, drawn by the high humidity and by the scent of the valley’s Oriental sweetgum trees. The moths have no stomach, and when they are disturbed they fly frequently and use up their energy, so they are best left in peace. The municipal bus company RODA runs buses from Rhodes Town to the valley.
North-west coast, 3 km west of Kalavarda
Kamiros was a city of ancient Rhodes, founded by the Dorians and built on three levels. At the top stood the acropolis with the temple of Athena Kameiras, and a covered reservoir from about the 6th century BC held 600 cubic metres of water — enough for up to 400 families. The main settlement filled the middle terrace with a grid of parallel streets. Earthquakes destroyed the city in 226 BC and again in 142 AD, and many finds from its first excavations, in 1859–1864, are now in the British Museum.
Southern tip, 92 km from Rhodes Town
Prasonisi — Greek for “green island” — lies at the southern tip of Rhodes, 92 km from Rhodes Town and 40 km from Lindos. In summer, when the water is low, it is a peninsula joined to Rhodes by a sandbar; in winter it becomes an island again. Predictable, reliable winds make it a destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing: the Aegean side has good waves for advanced surfers, while the flat water on the Mediterranean side suits beginners. A lighthouse stands at its southernmost point.
Prices start from the lowest published fare for this airport and depend on the destination and vehicle class. Cancel up to 24 hours before pickup for a 90% refund.
Photo credits Jebulon (CC0) · Jebulon (CC0) · Jebulon (CC0) · INDALOMANIA (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Jebulon (CC0) · seligmanwaite (CC BY 2.0)
