Rhodes Beaches, Coastline, Wind Surfing and Water Sports

(Rhodes, Dodecanese, Greece)

Home to such a rich collection of Minoan treasures and historical sites, such as the 3rd-century BC Temple of Aphrodite, Rhodes also features a truly world-class selection of beaches. During the summer months, the Rhode beaches cannot help but overshadow even the most impressive of the island ancient attractions, offering gorgeous sand and crystalline waters.

With more than 300 days of sunshine each year, the beaches of Rhodes feature plenty of opportunity to improve your tan. However, on the very hottest of days, the choice of water sports provide perhaps the ultimate way to cool down and popular choices include everything from sailing and surfing, to windsurfing and even kitesurfing, where you are able to soar above the sea, albeit rather briefly.


If you are looking to get an all over body tan, then many of the Rhodes beaches will tolerate nudists in more secluded areas.

However, Faliraki is actually the only official nudist beach on the island. For holiday makers, going beaches include Akti Miaouli, Kalithea, Kolimbia (Kolymbia), Lindos and Ladiko, amongst others.

List of the main resorts and beaches

• Afandou Beach - situated around 20 km / 12 miles from Rhodes City and a mixture of both sand and small pebbles. Afandou Beach has little to offer in the way of facilities, apart from a couple of neighbouring restaurants, and therefore remains relatively uncrowded, even in the peak summer season
• Agathi Beach - just over 36 km / 22 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City. Agathi Beach is well known on the island for its golden sand and crystal clear, azure water, which is ideal if you arrive with your snorkel
• Akti Miaouli Beach - a very popular beach with lots of neighbouring accommodation. Akti Miaouli Beach is very much in the heart of the action and alongside the Rhodes City coastline
• Faliraki Beach - the perfect place to be at one with nature. Nudists find that this is amongst the best of the island's beaches if an overall tan is required, and whilst many other beaches will tolerate nudists to some extent, this is actually the only official stretch and sunbathers always enjoy watching the jet skis zooming along the waterfront. When the sun sets, the adjacent bars and night spots soon begin to fill up. Faliraki is just over 12 km / 7 miles from Rhodes City itself, which is situated directly to the north-west
• Elli Beach - actually located Rhodes town and close to the aquarium attraction. One of the island's best placed beaches and easy to access. Elli Beach features lots of sun loungers, nearby restaurants, a choice of water sports and even a volleyball count on the beachfront itself
• Glystra Beach - around 4 km / 2.5 miles to the south of Lardos and off the coast road. This is one of the very best palces to swim in the whole area
• Ixia Beach - around 7 km / 4 miles from Rhodes City, close to the airport, and amongst one of the area's best beaches for water sports. Next to the sands of Ixia you can enjoy surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing and much more besides. Try to hang around for the sunset, which is always lovely and often spectacular
• Ialysos Beach - located just 6 km / 4 miles from Rhodes City and home to some exceptional mountain views, which stretch as far as Marmaris on a fine day. Ialysos Beach is made up of both sand and pebbles, and contains some large hotel complexes, along with lots of shops, bars, nightclubs and superb condition for windsurfing. In fact, each year, the island's international windsurfing competition is staged at Ialysos Beach




• Kalathos Beach - a fair distance from Rhodes City, which is to be found around 50 km / 31 miles to the north-west. Kalathos Beach is sandy and contains plenty of stylish wooden sun loungers and thatched parasols, which can be hired for a nominal charge
• Kolimbia Beach - around 25 km / 16 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City and near to Faliraki. Kolimbia beach is a very pleasant place to sunbathe and relax, and comprises a mixture of both pebbles and sand
• Kalithea Beach - lying on the north-eastern shoreline on the island and some 10 km / 6 miles from Rhodes City itself. Kalithea Beach is well known for its historical medicinal springs and exotic palm trees
• Kanari Beach - just a 10-minute stroll from the centre of Rhodes Town itself and connected to a number of nearby hotels by a handy underpass
• Katsouni Beach - located approximately 50 km / 31 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City and alongside Lardos. The water here is beautifully clear and shallow, meaning that it is ideal for families holidaying with their children
• Kiotari Beach - a fairly recently developed spot, boasting a number of newish hotels and lots of Greek-style tavernas, should you work up an appetite whilst sunbathing. Kiotari Beach also features a number of different water sports
• Lardos Beach - around 65 km / 40 miles from Rhodes City and in relative proximity to both Kiotari and Pefkos
• Ladiko Beach - sited just over 13 km / 8 miles from Rhodes City and close to Afandou. Ladiko Bay is home to a very beautiful beach, which although small, has much to offer. The sand here is very find and soft, the nearby taverna is extremely popular, and in the summer, visiting Greeks seem to flock here in large numbers, with this clearly being one of their favourite beaches
• Ladiko Anthony Quinn Beach - next to Afandou, roughly 15 km / 9 miles from Rhode City and enjoying an especially scenic backdrop of verdant hills. Interestingly for movie buffs, the Ladiko Anthony Quinn Beach featured in the blockbuster 'The Guns of Navarone' (1961), which starred Gregory Peck
• Lindos Beach - the best way to fully appreciate the shape and beauty of this bay is to view it from the Acropolis, which stands high above, overlooking Lindos Beach. Lying just under 50 km / 31 miles from Rhodes City, this sandy / pebbly beach is edged by emerald waters and near to Megali Paralia. This is a very family friendly spot, with shallow water, good facilities, sun loungers for hire and plenty of sun loungers
• Lothiarika Beach - located south 50 km / 31 miles from Rhodes City and conveniently near to Lardos. This is a long expanse of small pebbles and the water here is always beautifully clear
• Pefki Beach - some 55 km / 34 miles from the capital and just 5 km / 3 miles to the south of Lindos. Expect to find soft, golden sand and a very peaceful setting, which is often overlooked and therefore never crowded
• Pefkos Beach - a very beautiful and sandy island resort, with good facilities and gorgeous coastal scenery
• Stegna Beach - a very family friendly beach, where you will often see young children playing and building sand castles. Stegna Beach is to be found some 27 km / 17 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City and near to Archangelos
• Traganou Beach - some 15 km / 9 miles to the south-east of Rhode City and less than 4 km / 2.5 miles from Faliraki. Traganou Beach is made up of small, pale pebbles and edged by possibly the most gorgeous crystal-clear sea that you could even encounter in Greece. A small taverna is nearby and specialised in seafood
• Prasonisi Beach - a very natural place which remains completely untouched and truly tranquil. Prasonisi Beach is on the far southern side of Rhodes and may be a little hard to reach, but more than worth the effort, particularly if you intend to windsurf
• Vagies Beach - found approximately 15 km / 9 miles to the south-west of Rhode City and near to Faliraki. Vagies Beach is bordered by some large rocky outcrops and contains a pleasant jetty, where you can watch small boats coming and going. If you are feeling hungry, a tavern is on had to satisfy your taste buds
• Tsambika Beach - sited some 25 km / 16 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City. Tsambika Beach boasts a large expanse of sand, along with a good choice of water sports and even a mini-market store, should you fancy having a picnic. Nudists are tolerated on the right-hand side of the beach, next to the rocks
• Vlicha Beach - around 45 km / 28 miles to the south-east of Rhodes City. Vlicha Beach is a very appealing spot and close to the historic town of Lindos. The beach itself is sandy and the facilities excellent, including snack bars and lots of cheap sunbeds to hire whilst you improve your tan. If you fancy cooling down, you can swim, snorkel or even enjoy a fun-packed ride on a banana boat