Up above the town on Monte Smith is the Acropolis and Stadium. This is also the disputed site for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient world. There is no concrete evidence of where the Colossus actually stood but romantically it is featured in drawings straddling the entrance to Mandraki harbour, and believe it or not, much to their disappointment, tourists still make the pilgrimage to see it!
One thing the ancient Greeks knew how to do, was pick the best sites for their temples, and the Acropolis at Lindos is no exception!
On the pinnacle of the hill sits the partly restored Temple of Athena Lindia from around 300BC.
This position overlooking the beautiful bay of Lindos was a natural choice for a castle, and the fortified walls have been used successively over the years by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusader Knights and finally the Ottomans. The walls are still very impressive, although out of several towers only one remains.
On the north-western side of Rhodes lies the ancient Dorian city of Kamiros. Along with Iaylssos, and Lindos these three rich cities formed the city state of Rhodes. The city was destroyed by earthquakes in 226BC and by a second one in 142BC.
The site is extremely large, set into the hillside with sweeping views over the sea. Today it is more or less foundations that remain but it is an attractive site to visit.
On the edge of the new town just past the Mandraki is the mosque of Murad Reis and the Turkish cemetery. The cemetery is a very charming area with its shady eucalyptus trees and run down feel. The famous admiral, or some would say pirate, head of the ships in Sulyeman the Magnificent's navy is buried in this little corner of Rhodes.
On the edge of the cemetery is a small unprepossessing building called The Villa Cleobus, where Lawrence Durrell wrote 'Reflections on a Marine Venus'.
A walk up Socrates street in the Old Town is something every visitor will do. But we suggest you look beyond the tourist shops and trappings, and look at the buildings themselves. There is a great deal of Turkish influence in many of the buildings, an unused mosque half way up is very pretty with a marble fountain next to it set on the wall. The Turkish coffee shop is still as wonderful as ever with its old door and windows. As you look towards the top of the street you see Suleyman Mosque aka the Red Mosque-for obvious reasons!
At the bottom of the Old Town, the Archaeological Museum is housed in the beautiful building that was originally the 'Hospital of the Knights'
The two floors and an internal courtyard make a wonderful setting for the archaological finds from around the island.
One of the most well known discoveries is a small marble statue of Aphrodite, better known as 'The Marine Venus', so named by the writer Lawrence Durrell whose book about his time in Rhodeswas titled 'Reflections on a Marine Venus'
During the winter months admission is free on Sundays.
The Old Town of Rhodes still holds a great deal of charm, and was rightfully selected as a World Heritage site. Within the walls there are numerous streets and squares to explore and discover ancient ruins, churches, mosques, to view a way of life and maybe get a glimpse into garden courtyards.
A short drive out of Rhodes on the hill above Ialysoss is the Monastry of Panagia Filerimos. Built by the Knights of St John in the 15th Century, the Monastry used to hold a sacred icon of the Virgin brought from the Holy Land.
It is a very popular route up the hill for joggers and walkers, and the views from the lookout at Golgothas are worth the effort.
One of the most popular sights on Rhodes is Seven Springs-also known in Greek as Epta Piges.
This is a natural spring that was utilized by the Italians to water the fertile area of Kolymbia nearby.
The dam, lake and woodland are a nice surprise after walking through the 186 meter unlit tunnel to get there.
It is possible to walk to the lake through the woods but not as much fun!
This charming Valley of Butterflys-Petaloudes in Greek has been a natural attraction for many years but it was the Italians who made it into a tourist feature, building charming walk ways to take you through the valley.
During July and August, thousands of butterflies(Quadripunctaria Poda) appear in the valley in order to reproduce.
Unfortunately, over the years numbers have declined, which is, in all likelyhood due to the number of noisy tourists trooping through the valley!
Rhodes has two very good cinemas with several screens, playing films in their original language version-The Metropol and Pallas.
They are also both conveniently close together on Dimokratis Street, on the outskirts of the Old Town close to the stadium.