AreaStays
The medieval fortress towers and main gate of the Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes Old Town

Georg Karl Ell / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Greece

Where to Stay in Rhodes

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands and one of Greece's most historically layered destinations, built around a UNESCO-listed medieval walled city that's still a living town rather than a museum piece. Inside Rhodes Old Town's fortifications, the Street of the Knights climbs past the stone Inns of the Hospitaller Knights to the Palace of the Grand Master, while just outside the walls, Mandraki Harbour's bronze deer statues mark the traditional site of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Beyond the capital, the island spreads into a genuine mix of tourist bases: the beachfront resort strip at Ixia, the whitewashed clifftop village of Lindos with its own ancient acropolis some 45-50km south, and Faliraki, Rhodes' biggest purpose-built beach resort with a long sandy shore and an active nightlife strip. This guide covers the areas that actually work as a base for a visitor deciding where to stay. Don't miss a walk along the Street of the Knights at dusk, when the crowds thin and the stonework catches the evening light.

Quick facts

Best time to visit
Visit in May-June or September-October. Rhodes gets close to 300 days of sunshine a year, and midsummer (July-August) is hot, dry, and busiest; the shoulder months keep warm, swimmable weather with lighter crowds and lower room rates.
Renting a car
Skip a rental car if you're staying in Rhodes Old Town or Ixia and mostly sticking to the town, a couple of organized beaches, and the KTEL bus to Lindos. Consider one if you want to explore the south coast, inland villages, or quieter beaches on your own schedule — public buses cover the main Lindos and Faliraki corridors well but thin out elsewhere.

Where to stay

Faliraki's beachfront hotel strip along the sandy coast, seen from above with the sea and hills behind

Pjotr Mahhonin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Faliraki

Best for: Beach time, Families, Nightlife

Ixia's beachfront resort strip and windsurfing bay on Rhodes' northwest coast, seen from the hillside above

Norbert Nagel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ixia

Best for: Beach time, Families, Budget travelers

The Doric columns of the Temple of Athena Lindia on the Acropolis of Lindos, overlooking Lindos Bay

seligmanwaite / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Lindos

Best for: Architecture lovers, Couples, Luxury travelers

The cobbled Street of the Knights, lined by the stone Inns of the Hospitaller Knights, in Rhodes Old Town

Julian Lupyan / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0

Rhodes Old Town

Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Architecture lovers

Compare neighborhoods

AreaBest forAdvantageTrade-off
FalirakiBeach timeRhodes' longest, easiest sandy beach, with a genuine nightlife scene and a major water park, all in one resort.The central strip is genuinely loud at night in peak season, and it's a real drive from Rhodes Old Town's historic sights.
IxiaBeach timeAn organized beach strip with real wind-sport credentials, a short bus or taxi ride from Rhodes Old Town.Not walkable to Rhodes Old Town, and its own restaurant and nightlife scene is limited compared with the capital.
LindosArchitecture loversA genuinely different, quieter Rhodes base with its own ancient acropolis and traditional architecture, away from the capital's crowds.A real 45-50 minute drive or bus ride from Rhodes Town, and the village itself gets crowded with day-trippers for several hours a day.
Rhodes Old TownFirst-time visitorsThe most historic, walkable base on Rhodes, with the Street of the Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master, and the best restaurant choice on the island all close by.No swimmable beach inside the walls, and genuinely loud late at night around Bar Street in peak season.

Our picks for Rhodes

A handful of editorial calls across every neighborhood above, not just the highest star rating — see each hotel's own card further down for the full case for and against it.

🏆 Our overall pickCava d'OroRhodes Old Town💰 Best valueHippocampus Boutique HotelIxia❤️ Best for couplesLadiko InnFaliraki👨‍👩‍👧 Best for familiesDionysos HotelIxia✨ Best luxuryLindos BluLindos📍 Best locationLindos View HotelLindos

A couple of hotels in Faliraki

Faliraki is the top-recommended area to stay in Rhodes.

Blue Sea Beach Resort

★★★★
  • 🏖️ Best for beach access

Our take A dependable, well-established beachfront resort that keeps its focus on direct beach access rather than a party-strip location.

Good for

  • Beach time
  • Families

Beach-focused visitors and families who want to be right on Faliraki's sand, without staying inside the central bar-street strip.

Why we like it

  • Directly on Faliraki's sandy beach, with the sea a short step from the hotel grounds
  • Set toward the Kallithea end of the resort, a calmer stretch of the beach than the central strip
  • A large, long-standing review base that reflects years of consistent operation
  • A resort scale suited to families wanting pools and beach access in one place

What to know

  • It's toward the Kallithea end of Faliraki, so reaching Bar Street and the central resort area takes a short walk or a taxi
  • As a larger resort, peak-season pool and beach areas can get busy
Check availability on Booking.com

Tsampika Hotel

★★★
  • 💰 Best value
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Best for families

Our take A straightforward, honestly priced family hotel that puts you close to everything in Faliraki without resort-level rates.

Good for

  • Families
  • Budget travelers

Families and budget-conscious visitors who want an affordable, central Faliraki base within easy reach of the beach and Bar Street.

Why we like it

  • A central Faliraki location, about a 5-minute walk from the resort's main area
  • Two pools, including a dedicated children's pool, useful for families
  • Renovated rooms that keep the property feeling current despite its budget-friendly pricing
  • Genuinely affordable rates relative to Faliraki's larger resort hotels

What to know

  • As a 3-star property, rooms and facilities are simpler than at Faliraki's bigger resort hotels
  • Its central position means it's an easy walk to Bar Street, which can mean more ambient noise than a hotel further from the strip
Check availability on Booking.com

Useful travel information

Greece uses the euro. Rhodes International Airport (Diagoras, IATA: RHO) sits near Paradeisi, about 13-14km southwest of Rhodes Town, with a direct bus route and taxis covering the roughly 25-minute transfer into town. KTEL Rodou runs the island's public bus network, including a well-used route down the east coast to Lindos, but service to the south coast and inland villages is limited outside the main corridor, so a rental car helps for exploring beyond your base.

Tips

  • Book Old Town hotels well ahead for a June-September stay, and confirm whether your room is reachable only by stairs — many Old Town buildings have no elevator.
  • Wear closed, grippy shoes in Rhodes Old Town and Lindos — both have uneven cobbled or stepped stone lanes that get slippery, especially in worn sandals.
  • If you're basing yourself in Lindos, note that no cars are allowed inside the village itself — the last stretch to many hotels is on foot, by donkey, or by electric buggy.

Frequently asked questions

Which area should I stay in on Rhodes?
Stay in Rhodes Old Town for the most historic, walkable base, with the Street of the Knights and Palace of the Grand Master on your doorstep. Choose Ixia for an organized beach strip close to town, Lindos for a quieter, more romantic clifftop village with its own ancient acropolis, or Faliraki for Rhodes' biggest sandy beach and liveliest nightlife.
How many days do I need in Rhodes?
Five to seven days lets you split time between Rhodes Old Town, a beach base like Ixia or Faliraki, and at least a full day trip — or a night or two — in Lindos. Add a day or two if you want to explore the island's interior villages or west coast beaches.
Is Rhodes walkable?
Rhodes Old Town and Lindos village are both very walkable and largely car-free at their centers, though the cobbled and stepped lanes can be uneven. Getting between areas — Old Town to Ixia, or anywhere to Lindos or Faliraki — means a bus, taxi, or rental car.

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