Its capital city Rhodes Town was built in 408 BC and is he legendary home of the Colossus of Rhodes which stood astride the harbour for around 50 years. Rhodes Town is home to the Old Medieval Town which was designated as a World Heritage site in 1988 and is a legacy of the Knights of St John whose headquarters were on the Island from 1309 until 1522. The walled Old Town is dominated by the magnificent Grand Masters Palace and within the walls are a maze of streets and alleyways which are home to many shops selling traditional Greek arts crafts, jewelry, coats, bags and shoes.
Alongside the Old Town is the cosmopolitan New Town with modern shops such as Marks and Spencer, Zara and other designer outlets.
Trendy cafés provide cool retreats in the heat of the day. The City has three harbours with the famous Mandraki Harbour home to many ferry boats connecting other large and small islands. Delicious cake shops line the harbour making an ideal place for watching the world go by.
CLIMATE
Rhodes has one of the sunniest climates in Greece and is known as the sun island with over 300 days of sunshine. From June until September there is a succession of cloudless days.
Temperatures are regularly in the 30'sC with the Meltemi wind moderating the temperature depending on where you are on the island. The wind is felt most on west coast of the island whereas the east coast is more sheltered.
This pattern of sunshine continues until September or sometimes later when although the temperature may be lower it still remains warm and fine. Showers are possible as the season moves towards winter. Winter is a mixture of rain with periods of sunshine, with January as the wettest month.
CELEBRATION DAYS AND FESTIVALS
Every Greek Orthodox Church celebrates its “Name Day” once a year. On this special day visitors are welcome to attend and enjoy the celebrations, Greek culture, hospitality and entertainment. Three National Holidays are celebrated as big events in villages and in Rhodes Town, These take place on March 7th 25th and October 28th, parades of children, military, police, fire department and bands fill the streets. Easter is the most important celebration of the year with celebrations commencing the week before with the major celebrations taking place on Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday.