Beach Hopping
As the biggest island in Dodecanese, Rhodes boasts many remarkable beaches and sandy inlets. Each beach has its own little charm, attracting tourists all year round. What they have in common are crystalline waters and golden sands.
The beaches in the east side of the island are incessantly sandy with still waters. Beaches on the west, however, are relatively stonier. Since the wind comes in from the west, the sea has a tendency to be rougher in the west. This side of the island is better for recreational activities like surfing or kite boarding.
Ixia Beach, Haraki Beach, Lindos Beach, Kolymbia Beach, Masari Beach, Pefklos Beach—this is to name a few of the island’s well-known beaches. Big beaches that are renovated for tourism lie mostly in the northwestern part of Rhodes. Other developed beaches like Kallithea, Afandou, Tsambika, Vlycha, Lardos, and Gennadi are on the southeastern border. There are also small beaches in the island—Monolithos and Kamlamos. Aside from beaches, Rhodes also has numerous coves, some of which are practically concealed, for example Glyfada, Paliochora, and Kopria.
One of Rhodes’ assets is its shores. Almost all beaches on Rhodes have been awarded the European Union blue flag. It is an environmental award presented beaches chosen for cleanliness and organized infrastructure. Another criterion of the award is the capability of the beach to accommodate a huge number of bathers. Just in year 2007, Rhodes won 29 of this blue flag. Some of the beaches that are awarded are Ixia, Reni, Ialyssos, Koskinou, Faliraki, Ladiko, Afandou, Kalathos, Lindos, Lardos, Kiotari, Gennadi and Katsouni.
The best beaches are situated on the east coast. It is not too windy there. It provides the perfect setting for some rest and relaxation. Most beaches in this part are suitable for families with children since it is more sheltered with temperate winds.
The west coast, however, are subjected to winds that can be strong and rough. It is not ideal for families but it is a dream for fun-seekers especially windsurfers. Surfers favor Prasonisi in the south.
Other recreational activities offered in the island’s beaches are scuba diving and snorkeling. Scuba diving is all the rage in the island. It is austerely prohibited, however, unless accompanied by a renowned diving school and it is only allowed in selected areas. The reason is that there is a wealth of ancient artifacts in the waters around the island. The authorities are awfully strict about this and prison sentences are consistently handed out for infringements. Snorkeling, on the other hand, is permitted anywhere.