Rhodes is known to be the Capital of the Dodecanese, as it is the largest island of the Greek island group. This large island is filled with stunning crystal blue beaches, and I am going to give you a tour to find the local ones.
Rhodes has two seas
Firstly, you should know that Rhodes lies exactly in the middle of two seas, making both sides of the island completely different. On the left side, you will find the Aegean Sea, which is a wild sea with a lot of currents, especially on windy days. Here you will find stone beaches which make it difficult to sunbathe unless you rent a sunbed for 5 euros. Due to the strong current, the stones roll over on the seabed, causing trouble water with a dark blue color.
On the right side, you will find the marvels of Rhodes. The beaches along the Mediterranean Sea. These beaches are made from sand and the water is so still you could think it's a gigantic pool. Because of the still water, you can see the seabed even if you swim in the middle of the sea.
You have meters of crystal-clear water, making it possible to see all the fish swimming next to you. As a diver, I find it the best place to snorkel! I have seen many wonderful underwater animals during my dives there. Especially in Kalithea!
Kalithea is without a doubt the best place to dive on Rhodes. This place even gives habitat to the one and only Lionfish. They are wonderful to observe but causing a lot of trouble currently in the underwater food chain. They are eating all the other fish and procreate way too fast, which makes these waters a bit dangerous without a proper diving guide.
Without further due, let me give you the names of the beaches where I spend countless hours with my colleagues and local friends.
Nikolas beach
Our ultimate favorite beach! All the "hidden beaches" owned by locals have 1 bar/restaurant, giving it the name of the beach. This is Nikolas's place, where you can eat in the sea! Exactly, really cool experience, while you order your food you have fish swimming around your table and chair and your feet in the sea. Honestly, the experience is really nice, but the food could be better, prefer to tell you in case you were expecting a five-star menu.
Another aspect that makes this beach perfect is the rocks. A bit further from the shoreline, you will find big rocks coming out of the water, on these rocks Nikolas has put multiple sunbeds, so you can relax in the middle of the sea. We always jumped from the rocks into the water if we wanted to cool down.
This is a very calm beach with almost no tourists because it's not properly indicated. When you arrive at the entrance of the very tourist beach "Kalithea", continue down the big road until you see a handwritten sign with the beach name.
Oasis beach
Do you want to go out on a beach with techno music or alternative music? Then the cave of Oasis Beach is the place to go. The owners have transformed the cave into a bar, always playing the music so loud you feel like you are at a festival.
Some days they have themed club nights, you can check out their Facebook page for all their events. This beach is on the same road as Nikolas Beach, just follow the handwritten signs, get down the stairs and you will find it. I included a Google Maps image to show you the way.
Tsambika beach
Tsambika Beach is a very touristic beach, but it made the list because here you can still find the local friendliness as well as the touristic madness. To find some peace and quiet, I would suggest going all the way down to the last bar.
You will see many cars parked in the parking in front of the beach but continue till the end. We always went to "Maria's". You will see everyone on Rhodes is called Maria and you will find at least 10 bars that are called like that, but you will never find a place with better Gia Giamas.
The Gia Giamas is a local lemonade that translated means Grandmother's drink. It's a local recipe that you will find on Rhodes. I recommend you try it out together with some delicious gyros. Maria makes them so deliciously, you want to return there every day!
Hidden beach
The most hidden beach on the whole island would be the one near Fourni Beach in the south of the Island. Go down the road of the beach and walk till the end of the seashore. There you will see a very small road going up against some rocks.
If you are adventurous enough, you can walk up and have an amazing view. It has been designated as a historic ground because of the old graves you will find along the rocks. On the left side, you will see the little sandy paradise. It's not easy to get to and especially not to get back on the rocks afterward, but for me, the view was already worth it.
I hope you will enjoy these local beaches as well as the GiaGiamas! If you ever visited these places before or went after reading this article, drop a comment below. If you have any questions, you can always contact me through Instagram.
Keep on exploring and Fly Along!
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