Most Rhodes villas are on the sheltered east coast. Faliraki and Kolympia suit families who want sandy beaches close to the airport; Pefki and Gennadi in the south are quieter and closer to Lindos; Ialyssos, on the windier west coast, is best for Rhodes Old Town and windsurfing. Expect busy resorts in July and August.
This is where most of our Rhodes villas are. Faliraki has a long sandy beach, water sports and a wide choice of restaurants, with the smaller cove of Anthony Quinn Bay just to the south. Rhodes Old Town is around 20 minutes away by car, and the airport around 20 to 25 minutes.
Best for: Families and groups who want sandy beaches and plenty to do
Not for you if: You want peace and quiet: Faliraki is one of the island's busiest resorts in summer.
Kolympia sits around a sheltered bay with calm, shallow water, and Tsambika, one of the island's best-known sandy beaches, is a few minutes south. The shady Seven Springs, with its walk-through water tunnel, is a short drive inland. The airport is around 30 to 35 minutes away.
Best for: Families who want calm water and a quieter resort
Not for you if: You want a proper town: Kolympia is small and spread out, so most evenings mean a short drive.
Gennadi has a long beach of sand and fine pebbles with an organised section and quieter stretches beyond it. Lindos is around 25 minutes north, and the south tip at Prasonisi, popular with kitesurfers, is within reach for a day out. Lachania is a small hill village nearby. Allow about an hour from the airport.
Best for: Space, quiet and long uncrowded beaches
Not for you if: You want to be close to the airport or Rhodes Old Town: both are around an hour away.
Ialyssos is about 8km from Rhodes town and only minutes from the airport. Its long beach of pebbles and sand gets a steady breeze, which makes it a windsurfing centre. Above it, Mount Filerimos has a monastery and views over the coast. Soroni, further south-west, is a quieter inland village.
Best for: Windsurfers and anyone who wants Rhodes Old Town close by
Not for you if: You want calm water for small children: this coast catches the summer north wind and can be choppy.
Pefki is a small, low-key resort with little coves a few minutes south of Lindos, whose whitewashed village and clifftop acropolis are the island's best-known sight. Lindos is busy with day visitors in summer but quieter in the evening. Allow around an hour from the airport.
Best for: Couples who want Lindos at the end of the day
Not for you if: You want a big choice of beaches on the doorstep: Pefki's coves are small and fill up in summer.
Rhodes has one of the longest warm seasons in Greece. June and September are the best months for a villa: hot, sunny and less crowded than July and August, when the main resorts and Lindos are at their busiest. Midsummer is very hot, and the north wind makes the west coast choppy while the east coast stays calmer. May and October are good for sightseeing, though some beach businesses start late or close early.
The east coast. Faliraki has a long sandy beach and plenty to do, while Kolympia has a sheltered bay with calm, shallow water and Tsambika beach nearby. Both are around 30 minutes or less from the airport.
Yes, for most villas. Buses link the main resorts, but a car makes it far easier to reach quieter beaches, Lindos, Seven Springs and the villages. Hire one for the whole stay.
The east coast is better for most beach holidays: sandier, calmer and more sheltered. The west coast, around Ialyssos, is windier, which suits windsurfers, and is closest to the airport and Rhodes Old Town.
June and September: hot, sunny and less crowded than July and August. The season runs long, so May and October can also work well for sightseeing and walking.
Yes. Pefki is a few minutes away and Gennadi around 25 minutes. Lindos is busy with day visitors in summer, so go early or in the evening, when the village is quieter.
Around 20 minutes from Faliraki and less from Ialyssos. From Gennadi and Pefki in the south it is around an hour, so stay further north if you plan to visit often.
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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