If you think holidays in Rhodes are all about looking for parties and long nights of drinking, think again. There is a lot more to the island than this. If you like the idea of getting out and about in the fresh air, make sure you consider getting around the island on foot.

Rhodes has some lovely walks in store for you if you want to take them; if you pack some walking gear into your suitcase as well as stuff for the beach, you will be prepared for all eventualities.

One thing you should really do before heading out to Rhodes is a bit of research. If you have already booked your holiday take the time to find out more about the local area. You can try and plan a few walks before you leave, to save time once you arrive. In contrast if you are still looking to book your holiday you may be able to book an apartment or hotel room somewhere near a prime place for walks. In either case you can have some idea of what to expect once you get there.

Walks in Rhodes also give you the opportunity to get away from the cities and towns for a while. You can explore a different side of Rhodes. For example Tsambika Beach promises a path that leads you all the way up to the Tsambika Monastery. The walk may be something of a challenge but you will see some superb views once you reach the monastery itself.

Elsewhere you could opt to get away from the beaches and move towards the forests and mountains instead. Mount Profitis Ilias is more of a challenge if you prefer a longer walk that takes you into the mountainous part of Rhodes. You may be surprised at how different this part of Rhodes actually is if you have only ever stayed in the coastal regions.

So you can see that walking around on the island promises to be a wonderfully involving activity. Whatever you think of Rhodes now, your opinion may be changed for the better once you tackle some walks there.

Well it is a good question isn’t it? After all this is known as something of a holiday island, where you can always have a good time no matter what time of the day or night it happens to be.

But you should remember one distinct thing about Rhodes and the many popular places you will find there. For starters you are bound to hear about the most popular destinations people go to, simply because more people have been there and thus know a lot about them. But it should always be remembered that other places exist on this island too – places that do not grab the headlines, and are therefore often even more appealing because of it.

Take Kolymbia for example – or as it is sometimes also known, Kolympia. This is situated on the eastern side of Rhodes, and it is certainly a more low key resort. You can expect to find plenty here to appreciate, and there are good facilities too. What you won’t find are huge amounts of people – and for many this is the biggest reason why it is worth going to Kolymbia in the first place. Not everyone wants a vibrant and lively kind of holiday in Rhodes – some simply want to enjoy the surroundings with their family and relax in the process.

Indeed Kolymbia is known for being a family friendly location on Rhodes. It is very peaceful and has a nice selection of hotels in the area that you can stay in. It is also known for being a very green area, so if the natural world appeals to you (alongside the beach of course) then this could be just the ticket.

One of the big pluses of the beach at Kolymbia is that it is situated in a bay. This protects it somewhat from the more active seas around it, and provides another plus point for people and families looking for calmer waters.

All in all Kolymbia may not be the most famous resort in Rhodes, but it is certainly one of the most peaceful. Would that appeal to you as well?

If you are heading for Rhodes in the near future and you happen to speak with anyone who has already been there, be prepared to hear a lot about the Old Town. This is as much a part of Rhodes as the Acropolis and the Colossus are (or were in the past).

One integral part of the Old Town is the so called Avenue of the Knights. This is more commonly known today as Ipoton Street, but somehow Avenue of the Knights sounds more dramatic and indeed romantic as well. The knights of old once lived here and so the street is often named after them. The avenue runs from the east to the west of the Old Town, and it is quite amazing to look at.

It could be said to be quite plain in some ways; there are doorways and windows peppering its length on both sides, and it is paved with cobbles from top to bottom. But for all its plainness it is also quite striking and indicative of a time in history in this part of Rhodes that is long since gone. It has been restored in the past, around a century ago, and as such it really doesn’t look a lot different at the beginning of the 21st century than it did at the turn of the 20th century.

Modern businesses and offices now take up much of the Avenue of the Knights, but you would not realise this to look at it from the exterior. It is this eerie and forbidding tone of the street that makes it a must see for anyone visiting Rhodes and the Old Town. You would be amazed at how striking it is in person and in photos, and you will definitely want to take plenty of those.

Of course you have the rest of the Old Town to explore as well, and you should certainly make the effort to do so. But this is going to be just one part of your trip to the town – and walking up the Avenue of the Kings to reach it is the best way to make its acquaintance.

Rhodes is well known as a Greek island with a history that stretches back for thousands of years. There is ample evidence that the island was inhabited back in Neolithic times (basically that means a long, long time ago, for those people who are not familiar with their ancient history).

This brings forward an interesting point of view to remember whenever you are thinking of booking a trip to Rhodes. There is now a wonderful combination of ancient and modern sights on the island and it is up to you how many sights of each type you want to see.

Some people undoubtedly visit Rhodes to enjoy their clubs, bars and restaurants. You will no doubt want to enjoy a taste of one or more of these yourself, depending on the kind of holiday you have in mind. Modern Rhodes is well known for its tourism and it caters extremely well for people in this respect.

But the truth is that wherever you go in Rhodes there are signs of the ancient times still there to see. It is unfortunate that an earthquake back in 226BC was responsible for felling the great Colossus of Rhodes – an icon that was known to be one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. It is thought that the entrance to the harbour is where the Colossus once stood, although no one can be sure of this. You can go there and see the platform on either side of the entrance though, and wonder whether it did once stand there long before you or I even existed.

The ruins of Kameiros also hark back to times long before we existed. This site dates back to the Bronze Age so again you will have a chance to look back at another portion of history.

In a sense Rhodes is a living history lesson. There is so much here to see and appreciate about the island in centuries gone by. It would be a shame not to see at least some of it while you are there on holiday. You might go home with a whole new appreciation of Rhodes.

There are many well known sights in Rhodes. Indeed one of the most famous of all isn’t even there any more – the Colossus of Rhodes is thought to have stood at the entrance to the harbour in ancient times.

But Rhodes has plenty more to show you as well. It has many delightful locations that are not as well known to tourists as the more obvious ones are. For instance there is a small village called Soroni that clings to the north western shores of the island, and while few holidaymakers would think to go there, the ones that do are captivated by its charm.

But this is the beauty of Soroni – its resistance to modern tourism and its determination to hang onto everything that makes it so appealing. You won’t find yourself short of facilities if you go there to explore, but it doesn’t have the same touristic feel as many other spots on Rhodes do.

You’ll find one or two taverns here to try out, but not lots of them. There is also a nice beach but it won’t be the biggest one you will see on the island. However this is no bad thing since the village is not that busy most of the time. If you are looking for somewhere quiet to relax while you are in Rhodes – even if it is just for a day or two – you can do little better than to visit Soroni.

The best time to see the village is definitely during the summer months as the water can be very cold as the seasons move on. The other thing to bear in mind is that the beach is largely pebbly as well as having sand, so it isn’t ideal for young children. This would be a good thing if you want some peace and quiet on your own however!

Soroni is a classic example of the different side of Rhodes. Just because certain venues draw all the attention every summer, it doesn’t mean the rest of the island is not worth seeing.

It doesn’t matter where you decide to go on holiday – you will always find reasons for choosing that particular place.

For instance you have the option of choosing a busy location that is known for its nightlife. There are certainly many of those in Greece. But there are also plenty of places you can go to for a quieter kind of holiday, if that is what you want.

Take Afandou in Rhodes for example. This is a village with just a few thousand regular inhabitants, and yet it is the only village on the whole island that has a golf course. This means that golfers wanting to play a round or two while they are on holiday need to head for Afandou or wait until they get home to play.

The village itself may be quiet but it is no less charming for this. In fact if you find the noise and bar atmosphere of the more popular spots in Rhodes is too much, Afandou will make a nice change from this.

Afandou is on the eastern side of the island, and the word itself comes from the Greek word for invisible. The village was so named because you could not see the location from the sea. It has an ancient history and pirates used to come ashore here many years ago. You may think that with such a small population it is not very self sufficient, but this is not the case.

Instead you would be able to enjoy a completely isolated and very relaxing holiday here if you wish. You can wander among the streets, take a look at the local church and definitely make a beeline for the beach. In fact for such a small village the beach is quite large. Unlike the larger resorts you should not have any problems finding a spot to yourself.

Afandou certainly has a lot to commend it and you will not be bored here unless you happen to prefer a livelier spot for a holiday. Be sure to explore the village and the surrounding area as much as you can – you will be amazed at what you will discover.

Lots of people come to Rhodes because of its beaches. There are other reasons too of course, but this is undoubtedly one of the main attractions. And one of the most popular beaches of all on the island is Faliraki Beach. Before you book your holiday in Rhodes it will pay dividends to find out why.

Faliraki is situated on the north eastern end of the island. It is the most popular beach the island has and because of this it is very well set up for tourists in lots of different ways. For example if you love your water sports just as much as you love lazing around on the beach, you will feel right at home here. With windsurfing and jet skiing available among other things, you will love every minute of your time on the beach and beyond it.

It’s also a nice place to go if you simply love to sunbathe. As you might expect from the best beach on the island, you’ll have sun beds and umbrellas to hire if you need them. Arriving earlier in the day will net you a great spot for the day, but wherever you end up staking out your spot you won’t be far from beach bars and food places to grab a bite to eat at lunch time.

You can expect it to get noisier and livelier when the sun goes down though, as this is a key area for partying the night away as well. If you are visiting with a young family you should think about staying somewhere slightly further out of town, to ensure you get a quieter evening if you want it.

If you are part of a couple and you want somewhere where you can enjoy a nice romantic meal in the evening, Faliraki is ideal for this too. Not every establishment is of the loud and raucous variety, so you won’t be disappointed if it is a romantic holiday you are after.

In short, you can’t really go wrong when you elect to stay in or near Faliraki. It has everything you could ever wish for.