Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese at 1,412sq km and it lies at the southern end of the chain that runs down the Turkish coast, about 18km off the Turkish holiday resort of Marmaris. Rhodes island is roughly 'spear' shaped, about 90km long and 40km wide and with a coastline of about 220km.
Rhodes was long occupied by the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades and was rebuilt as a model European medieval city. Many of its famous monuments, including the Palace of the Grand Master, were built in this period.
The best beaches are found on the north and east coasts. The north coast, near the airport has most of the luxury hotels and conference centres, while the north-east is noted for holiday hotels and apartments. There are a scattering of beaches south of Lindos and the west coast is more rugged with some remote beach coves but no public transport. The interior is mountainous, sparsely inhabited and covered with forests of pine and cypress.
To the north of Rhodes island are the smaller Dodecanese islands of Symi, Tilos and Halki and to the east lies the island of Karpathos.
A succession of cloudless days are virtually guaranteed from mid-June to September. The west and north coasts are tempered by the meltemi wind.
Spring arrives early, although March can be wet and April unpredictable. Rhodes is awash with spring flowers until summer arrives in May and the sun shines in an ever-blue sky until September. Temperatures soar regularly to 30°C especially in the east and much higher in sheltered spots like Lindos.
October can be troubled by fierce storms which often evaporate as soon as they arrive. Otherwise October can be pleasantly warm with the sea at its warmest. December to March bring cold and rain with the odd warm interlude. December and January are wettest but frost and snow are rare this far south.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | Averages |
| 14 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 23 | 19 | 15 | Day °C |
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 | Night °C |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 4 | Sun(hrs) |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | UV Index |
| 167 | 129 | 82 | 30 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 68 | 99 | 168 | Rain (mm) |
| 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | Rainy days |
