Why the Best Beaches in Rhodes Are Not on Google Maps
Rhodes has over 40 named beaches, most of them reachable by car or bus. The beaches on tourist maps are the ones tour operators can fill with sunbeds. But the Rhodes coastline also has dozens of unnamed coves — pebbly inlets, rock shelves, cave-adjacent shallows — that appear on no map and see no beach bars. These are the beaches locals use, and they are only accessible by boat.
What follows is a practical guide to the best of them, based on our team's knowledge of the east coast from 27 years of operating on these waters.
Ladiko Bay (South of Anthony Quinn Bay)
Five minutes south of the famous Anthony Quinn Bay is a narrow inlet that most day-trippers miss entirely. Ladiko is a natural fjord-like cove with high rock walls on both sides and water that turns a deep cobalt blue at the entrance before lightening to turquoise near the head. Snorkelling depth varies from 2 to 7 metres. No road, no beach bar, no sunbeds. Anchor mid-bay, swim and jump from the rocks. Best visited in the morning before excursion boats arrive.
Traganou Caves
On the east coast about 12 kilometres south of Rhodes Town, three sea caves open at sea level. The largest is big enough to float a small motorboat inside — the experience of drifting into a cave with the sun lighting the water green is genuinely unusual. The approach is rocky and the entrance can be rough in north winds; calm conditions are essential. Your skipper will know the exact approach line.
Agathi Beach (from the sea)
Agathi is technically accessible by a dirt track from the village of Haraki, but arriving by boat means you can anchor offshore and swim ashore without navigating the dusty track or paying for parking. The beach is long, sandy and backed by dunes — rare on the rocky east coast. The water is very shallow for a long way out and the colour is a ridiculous turquoise that still surprises us after all these years.
The Coves Between Tsambika and Kolymbia
The stretch of coast between Tsambika Monastery and Kolymbia has three or four small pebble coves with no names and no facilities. Each is separated from the others by rocky headlands — invisible from the road and from each other. You can anchor in each one in succession, with nobody else around, on a weekday in June or September. This kind of sequence is only possible by boat.
The North Face of Prassonisi
Prassonisi, at the southern tip of Rhodes, is where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet. The southern beach is a famous windsurfing spot; the north face is sheltered, calm and almost entirely empty. Reaching it requires either a long drive on a rough track or a boat trip from Lachania or Kiotari. The swim is worth the distance.
Practical Advice
All of these locations are within range of a licence-free motorboat or a skippered private trip from the east coast of Rhodes. For the southernmost spots (Agathi, Tsambika area, Prassonisi) a full-day rental or a private trip from Faliraki or Lindos makes more sense than returning to Rhodes Town between stops.
Always check the weather before you go and discuss conditions with your skipper or rental operator. Rent a boat and explore on your own or book a private trip with a local skipper who knows where to go.
