Rhodes Faliraki Mini Guide
Who goes to Faliraki?
There are two main types of tourist who visit Faliraki and their holidays usually centre on the beach. There are the families with young children who love the entertainment together with the long sandy beach which gently slopes into the sea and which is the winner of several Blue Flag awards. Then there are the groups of young people for whom the bars and clubs of the town are a magnet. Faliraki has one of the best known after dark scenes in the Mediterranean with dozens of bars offering cheap alcohol and clubs where you can dance ‘til dawn. The beach is then used as a ‘sleeping it off’ exercise before the evening comes around again.
How do I get to Faliraki?
The easiest way is to use a budget carrier and fly into Rhodes International Airport. Both easyJet and Ryanair fly there and the airport is only around 6 miles from the resort. Most people will have transfers arranged but if not then there is a local bus or numerous taxis to take passengers to Faliraki. Families may find it easier to hire a car there.
Hiring a car in Greece is always popular and Faliraki is no different, you can collect locally or from the airport when you arrive.
What is there to see and do in Faliraki?
Most people choose Faliraki because of the beach and the night time entertainment. There’s not very much else locally apart from a visit to the fishing harbour at St Apostolos or a trip into Faliraki town to browse through the shops. To escape the area, you can get ferry boats from St Apostolos to Lindos, Rhodes Town and to other beaches along the coast. Families will enjoy Europe’s biggest waterpark near the resort centre. Free transfer buses can collect you from your accommodation if required.
What should I buy to take home with me?
Most of the souvenirs here are the kind that end up in a charity shop shortly after returning home but the town has tried to revamp itself as a more upmarket destination of late and the quality of gifts is improving. Now you can buy locally produced honey, leather goods and ceramics which will be better appreciated. Sometimes though, the best souvenirs are your photographs and your memories.
What about eating out in Faliraki?
Like other resorts around the Med that cater for the young, Faliraki seems to have missed the point of healthy eating. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything other than burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips and ice cream but venturing out to places like St Apostolos there’s more of a chance you’ll find traditional Greek fare with a lot less fat and calories.
What about entertainment after dark?
This falls into two categories. For families, the hotels put on child orientated entertainment at a reasonable time and many provide baby-sitting services so that parents can go and enjoy themselves at the follow on shows aimed at older audiences. For the twenty-somethings, bars start getting busy around 10pm with touts giving out vouchers for free drinks to entice you in. Many of the bars don’t close until dawn but slowly people drift off to the clubs of the resort before staggering, bleary-eyed, back to their accommodation or to the beach.
Many tourists spend a lazy day on the sandy beaches whilst by night they dance to the latest music in Faliraki’s bars and clubs. If that’s not your idea of a holiday, rent a hire car and see what else Faliraki has to offer.
Nearby is the largest water park in Europe whilst other theme parks nearby include a bowling park, a history park and a general theme park. Or perhaps head down to the harbour of St Apostolos early in the day for a coffee whilst watching the overnight fishermen land their catch.