The customs of the island are still alive in the villages of the island. Unique places, with authentic and hospitable people who happily welcome the visitors who want to discover the more traditional side of the Rhodes.
The Rodians, ordinary people, almost untouched by the rapid development of tourism on their island, respect local traditions.
In practically all of the island’s villages, from Kattavia to Koskinou and from Lindos to Afandou and Fanes, one is bound to witness the great love Rodians nurture for their land: it is in their welcoming manner, their local dialect, their customs and demeanour as well as in the architecture of their homes.
The typical decoration of a Rodian house; wooden divans and inner arches, vivid colours on the exterior walls, pebble mosaic floors in the courtyards and all sorts of potted plants in the gardens, reveal a unique folk sensitivity.
Many villages outside the island’s capital maintain traditional elements in their architecture but also in their dialect, clothing manners, customs and music, all of the features that have remained unchanged over the centuries.
Here you can savour pure Greek delicacies at the small taverns and the traditional products of our island, as well as the famous, from antiquity, Rodian wine.
- Today the Rodian potters work clay following the tradition of their ancestors, creating masterpieces of folk art, especially in Afandou and Archangelos.The potters of Archangelos were famous in antiquity and historical sources indicate that clay bricks were transported from here to Constantinople for the construction of the dome of Agia Sophia.
- Rhodes also hosts a flourishing industry for traditional handmade carpets and shoes.
Some of the villages, not to be missed are the traditional villages of the mainland such as Embona, Eleousa, Apollona & Siana.Archangelos, Lindos and Koskinou are well known for their traditional settlements and the villagesin South Rhodes such as Vati, Gennadi, Lachania, Monolithos, Asklipios &Kattavia, are all located amongst the scenic country side and where the traditional celebrations of the island are still alive.