Flights from Belfast to Rhodes
One of the last inhabited medieval walled cities in Europe, attached to an island with three hundred sunny days a year and a wind problem on one side.
- Flight time
- 4h 15mfrom BFS
- Airport
- RHORhodes (Diagoras)
- Season
- May to October
- Direct from Belfast
- Yes
Why this route matters from Belfast
Rhodes gives you two things at once that rarely come together: a reliable beach island, and a piece of history you can walk around in.
The old town of Rhodes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest inhabited medieval towns in Europe. The Knights of St John built it in the fourteenth century, and the Street of the Knights runs uphill between their surviving inns almost unchanged.
People still live there. It has shops and bins and washing lines. That is what makes it worth the four-hour flight.
Who Rhodes suits
Book it if you want history alongside the beach, you like long sunny seasons, or you want a Greek island with proper infrastructure.
Look elsewhere if you dislike wind, or you want a short transfer to a quiet corner.
The wind is the thing to plan around
The meltemi is a seasonal northerly that blows across the Aegean through summer, and Rhodes sits directly in it.
The west coast — Ixia, Ialysos — takes it head on. That is why the windsurfing there is world class and why a beach towel will not stay put.
The east coast — Faliraki, Kolymbia, Lindos — is sheltered by the island’s spine. Calmer water, sandier beaches, and hotter afternoons because the wind is not cooling you.
If you want to lie still, book east. If you want to be on the water, book west. Brochures rarely make this distinction and it matters more than the hotel.
Lindos
Forty-five kilometres down the east coast there is a village of white cube houses stacked on a hillside, with an ancient acropolis on the rock above and a sheltered bay on either side.
It is car-free, the lanes are steep and cobbled, and it is one of the genuinely great views in the Mediterranean. It is also over an hour from the airport and difficult with luggage, so most people visit rather than stay.
Go at either end of the day. In the middle of an August afternoon it is stone, sun and a queue up to the acropolis.
Where to stay
- History, and staying somewhere extraordinary
Rhodes Town
A walled medieval city built by the Knights of St John, still lived in, plus a modern town and beaches on both sides of the headland.
- Families by day, nightlife by night
Faliraki
A long sandy beach and the island's main resort strip. The reputation for excess is largely historic; it is mostly a family resort now.
- The best view in Greece
Lindos
White cube houses stacked below an acropolis on a rock above two bays. Car-free, steep, and genuinely spectacular.
- Windsurfing
Ixia
West coast, pebble beach, reliable wind. Excellent if that is why you came and frustrating if it is not.
- A quieter east-coast base
Kolymbia
Small, sheltered and low-key, roughly halfway between Rhodes Town and Lindos. A good compromise on transfer time.
When to go
Among the sunniest islands in Greece. The meltemi wind blows hardest in July and August and mostly hits the west coast.
| Month | Air | Sea | How busy |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C | 17°C | Closed |
| February | 15°C | 16°C | Closed |
| March | 17°C | 16°C | Barely open |
| April | 20°C | 17°C | Opening up |
| May | 24°C | 19°C | Sweet spot |
| June | 28°C | 23°C | Busy |
| July | 30°C | 25°C | Peak, windy |
| August | 31°C | 26°C | Peak |
| September | 28°C | 26°C | Sweet spot |
| October | 24°C | 24°C | Excellent |
| November | 20°C | 22°C | Shutting |
| December | 17°C | 19°C | Closed |
Typical averages, not forecasts. Sea temperature lags air temperature by roughly two months, which is why October often swims better than June.
Mistakes people make
Booking the west coast for a sunbathing week. Ixia and Ialysos face into the meltemi. Superb for windsurfing, wearing if you want to lie still.
Doing the old town at midday in August. The streets are stone, enclosed and heat up like an oven, and every cruise passenger is in them. Go at eight in the morning or after seven.
Underestimating the Lindos transfer. Over an hour from the airport, and the village itself is car-free with steep cobbled lanes. Beautiful; not somewhere to arrive at midnight with cases.
Assuming the whole island recovered at the same rate. Wildfires affected parts of the south-east in 2023. Most of the island was untouched, but check recent photographs of your specific area rather than brochure shots.
Frequently asked questions
East or west coast of Rhodes?
East for sheltered swimming and sandy beaches. West for wind sports. The meltemi makes this a real difference, not a marginal one.
How far is Lindos from the airport?
Around an hour and ten minutes. Kolymbia at forty-five minutes is the usual compromise for people who want the east coast without the drive.
Is the old town worth staying in?
If history interests you, very much. It is a working medieval city, not a monument, and staying inside the walls after the day visitors leave is the point.
When is the wind worst?
July and August, when the meltemi is most consistent. It also keeps the temperature down, which on a 31°C afternoon is not entirely a complaint.
Before you book
- Guide
What actually fits in hand luggage
Why bags that fit at home fail at the gate, and the measurement everyone gets wrong.
- Explainer
Flight only, or a package?
What the bundle is really worth, and the protection you lose by booking the parts separately.
- 4h 25m
Crete
Big enough that the two ends of the island are separate destinations. Which airport you land at decides most of your holiday before you have unpacked.