Faliraki - Rhodes - Resorts Guide

Overview: Situated on the east coast of Rhodes, the island's most developed beach resort is just fourteen miles (9km) south of the capital, Rhodes Town. Faliraki is renowned for its four-mile (2km) stretch of sandy beach that is packed with deckchairs, umbrellas and sunbeds, and offers every kind of water-based activity from parasailing to jet skis. It is possible to do day boat trips around the other small bays of Faliraki, including Kathara Bay, which is one of the most picturesque on the island, and has a nudist beach at one end. Anthony Quinn Bay is famous for the filming of The Guns of Navarone. There are also several, undeveloped beaches between Faliraki and Lindos, such as the pebbled Traganou beach, and all the beaches are desirably clean with crystal waters. Faliraki is also well known for its nightlife and is popular with younger visitors seeking lots of action, both day and night.

Shopping: Faliraki Square shopping centre provides everything a holidaymaker needs, from an inflatable 'lilo' to local crafts, or even the toothpaste you forgot to pack. Shops stay open very late. Those who enjoy serious shopping can take a trip into Rhodes Old Town and delight in haggling for bargains in the narrow, cobbled streets. Good buys are leather bags and sandals, rugs, gold and silver jewellery and ceramics.

Restaurants: Faliraki is well-supplied with a huge variety of restaurants, from traditional Greek tavernas to Chinese and nearly every nationality in between. Cuisine is geared to the tastes of young British tourists, and there is nothing much in the way of fine dining. Prices range from cheap to reasonable. Fast-food bars abound, staying open until the wee hours when revellers can snack on a souvlaki while they watch the sun rise. Some recommendations are The Monastery, some way out of town near the Matina Hotel, which has top rated authentic Greek food; Sizzlers Steak Bar, a short walk from Bar Street, which serves up charcoal-grilled slabs of steak on the terrace; and the Pagoda, for excellent classic Chinese.

Nightlife: Bar Street and Club Street in Faliraki live up to their name and reputation as a paradise for young clubbers and pubbers. The choice of dance floors and watering holes is abundant. Arguably the 'best bar' in Faliraki is Ziggy's, home of the famous (or to some infamous) 'Fishbowl', a very large cocktail guaranteed to knock you senseless. For rocking karaoke there is the King's Garden Bar (KGB) or the Bedrock Bar. George's Bar is a favourite with football fans who want to keep up with the action on huge screens, and keep on partying. The most popular club in town is Q Club, which opens from midnight to 5am and is always jam-packed: it features a house/trance room, a chart/cheese room and R&B/Garage room. Top London DJs feature regularly at Bed, a massive club that holds about 2,000 revellers.

Activities: Active holidaymakers who want a break from soaking up the sun on the golden sands can choose from a variety of fun pursuits on offer at the two large watersport centres on the beach, everything from banana-boat rides and pedalos to bungee-jumping. The crystal clear waters are perfect for scuba diving and snorkelling. Faliraki also has one of Europe's biggest and best water parks, offering slides, lazy river rides, rafting, a wave pool, aqua-gym and numerous other thrills and spills. A must for visitors is to take a local bus to explore the sights and sounds of Rhodes Town, with its medieval core, or delve into some archaeology in the pretty town of Lindos with its hill-top acropolis.

Negatives: Faliraki has received some bad publicity in recent years because of the rowdy, drunken behaviour of most of the young (mainly British) holidaymakers that flood the resort each summer.