Mandraki Harbour

Mandraki Harbour is the main harbour of Rhodes Town for travellers and from here you can catch ferries to Piraeus, Symi, Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, and to Turkey.

The entrance to Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes TownThe Entrance to Mandraki Harbour

The attractive Mandraki Harbour is the most northerly of Rhodes Town’s three harbours and by far the most interesting. This was the ancient ‘sheep pen’, the name in Greek being mandri, a name often used for small, encircling harbours. To the east is the Commercial Harbour, and beyond that is the Marina.

Mandraki was one of the five ports of ancient Rhodes. It was the naval port and was known as the ‘small harbour’ as opposed to the ‘great harbour’, the present Commercial Harbour. The entrance to ancient Mandraki could be sealed with chains.

Read our review of the Best Guidebook to Rhodes

Mandraki Harbour Boat Tours

Mandraki Harbour is the place to head to if you want to do any boat tours from Rhodes Town. Several boats offer island tours so ask around to find out exactly where they’ll take you and when you’ll come back. Some will simply take you to a remote beach and then return for you later in the day, while others visit several places and make a proper tour of it.

The harbour at Symi in the Dodecanese islands of GreeceSymi

There are also different options if you want to visit the nearby island of Symi. Some are for day trips only, and you won’t be allowed to take anything more than a backpack with you. If you want to take luggage and are going to Symi to stay overnight or for a few days, you must find the regular ferry boats, in another part of the harbour.

Travel Tip

If you do plan to take the regular ferry to Symi to stay there, take the one which arrives in the evening. Sailing into the beautiful Symi harbour by night is a magical experience.

You can also go to several other Greek islands from Mandraki Harbour, including Kos, Tilos, Kalymnos, and Patmos, and also to Turkey. There are regular ferries to and from Piraeus, as well.

Ferries in Greece

Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.

The Colossus of Rhodes

Artist's representation of the Colossus of Rhodes over the entrance to Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes Town

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Legend claims that the harbour entrance was spanned by the legendary Colossus of Rhodes, but there is no proof of this. Today twin columns bearing statues of Rhodian deer, a stag and doe, stand on either side of the harbour gap.

Our Pick of Greek Islands Guides

Rough-Guide-Greek-Islands-2022.png

Mandraki Harbour Restored Windmills

Restored Windmills at Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes TownRestored Windmills at Mandraki Harbour

A row of restored medieval windmills, symbols of the days when corn was ground at the harbourside, stands along the outer quay.

View of the Old Town of Rhodes seen from Mandraki HarbourView of the Old Town from Mandraki Harbour

Fortress of St Nicholas

At the seaward end of the quay is the fortress of St Nicholas, built in the 1460s and now the site of a lighthouse. On its landward side the harbour is bordered by the busy Eleftherías Street, at the end of which is Plateía Vasileos Georgiou I. Here the Italians left a collection of interesting monumental buildings in a mix of Venetian, Gothic and Ottoman architectural styles.

Cathedral of St John the Evangelist

Cathedral of St John the Evangelist on Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes TownCathedral of St John the Evangelist on Mandraki Harbour

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

On the quayside stands the Ekklisía Evangelismoú, the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist. This was built in 1925 as a Catholic church while the Italians occupied Rhodes, and as originally called the church of San Giovanni dei Cavalieri. It uses the distinctively-coloured local sandstone.

Interior of the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist on Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes TownCathedral of St John the Evangelist on Mandraki Harbour

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Other Rhodes pages

  • Lindos is one of the main attractions on the Greek island of Rhodes, with its Acropolis, other ancient sites, beaches and historic captain’s houses.

    Lindos

    Lindos is one of the main attractions on the Greek island of Rhodes, with its Acropolis, other ancient sites, beaches and historic captain’s houses.

  • Greece Travel Secrets’ guide to places to see in Southern Rhodes include Gennadi, Glystra, Pefkoi, Kiotari, Lardos, Moni Thari, Lindos, Kattavia and Prasonisi.

    Places to See in Southern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets’ guide to places to see in Southern Rhodes include Gennadi, Glystra, Pefkoi, Kiotari, Lardos, Moni Thari, Lindos, Kattavia and Prasonisi.

  • Travel advice, information on Rhodes in the Dodecanese, with ferries from Piraeus for Athens, Symi, Crete, Kos, Patmos, Santorini, and flights from Europe

    Rhodes

    Travel advice, information on Rhodes in the Dodecanese, with ferries from Piraeus for Athens, Symi, Crete, Kos, Patmos, Santorini, and flights from Europe

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the Old Jewish Quarter, which you’ll see if you visit the Old Town of Rhodes.

    Rhodes Town Old Jewish Quarter

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to the Old Jewish Quarter, which you’ll see if you visit the Old Town of Rhodes.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Northern Rhodes, including fish restaurants and roadside tavernas in Faliraki, Ixia, Kamiros and Charaki.

    Where to Eat in Northern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Northern Rhodes, including fish restaurants and roadside tavernas in Faliraki, Ixia, Kamiros and Charaki.

  • Rhodes Town museums include an archaeological museum, Byzantine museum, a museum of decorative arts, and exceptional collections of modern Greek art.

    Rhodes Town Museums

    Rhodes Town museums include an archaeological museum, Byzantine museum, a museum of decorative arts, and exceptional collections of modern Greek art.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Rhodes Town with fine-dining restaurants and inexpensive tavernas in the Old Town and the New Town.

    Where to Eat in Rhodes Town

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to eat in Rhodes Town with fine-dining restaurants and inexpensive tavernas in the Old Town and the New Town.

  • If you’re wondering what to do on Rhodes then our suggested highlights include Rhodes Old Town, Lindos, Kameiros, and a visit to Symi.

    What to Do on Rhodes

    If you’re wondering what to do on Rhodes then our suggested highlights include Rhodes Old Town, Lindos, Kameiros, and a visit to Symi.

  • Greece Travel Secrets' choice of the best beaches on Rhodes, an island known for its beautiful sandy beaches.

    Best Beaches on Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets' choice of the best beaches on Rhodes, an island known for its beautiful sandy beaches.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Rhodes food and drink including the Greek words for meze, meat dishes, and fish dishes, and a guide to the best Rhodes wine.

    Rhodes Food and Drink

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to Rhodes food and drink including the Greek words for meze, meat dishes, and fish dishes, and a guide to the best Rhodes wine.

  • This walk through the Old Town of Rhodes takes you through this World Heritage Site and along the main streets and past the city walls, palaces and mosques.

    A Walk in the Old Town of Rhodes

    This walk through the Old Town of Rhodes takes you through this World Heritage Site and along the main streets and past the city walls, palaces and mosques.

  • Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Rhodes, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Best Time to Visit Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Rhodes, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

  • Rhodes festivals and events include those celebrated throughout Greece like Easter and Greek Independence Day, and others that are unique to the island.

    Rhodes Festivals and Events

    Rhodes festivals and events include those celebrated throughout Greece like Easter and Greek Independence Day, and others that are unique to the island.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends its choice of where to eat in Southern Rhodes, including restaurants and tavernas in Lindos, Gennadi, Pefki and Monolithos.

    Where to Eat in Southern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends its choice of where to eat in Southern Rhodes, including restaurants and tavernas in Lindos, Gennadi, Pefki and Monolithos.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Northern Rhodes with hotels and apartments in Faliraki and elsewhere from 5-star luxury to family-friendly.

    Where to Stay in Northern Rhodes

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Northern Rhodes with hotels and apartments in Faliraki and elsewhere from 5-star luxury to family-friendly.

  • During Easter on Rhodes Greece Travel Secrets publisher Mike Gerrard travels from Lindos to Kattavia to visit a monastery and spend Easter with a Greek family.

    Easter on Rhodes

    During Easter on Rhodes Greece Travel Secrets publisher Mike Gerrard travels from Lindos to Kattavia to visit a monastery and spend Easter with a Greek family.

  • Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Rhodes Town, including boutique and historic hotels in the Old Town and modern hotels in the New Town.

    Where to Stay in Rhodes Town

    Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in Rhodes Town, including boutique and historic hotels in the Old Town and modern hotels in the New Town.

  • This Southern Rhodes drive starts and ends in Lindos and takes in Gennadi, Kattavia, Monolithos and the chance to stop at several good beaches.

    Southern Rhodes Drive

    This Southern Rhodes drive starts and ends in Lindos and takes in Gennadi, Kattavia, Monolithos and the chance to stop at several good beaches.

  • The best Rhodes guidebook is undoubtedly the A-Z Travel Guide to Rhodes, including Symi, with a new revised and updated edition for 2022.

    Best Rhodes Guidebook

    The best Rhodes guidebook is undoubtedly the A-Z Travel Guide to Rhodes, including Symi, with a new revised and updated edition for 2022.

  • Rhodes weather is hot in summer and mild in winter, so read Greece Travel Secrets’ advice on the best time to visit Rhodes and why you should consider Lindos.

    Rhodes Weather

    Rhodes weather is hot in summer and mild in winter, so read Greece Travel Secrets’ advice on the best time to visit Rhodes and why you should consider Lindos.

  • Several mosques in Rhodes Town offer a reminder of Ottoman Rhodes, along with a delightful Muslim cemetery.

    Ottoman Rhodes

    Several mosques in Rhodes Town offer a reminder of Ottoman Rhodes, along with a delightful Muslim cemetery.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

RSS

  1. Top 5 Archaeological Discoveries in Greece in 2024

    From a mysterious Minoan structure to a rediscovered ancient city, these five archaeological finds from 2024 offer fresh perspectives on Greece’s rich history.

    Read More

  2. Food Tours in Athens

    athens-greek-food-tour-3.webp
    Greekality is a Greek company offering food tours in Athens including street food tours, wine and nightlife tours, vegan tours and cooking classes.

    Read More

  3. Patras – Pyrgos Motorway in Western Peloponnese to Open by December 2025

    The 75-kilometer-long Patras–Pyrgos Motorway in the western Peloponnese is expected to be completed and open to traffic by December 2025, significantly upgrading the region’s road transport system and…

    Read More

  4. Adverse Weather in Greece: Heavy Rain, Snowfall, and Winds Cause Disruptions

    Greece continued to face severe weather conditions on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, as heavy rainfall, storms, and snowfall affected many areas. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) reporte…

    Read More

  5. Tap2Ride: Athens Public Transport Rolls Out Digital Ticketing System

    Athens public transport is ushering in a new digital era this week with the introduction of its innovative “tap2ride” ticketing system.

    Read More

  6. The Greek Holiday Calendar 2025

    Will there be a holiday or national celebration taking place during your trip to Greece? Find out here.

    Read More

  7. Magic in the Mist: 48 Hours in Florina

    Misty landscapes, snow-covered slopes, art, traditional cafés, and mouthwatering food beckon us to explore this charming border town.

    Read More

  8. Thessaloniki Metro: Station-by-Station Through History and Modernity

    Now that Thessaloniki has, at last, a subway system, we propose a unique history tour that follows the route of that new metro line.

    Read More

  9. 10 Authentic Souvlaki Shops in Piraeus

    Souvlaki originated in Piraeus and its heart continues to beat there even today. But which are the authentic souvlaki shops waiting to be discovered?

    Read More

  10. How Wine Bars Are Redefining Nightlife in Athens

    Wine bars are now a cornerstone of Athenian nightlife, as an international trend goes local with a modern aesthetic and a distinctly Greek personality.

    Read More