The Many Harbours of Rhodes: A Simple Guide and Some Basic Orientations

There are several harbours in Rhodes Town: 

1. the Commercial Harbour (again divided into an International Arrivals Area and a Domestic Port)

2. the Mandraki Harbour

3. the Piraeus Port where normal passenger ferries operated by ANEK Lines, Bluestar Ferries, and Hellenic Seaways disembark. Do not confuse this harbour with the Domestic Port within the Commercial Harbour currently used by Dodecanses Seaways. This harbour is the furthest and most isolated of all harbours in Rhodes, located about 1km outside of the Old Town.

1) The Commercial Harbour: 

The Commercial Harbour of Rhodes is divided into two parts, the International Arrivals harbour, and the Domestic port. This paragraph deals with the International Arrivals areas of the Commercial Harbour. Passengers who arrive with catamaran, hydrofoil or normal car ferries from Turkey all disembark at this harbour. Passport control facilities are located in the white building with red curved roof in the centre of the photo. After disembarkation, passengers are required to proceed to international arrivals to have their passport stamped, after which they will pass through the customs and exit the Commercial Harbour areas through the main gate.

The photo below was taken within the international areas of the Commercial Harbour, immediately behind the main entrance to the passport and customs buildings.

When you exit the main gate of the international arrivals/departure areas of the Commercial Harbour after completing the passport and customs formalities, you will see this row of travel agencies on the opposite side of the road, right next to the town wall of the Old Town.

If you turn right after you exit the Commercial Harbour area, and follow the road (with the old town city wall on your left-hand side and the sea on your right-hand side as you proceed), after about 300m, you will see the Gate of the Virgins, one of the entry gates to the medieval old town of Rhodes.

This is the view of the Gate of Virgins from inside Rhodes' Old Town. Walking distance between the International Arrivals areas of the Commercial Harbour and the Gate of the Virgins is about 300m, or 5 minutes' walk.

2) The Domestic Port of the Commercial Harbour

The Domestic Port of the commercial harbour is located to the left of the International Arrivals Areas. This port of disembarkation is mainly used by the small catamarans of Dodecanses Seaways. If you arrive on one of Dodecanses Seaways' catamarans from Kos, Patmos, Kalymnos, Lipsi or Leros, this is the place you will disembark upon arrival at Rhodes.

The Domestic Port of the Commercial Harbour is located very close to the Marine Gate (the round towers to the right of the trees in the photos). The Marine Gate is also known as St. Catherine’s Gate or Sea Gate.

Once you disembark from the catamaran, you will find a taxi stand across the road, right under the trees in front of the Marine Gate.

Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.