Elli Beach Rhodes Town – One of the Best Areas to Stay in Rhodes

Elli Beach is simply fabulous. Located to the north of the island and neighboring the lively Rhodes Town, Elli Beach has everything you may think of. 

This article is a guide to everything this Rhodes beach has to offer. It should be enough to make you put Rhodes on your Greece islands travel bucket list.

On Elli Beach, you have crystal clear water, sand, lots of nice bars and restaurants with Greek food and snacks, fancy beach clubs, and water sports. If you want noise, music and lively beach resorts, you only need to choose the west stretch of Elli Beach.

If you prefer silence and less people, just pick a spot on the east side of the beach.

The Rhodes Aquarium is the yellow building at the northernmost tip of Rhodes Island. Here the east and the west shores of Rhodes meet. The sea is wavy on the west side and relatively calm on the east side (where Elli Beach is). If you want a good swim, you can choose the calm side.

Located at the northern tip of Rhodes Island, on the east side, Elli Beach stretches between the Rhodes Aquarium and Mandraki Port. This is the best of all Rhodes Town beaches, as it has everything appealing for almost everyone.

Check out the location of Elli Beach on the map of Rhodes.

Why Choose Elli Beach Out of All Beaches in Rhodes Town

If you want to be close to the center of all action but you’re also keen on enjoying some beach time, Elli beach will be your best choice. When the weather is very hot, your only walking time will be between the sunrise and 9 am. For the rest of the day, it’s best to be near the water (and inside it).

Elli Beach Is a Blue Flag Beach

Elli Beach has been awarded the Blue Flag, thanks to the water quality, cleanliness and amenities.

The beach has small pebbles and sand. Even though you can walk barefoot, it could be better to wear water shoes. The water gets deep very quickly, so it might not be the best for toddlers.

Elli Beach Has Showers, Changing Cabins, Toilets

Every 20 meters or so there are showers and changing cabins. There are toilets that work with 0.50 Euro coins (you can insert smaller value coins until the total amounts 50 euro cents, then the door will open). Customers of beach bars and restaurants can use their toilets for free.

Safety

Lifeguards are on duty for most part of the day. Just watch for the flags that signal their presence (or absence thereof).

Also, the sea is calm most of the time. Even when there are waves, they never reach dangerous heights (I don’t know how the situation is during winter, but in July-August I’ve never seen dangerous waves on Elli Beach)

Water Activities

There are water sports on Elli beach. You can try paragliding among other fun things to do.

Also, the sea is calm and there’s plenty of fish. Elli beach is perfect for snorkeling. Keep in mind, though, that on extremely hot days, fish tend to come in the second part of the afternoon. Also, if there’s wind, you won’t see a lot of fish.

There’s a diving platform on Elli Beach, a construction featuring several flights of stairs and platforms from where you can jump directly into the sea. I don’t dive, but I had fun watching those divers all day long. There are even some who dive by night.

This diving platform is in front of Baia Beach Bar & Restaurant.

Services & Amenities on Elli Beach

Sets of two sunbeds and one umbrella are available for 12 Euro for the day. Foods and drinks are available from the vendors that walk along the beach.

There’s one exception, though: sunbeds on the beach in front of Baia Seaside Beach Bar & Restaurant cost 20 Euro per day (set of two plus umbrella). You have to book them very early in the morning, as they go pretty fast.They look more comfortable, as they have very thick mattresses. Each set of two beds comes with a table. The downside of this section of Elli Beach is that you can’t move the sunbeds around to follow the shadow. If you don’t want to be in direct sunlight, you won’t be happy here.

Please note that these are high-season prices (July-August). I guess everything gets cheaper outside this period.

If you want, you can come with your own umbrella and sit directly on your towel, on the sand. Also, there are a few trees where you can find natural shadow. Nevertheless, if you want a spot under the trees, you may need to get to the beach early in the morning.

There are beach bars where you can have a drink and a light lunch. Baia Beach Bar & Restaurant is probably one of the best beach bars in Greece.

Excellent Accessibility Features

There are several ramps that ease the access to the beach of wheelchair users. Also, there’s a Seatrac device that helps people with mobility problems to cross the beach and get directly into the water. This makes Elli one of the beaches that provide zero cost to the user, unassisted sea access to people with mobility issues. If you wish to use the system to go for a swim, just call the number on the Seatrac website to get the remote control of the chair.

This automatic device is on the beach in front of Ibiscus Hotel.

Hotels in Rhodes Town Within Walking Distance From Elli Beach

All hotels on the tip of the island are within walking distance from Elli Beach, Mandraki Port and The Old Town of Rhodes. The seafront promenade is scattered with hotels that seem comfortable and modern, yet lack character.

If you want to experience Greek style hotels and surroundings, whitewashed stone buildings with blue accents, this area of Rhodes is not for you. However, if you’re interested in a relaxing beach vacation combined with cruises and visits into the Old Town, this is the place to be.

Hotel Riviera

Hotel Riviera – I put this first on my list, as this is where I stayed in July-August 2021. Located on Miaouli Beach, on the west side of the tip of the island, Riviera Hotel is at 5 minutes of walking from Elli Beach. Comfortable and clean, this hotel is among the most affordable on this beach strip. There are no fancy features, the rooms are basic, but they all have a balcony with sea view (at least partial), everything works, the staff is welcoming, and there’s even a small swimming pool with a bar. There’s no coffee machine or water heater in the room. There’s air conditioning. No minibar is available in the room, but the small fridge works very well. You can store a few bottles of water and some beer or soda cans just fine.

If you’re looking for affordable comfort, this is one of your best options near Elli Beach and the Old Town of Rhodes. Here’s the view from our room in Riviera Hotel.

The beach in front of the hotel is perfectly fine, too. It has lifeguards, sunbeds and parasols, showers and changing rooms. There’s no beach bar in this area, though, so you’d need to bring your drinks and snacks with you to the beach. This side of the island is windy, so the sea is a bit rough (by comparison to the east side).

Sunsets on this beach are pretty amazing.

Mitsis La Vita Beach Hotel

Mitsis La Vita Beach is just near Hotel Riviera, on the same beachfront road. It has a swimming pool that’s a bit bigger than the one in Riviera. This hotel looks modern and clean, and it is also only a short walk away from Elli Beach and Mandraki.

I don’t know about the rooms and the services (they have lots of raving reviews and high ratings, so they must be good). One of the advantages of Mitsis La Vita Beach Hotel is that it has an exclusive beach strip with umbrellas and sunbeds. They also provide beach towels.

You can find their latest rates and book a room here.

Mediterranean Hotel

The Mediterranean is right on Elli Beach, where all the fun is.

This hotel is a good choice for those who need 24-hour room service, a fully stocked minibar, lap top safe or safety deposit box. There are rooms for people with mobility limitations, but you need to make an inquiry in advance to find out more details. The building itself looks just like any other big hotel, so there’s nothing special about it. Nevertheless, it serves its purpose to provide guests with a comfortable stay in a very convenient location.

Click here to see the latest prices and to book a room in Mediterranean Hotel on Elli Beach, Rhodes.

Ibiscus Hotel

Ibiscus Hotel is also on Elli Beach. It has a small swimming pool with a sundeck area, a restaurant and a beach bar. The beach bar offers drinks and snacks. I’ve tried the Greek salad and the club sandwiches. They are fine.

This beachfront four-star hotel appears to be very nice. As far as I’ve seen, the restaurant downstairs offers live music and an entertaining evening ambiance. Beware of COVID-19 restrictions in regard to live music and other such activities, as they aren’t always allowed.

Click here to check out the current room rates and to book your stay at Ibiscus Hotel.

Other Hotels Near Elli Beach

Other hotels on the seafront promenade of Rhodes Town include: Aquarium View Hotel, Cactus Hotel, Cooks Club Beach Rhodes and Bellevue On The Beach Suites.

I think that choosing accommodation near Elli Beach for my fist time in Rhodes was a very good idea.

Have you been to Elli Beach Rhodes? What other beaches on this island would you recommend?