Active Pursuits

Most outdoor activities on Rhodes are beach- and sea-related. For everything from parasailing to jet skis to canoes, you'll find what you need at Faliraki beach, if you can tolerate the crowds.

No license is required for fishing; the best grounds are reputed to be off Kamiros Skala, Kalithea, and Lindos. Try hitching a ride with the fishing boats that moor opposite Ayia Katerina's Gate. For sailing and yachting information, call the Yacht Agency Rhodes (tel. 22410/22-927; fax 22410/23-393), the center for all yachting needs.

If you've always wanted to try scuba diving, both Waterhoppers Diving Schools (tel./fax 22410/38-146; www.waterhoppers.com) and Dive Med (tel. 22410/61-115; fax 22410/66-584; www.divemedcollege.com) offer 1-day introductory dives for beginners, diving expeditions for experienced divers, and 4- to 5-day courses leading to various certifications.

Other sports are available at Rhodes Tennis Club (tel. 22410/25-705) in the resort of Elli, or at Rhodes-Afandu Golf Club (tel. 22410/51-225), 19km (12 miles) south of the port. A centrally located, fully equipped fitness center can be found at the Fitness Factory (tel. 22410/37-667) at 17 Akti Kanari (www.rodosnet.gr/fitnessfactory).

If you want to get some culture as you get in shape, information on traditional Greek folk-dance lessons can be obtained from the Old Town Theater (tel. 22410/29-085), where the world-famous Nelly Dimoglou troupe performs traditional dances. Or contact the Traditional Dance Center, 87 Dekelias, Athens (tel. 210/251-1080); they usually offer summer classes each week to teach dances from different regions of Greece.

A perfect place to swim -- North of Faliraki, the once-healing thermal waters of Kalithea, praised for their therapeutic qualities by Hippocrates, have long since dried up -- but this small bay, only 10km (6 miles) from Rhodes city, is still a great place to swim and snorkel. Mussolini built a fabulous Art Deco spa here; the abandoned derelict retains an odd grandeur evoking an era thankfully long gone.