Mandraki Harbour

Mandraki has been the working harbour of Rhodes since antiquity, and popular tradition places the Colossus here, straddling the entrance, though no evidence supports it and modern scholars think the statue stood elsewhere in the city. Two columns at the harbour mouth now carry bronze figures of a stag and doe, the island's emblem, installed in the Italian period. Along the eastern mole stand three stone windmills, once used to grind grain unloaded from ships, and beyond them the fifteenth-century fort of Agios Nikolaos on the point. The western side is lined with Italian-era public buildings in an eclectic style, including the market, the town hall and the cathedral, built in the 1920s and 1930s.

What you actually see

• The deer columns - bronze stag and doe on pillars at the harbour mouth.
• The three windmills - stone mills along the eastern mole.
• The Italian buildings - 1920s and 1930s public architecture on the quay.
• The excursion boats - departures for Symi, Lindos and the coast.

When to go

Spring and autumn for walking the quays comfortably; summer brings heavy cruise and excursion traffic. Early morning, before the boats leave, is the quietest time on the water.

Honest expectations

The quay is commercial, lined with ticket sellers, tour touts and restaurants aimed at day visitors, and prices reflect that. The Colossus story is heavily marketed despite being unsupported. Little of the ancient harbour survives to see.

Nearby

The medieval old town and the Palace of the Grand Master are minutes south; Elli beach lies north.