| Rhodes
by night is brimming with energy. Outside of Athens, Rhodes claims one
of the most active nighttime scenes in Greece. Granted, some of that energy
is grounded in the resort complexes north of the city, but there is enough
to go around.
Your
own good sense is as good a guide as any in this ever-changing scene. In
a city as compact as Rhodes, it's best to follow the lights and noise,
not worrying about getting a little lost. When you decide to call it quits,
shout down a taxi to bring you back, if you can remember where you're staying.
As
a rule of thumb, the New Town is more lively than the Old Town. In the
New Town, several cafe scenes are on the harbor, behind Academy Square,
or on Odos Galias, near New Market. The bar scene tends to line up along
Odos Diakonou. There are at least 100 nightclubs on Rhodes, so you're sure
to find one to your liking. Complicating matters is a recent announcement
that the police, after countless complaints of noise and mayhem until all
hours, have decided to designate one area of the city for discos and bars,
enabling them to stay open until whenever. When this area will be designated
and where it will be is anyone's guess.
Gambling
is a popular nighttime activity in Greece. Rhodes has had for many years
one of only three legal casinos in Greece, a government-operated roulette
and blackjack house adjoining the Grand Hotel. In January 1999, however,
this was replaced by a much more extensive casino and hotel operated by
Playboy International. The home of this new complex is the once-grand Hotel
Rodon facing Elli Beach.
The
Sound-and-Light presentation dramatizes the life of a youth admitted into
the monastery in 1522, the year before Rhodes fell to invading Turks. In
contrast to Athens's Acropolis show, the dialogue here is more illuminating,
though the lighting is unimaginative. Nevertheless, sitting in the lush
gardens below the palace on a warm evening can be pleasant, and we heartily
recommend it to those smitten by the medieval Old Town. Check the posted
schedule for English-language performances; they take place at Odos Papagou,
south of Plateia Rimini (tel. 0241/21-922).
We
thoroughly recommend the Traditional Folk Dance Theater, presented by the
Nelly Dimoglou Dance Company, Odos Adronikou, off Plateia Arionos, Old
Town (tel. 0241/20-157). It is always lively, filled with color, and totally
entertaining. Twenty spirited men and women perform dances from many areas
of Greece in colorful, often embroidered, flouncy costumes. The five-man
band plays an inspired and varied repertoire. Performances take place from
May through early October, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:15pm. |
