Ancient Ialysos is an archaeological site on Filerimos Hill in Ialysos, Rhodes, where you can see remains from the ancient city alongside later religious buildings. From Faliraki, it makes a cultural excursion of about a 30-minute drive; the site also has a path leading toward a stone cross with views over northwestern Rhodes.
- Location: Filerimos Hill, Ialysos, Rhodes.
- From Faliraki: about a 30-minute drive.
- Opening pattern: hours vary by season, with a Tuesday closure from November through March.
- Ticket prices: €10 full and €5 reduced.
What is Ancient Ialysos?
Ancient Ialysos was one of the three city-states of Rhodes, alongside Lindos and Kamiros. The official site describes the settlement as first inhabited around 1700 BC and identifies Ialysos as the homeland of Diagoras, the Rhodian Olympic champion.
After the new city of Rhodes became the island’s economic and cultural centre after the 4th century BC, Ialysos declined. The archaeological site is at Filerimos Hill, at Ialysos, Rhodes, 85101. The drive from Faliraki takes about 30 minutes; rooms at this Faliraki studio property are a starting point for the trip.
What remains at the Ialysos archaeological site?
The hill preserves remains from several periods, so you can see more than the ancient city alone. The site includes the ancient acropolis and the Temple of Athena Polias and Zeus Polieus. A surviving cross-shaped baptistery marks the remains of the Temple of Athena Polias, which became a Christian three-aisled basilica in the 5th century AD.
Medieval buildings and the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, also called the Monastery of Filerimos, add later layers to the site. The Knights Hospitaller used the monastery during Frankish rule.
Its medieval church was later incorporated into a Franciscan Catholic monastery and is now an Orthodox church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The site’s modern appearance largely reflects Italian landscaping and restoration work.
Near the monastery, a small underground Byzantine church, Agios Georgios tou Hostou, has frescoes depicting knights dated to the 14th–15th centuries. A paved path called the Way of Golgotha leads toward a stone cross 16 metres high, with panoramic views of northwestern Rhodes.
How do you get to Ialysos from Faliraki?
From the Rhodes–Kamiros provincial road, turn at the Ialysos intersection marked “Filerimos Acropolis” to reach Filerimos Hill. If you are planning transport without a car, RODA operates routes serving Faliraki and Ialysos, but no route or stop at the archaeological site itself is identified.
For the wider local transport picture, this guide to getting around Faliraki covers the town’s transport context. The car journey takes about 10 minutes from the settlement of Ialysos and about 20 minutes from Rhodes city.
Opening hours, tickets and access
Ancient Ialysos has seasonal opening hours, and tickets cost €10 for a full ticket and €5 for a reduced ticket. Check the official site before you go, as hours and ticket details can change. Last admission is 20 minutes before closing.
- April through August: open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.
- September: open daily from 08:00 to 19:30 through September 15, then from 08:00 to 19:00 through September 30.
- October: open daily from 08:00 to 18:30 through October 15, then from 08:00 to 18:00 through October 31.
- November through March: open from 08:30 to 15:30 on Monday and Wednesday through Sunday; closed Tuesday.
The site is also closed on January 1, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday, and December 25 and 26. Free admission applies on March 6, April 18, May 18, the last weekend of September, October 28, and the first and third Sunday of each month from November through March.
Amenities include a café or restaurant, a shop and a WC. An accessibility provision is noted, but its specific routes, facilities and assistance are not described.
What else can you pair with the visit?
Filerimos Hill’s monastery and Way of Golgotha are already part of the site, making them natural additions to a visit focused on the ancient remains. If you want to continue with a different kind of Rhodes history, the Mineralogy Museum on Rhodes offers a separate museum stop.
FAQs
Where is Ancient Ialysos?
It is on Filerimos Hill in Ialysos, Rhodes. The site address is Filerimos Hill, Ialysos, Rhodes, 85101.
What is the Way of Golgotha?
It is a paved path from the site toward a stone cross 16 metres high, with panoramic views of northwestern Rhodes.
Is Ancient Ialysos open every day?
From April through October, it is open daily. From November through March, it is closed on Tuesdays, as well as on specified public and religious holidays.