Things To Do in Faliraki

Bar Street certainly lives up to its name. It’s packed with places geared up for the party crowd, so expect pumping music, mega-sized cocktails, karaoke and a fair bit of dancing on bar tops. And that’s just the warm-up for Club Street, where garage, hip hop, indie and chart all get a good spinning from international DJs

This picturesque bay – about 5 minutes’ drive away – is named after Anthony Quinn, who filmed The Guns of Navarone here. It’s one of those hushed-up places nobody likes to mention lest they spoil the quiet seclusion. Pine trees set the scene, and the clear, emerald-green waters are perfect for snorkellers. There are a few sunbeds and umbrellas, and a canteen up on the rocks.

This 2-day festival in the pretty village of Kalithies – about 10 minutes’ drive away – is the chance to see friendly locals performing some authentic Greek dancing. They also dress up in costume for a colourful parade and provide plenty of souvlaki – skewered meat – as part of the feast.

Evenings get going on Bar Street where you can drink shots, do a bit of karaoke or try a shisha – a hubbly bubbly pipe. The Faliraki fishbowl – an unfeasibly large cocktail – was invented on this strip, and many places have an every-hour-is-happy-hour attitude. After midnight, Club Street takes over. Top London DJs like EZ regularly put in an appearance here and the tracks keep spinning ’til 5am.

The Tropical Paradise cocktails don’t come cheap, but the entertainment more than makes up for the prices. Two nights a week you get a hypnotist who doubles up as a comedian, and the rest of the week the house band does a good line in cover songs. Oh, and don’t mind the mannequin of King Arthur under a glass panel in the floor.

If you’re an inflatable down, or you’ve spilt moussaka on your favourite top, you’ll find replacements in the shops on Faliraki Square. Meanwhile, souvenir hunters can browse for leather bags, purses and goatskin boots here. And if you’re looking for locally-made handicrafts, take a trip to Kalithies Village, a 10-minute taxi ride away.

Faliraki takes a mainly international approach to its dining, though there are some lovely Greek tavernas along by the harbour. Here you can join the locals in a plate of moussaka, order up some stuffed peppers, or sit back with a glass of ouzo while your beef stifado stews itself to perfection. And for some more traditional cooking, you could try the village square at Kalithies, about 10 minutes’ drive away.

Owners Stefano and Dikaia deal in traditional Greek cooking at this popular place. Their moussaka is a real melt-in-your mouth treat and they serve up a very tasty beef stew called stifado, too. If you’re ordering the mixed grill, be prepared for a mammoth portion, though. After your meal, get in a round of mojitos before you rejoin the madness on Main Street.

If the main beach at Faliraki gets busy, you’ve got backup with Kathara Bay, a quieter cove just past the harbour. Another Blue Flag winner, it has the same soft sand as its neighbour, only more spotless – Kathara means clean in Greek. The shallow water is ideal for little children and you won’t get any noisy watersports – just the local fishermen reeling in their catch.

On the beachfront you’ve got a star cast of traditional Greek tavernas. If you like to try a bit of everything, order the meze – a mix of hot and cold dishes. You’ll get goodies like tzatziki, taramasalata, meatballs and tirokafteri – a spicy cheese dip. Or you might just want to tuck into the main event – the moussaka and swordfish souvlaki, which come on skewers, are popular choices.

In Faliraki, you’ve got plenty of tourist shops to pick up postcards, beach kit and mementos like leather purses. Meanwhile, locally-made handicrafts can be found in the village of Kalithies, about 10 minutes’ drive away. And there’s always Rhodes Town – the new part has designers and high-street names, while the old quarter majors in sandals, ceramics and silver jewellery.