Faliraki

Faliraki, on the island of Rhodes in Greece, is Rhode's prime party resort. Its reputation was, and still is, based on British 18-30s on package deals searching for cheap booze and all-night discos. It is a purpose-built resort that grew up here due to a 5km- (3 mile-) stretch of sand beach, which through high season is lined with some 4,000 sun beds and umbrellas. The centre is filled with pubs and discos, and while it remains sleepy through the day the riotous nightlife runs from 2300 till sunrise. The resort's reputation was seriously damaged in summer 2003 following the fatal stabbing of a British teenager, plus scenes of public indecency, violence and vandalism committed by young drunk Brits. Local authorities consequently tightened up on yobbish behaviour and tour operators were obliged to clamp down on pub crawls. Despite all this, it appears prosperous enough and remains a popular ‘must-do' destination for the full-on party and binge drinking crowd.

Faliraki works from Easter to late-October, with activity peaking from June to September, when gangs of British 18-30s dominate the scene. Cheap alcohol and late-night partying are the main pull.

Faliraki lies on the east coast of the Greek island of Rhodes, on the Aegean Sea. It is located 14km (9 miles) south of Rhodes Town, the capital. Rhodes Town has an airport and is the island's main ferry port, lying 250km (135 nautical miles) east of the mainland port of Piraeus, Athens. Faliraki lies on a narrow, flat coastal plain, backed by low hills.

Faliraki grew up along a 5km- (3 mile-) long stretch of sand. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, and watersports facilities including doughnut rings, banana boats, water-skiing, jet-skiing, plus bungee jumping. The beach is generally quieter in the morning as clubbers are rarely out of bed before lunchtime, though some sleep off their hangovers on the sand. South of the main beach, there are slightly quieter opportunities for sunbathing on the sandy beach of Kathara Bay and on the pebbly Anthony Quinn Beach. In between these two, there is also a nudist beach, frequented largely by the gay community.

Sleeping off hangovers seems to take up a fair proportion of most visitors' time, however those who feel up to it might visit Faliraki Water Park (Faliraki Road) (website: www.water-park.gr) said to be one of the biggest in Europe. It's also possible to take a three-hour trip along the coast by a glass-bottom boat.

Faliraki's main beach is fine for kids as the water is safe and shallow, however some people might consider the resort too noisy and chaotic for children. Faliraki Water Park (see above) is a vast complex of pools, giant Jacuzzi and slides. There is also a Luna Park (fun fair) and go-kart track in Faliraki.

Faliraki has plenty of small supermarkets catering for everyday necessities and cheap alcohol, plus the usual souvenir shops selling tourist tat - postcards, beach gear and T-shirts. For a more sophisticated shopping experience, make a trip to Rhodes Town, where typical mementoes include leather belts, bags and sandals, furs, Turkish-inspired carpets and kilims, ceramics (notably painted plates bearing a deer, the symbol of Rhodes), and gold and silver jewellery.

Faliraki is renowned for its rowdy nightlife. Things start livening up around 2300, when touts begin trying to lure passers-by in for drinks. Activity centres on Ermou (also known as ‘Bar Street', running perpendicular to the coast, connecting the main road to the seafront) and Kalithea (also known as ‘Club Street', running parallel to the coast, one block in from the seafront). The most talked-about dance venues are: Q-Club, with three different rooms offering trance and house, pop, and R&B and garage; Bed, with guest DJs from London's Cream and a capacity of 2,000; and Liquid, spread over two levels with a glass floor between them. Of the many bars, the long-standing favourite is Ziggy's, known for its notorious mind-blowing fishbowl cocktails (where up to 20 people use straws to drink from the same bowl). There are also plenty of drinking holes offering big screen TV and karaoke.

Traditional Greek tavernas are out-numbered by British-style pubs serving pub grub and all-day English breakfast, pizzerias, steak houses, and Chinese and Indian restaurants. Faliraki also has the dubious privilege of being home to one of the few McDonalds on the Greek islands.

The island is well served by bus. Regular buses (every 30 minutes through the day in summer) run along the east coast from Faliraki to Rhodes Town. Taxis are cheap by European standards. It is possible to hire cars and bicycles. Alternatively, taxi boats shuttle visitors to other nearby beaches along the coast.

The island's elegant capital, Rhodes Town, is contained within impressive medieval fortifications and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cobbled streets of the atmospheric old town lead through a labyrinth of souvenir shops and tavernas, across leafy squares overlooked by mosques with proud minarets, and up to the monumental 14th-century Palace of the Grand Masters. From mid-June to late-September, the green valley of Petaloudes (‘Butterfly Valley'), located 25km (16 miles) southwest of Rhodes Town, is worth checking out for its black-and-white striped butterflies. There are also organised one-day boat trips departing from Rhodes Town. These take visitors to either the unspoilt Greek island of Symi, northwest of Rhodes, or to Marmaris in Turkey to explore the bustling bazaar and the Marmaris Castle Museum above the harbour.

If you really want to dress-to-impress, take a day off from the beach and head for up-market Rhodes Town, where you'll find a wide selection of sexy, Mediterranean style clothes, shoes and jewellery, great for flaunting your tan. What's more, clothes and shoes are generally cheaper than they would be in other western European countries. And remember, the summer sales start in July.

Rhodes Diagoras Airport (RHO)