A Rhodes submarine cruise stays afloat while its viewing cabin sits below the waterline. Browse more tours in Greece before you choose a departure.
It covers the route from Mandraki Harbour, the marine life, the diver, the coast sights, the routes and the season.
What is a Rhodes submarine cruise, and how does it work?
A Rhodes submarine cruise takes you to sea on a boat with a viewing chamber under the waterline. One tour page says the boat always rides above the sea surface. The hull, which is the underwater observatory, lies 2.5 metres under the surface. Passengers watch the sea through large windows.
The boat does not dive. A second page says the boat floats on the surface, with the passenger cabin lower down, under the waterline. Passengers see the sea without diving or getting wet. Operator pages for the longer trips call the boat a semi-submarine.
A Rhodes submarine cruise lets you choose your seat. One tour page says you can relax in the cabin with the underwater world around you. You can also leave the cabin, walk on deck and enjoy the sea breeze. A South Rhodes page has you sit on the open deck first, then head down to the glass cabin.
Three operator pages call the cabin air-conditioned. The South Rhodes page also lists a shaded main deck with a small bar and a top deck for sunbathing. One Lindos page says no swimming skills are needed. A swim stop, on tours that include one, is optional.
The windows are the main feature of a Rhodes submarine cruise. The Rhodes Town tour page says the huge windows give a 360-degree panoramic view of the sea. The South Rhodes page names a spacious cabin with large viewing windows. The Lindos page speaks of large panoramic windows.
How long is a Rhodes submarine cruise, and where does it start?
A Rhodes submarine cruise from the town harbour lasts about 45 minutes. It starts at Mandraki Harbour, which sits at the heart of Rhodes Town. Longer semi-submarine trips along the coast run for two to three hours.
Two tour pages give the 45 minutes for the trip from the port of Rhodes. One of them says you sit in the cabin below the surface for about 20 to 25 minutes. That page also promises an expert crew that handles the whole trip.
A Rhodes submarine cruise by semi-submarine from Faliraki lasts three hours. The operator page lists two swim stops and says snorkelling equipment is on board. It says there are multiple departures every day, and it lists named departure locations. A second operator page gives the same three hours and the same two swim stops.
The South Rhodes semi-submarine runs two sailings a day, at 9:30 and at 12:40. Each trip lasts three hours. Its itinerary begins and ends at Kolymbia Harbour. On the Lindos coast, one operator describes a two-hour cruise.
So the answer depends on the boat. A Rhodes submarine cruise in the town harbour is the short one, at 45 minutes. The coast trips from Faliraki and Kolymbia take three hours, and the Lindos trip takes two. Check the start point on the page of your chosen tour before booking.
What marine life and seabed do you see on a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Through huge windows below the waterline, a Rhodes submarine cruise shows you fish and sea life. Operator pages speak of panoramic glass onto the Aegean Sea ecosystems and the fauna outside the port.
The upper part of the vessel never goes under. Only the hull holds the underwater observatory, and the operator page puts it 2.5 metres down. So on a Rhodes submarine cruise the windows look out from just under the waves. You sit in an air-conditioned cabin and stay dry.
Other trips name the seabed on their route. A semi-submarine page for Faliraki names the Faliraki reefs and the dramatic cliff drop of Ladiko. It adds the fish and aquatic life of the Mediterranean. It also says the crew point out interesting marine life. A Lindos page promises local fish and marine life.
The page of the Rhodes submarine cruise from Rhodes Town names no reef, no cliff and no cave. It lists no seabed feature at all. The reefs and the cliff drop belong to the Faliraki route. The Rhodes Town view shows the sea life near the port.
Wikipedia describes Neptune grass as a seagrass native only to the Mediterranean. The plant forms dense meadows or follows sandy channels. Water clarity sets its depth, between 1 and 35 metres. Its bright green leaves can reach 1.5 metres. No tour page names this plant for the Rhodes coast, so read it as background about the sea.
What does the diver do during a Rhodes submarine cruise?
The diver on a Rhodes submarine cruise enters the water and feeds the fish behind the glass. You watch from inside the cabin, stay dry, and take photos of the feeding show.
Operator pages tell guests to keep the camera at hand for the moment the diver goes in. The diver then feeds hundreds of multicolored fish at the window. A listing page calls the diver a scuba diver. Another listing page says reviewers praise the diver for helping everyone get a good view of the fish.
The crew handles the rest on board, as the operator page says. Your part is simple: sit by a window and watch. A Rhodes submarine cruise asks for no swimming and no diving. Every guest in the cabin can enjoy the show.
Other trips run the feeding in other ways. A South Rhodes semi-submarine page lists a fish-feeding stop where the crew feed the fish from the boat. A Lindos semi-submarine page also lists fish feeding next to the underwater views. In a Rhodes submarine cruise off Rhodes Town, the diver does the work in the water, below the cabin windows.
Which sights on the Rhodes Town coast do you pass on a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Operator pages list five sights for the Rhodes submarine cruise out of Mandraki. They are the Colossus site, the port itself, Elli Beach, the Tourist Harbour and the Old Town walls. Mandraki Harbour is in the city centre.
Only the cabin goes below the waterline, while the vessel rides the surface. Two operator pages invite you out onto the deck for the sea breeze. They pair the sea life outside the port with a view of the town.
Elli Beach sits on the eastern side of Rhodes Town, and a Rhodes submarine cruise shows it from the water. One beach page says it runs from Mandraki Harbour to the Rhodes Aquarium. It is pebbly, about 400 metres long and 35 metres wide. A second page says the casino building stands out.
Operator pages mention the Colossus only as a place. One says the statue was supposed to be standing there. Wikipedia says it was about 33 metres high and fell in the earthquake of 226 BC. A Wikivoyage caption puts modern bronze deer statues in Mandraki harbour, where the Colossus is thought to have stood.
Wikipedia’s article on the fortifications calls Mandraki the military harbour. Grand Master Pierre d’Aubusson oversaw the strengthening of Rhodes after the failed Ottoman siege of the late fifteenth century. By his death, the city had among the strongest fortifications of any Christian bastion. From the sea, a Rhodes submarine cruise gives a view of those Old Town walls.
Which routes and bays do Rhodes submarine cruises follow?
Operator pages show four routes for Rhodes submarine cruises. One sails from Mandraki Harbour along Rhodes Town. Others run three hours from Faliraki, three hours from Kolymbia or two hours along the Lindos coast.
The Rhodes submarine cruise from Faliraki stops twice for a swim, at Anthony Quinn Bay and at Traganou Caves. Two operator pages list them. The underwater chamber looks onto the reefs of Faliraki and the dramatic cliff drop of Ladiko. The page describes Traganou as a network of underwater caverns. Snorkelling gear is on board.
The Kolymbia trip lists Kolymbia Harbour at its start and its end. Wikivoyage calls Kolymbia a laid-back resort village with two beaches. The boat first cruises along Kolymbia beach, then stops to feed fish. Next comes Agios Fanourios Bay, where masks are provided for snorkelling. Last comes Cape Tsambika, where the page mentions boat jumps.
The Lindos cruise runs along the Lindos coast for two hours, says its operator. A Rhodes submarine cruise on this route has an underwater cabin with panoramic windows. Certain tours add a swim stop in Navarone Bay. The page asks you to check the tour details before booking. The starting port decides the bays.
How does a Rhodes submarine cruise compare with a glass-bottom boat or a snorkel trip?
A Rhodes submarine cruise and a glass-bottom boat both show you the sea through underwater windows. Both keep you dry. A snorkel trip puts you in the water, and the semi-submarine trips along the coast mix the two.
Wikipedia defines a glass-bottom boat as a boat with glass sections below the waterline. Passengers sit inside, look at the sea below them and stay out of the water. It adds that this view beats looking down from above, because the surface distorts the sight. It lists flora, fauna, reefs and shipwrecks among the sights.
The names overlap in Rhodes. One booking page sells a glass-bottom boat cruise from Mandraki port. It lists 45 minutes, underwater windows and a diver feeding fish at the glass. The submarine pages for Mandraki Harbour give the same 45 minutes and the same diver. So read the text of a Rhodes submarine cruise, not only the label.
A snorkel trip is a different day. The Mandraki trip needs no swimwear, because the boat stays above water. The South Rhodes semi-submarine adds time to swim and snorkel. Its stops are Cape Tsambika and Agios Fanourios Bay. On the Lindos coast, one operator makes the swim stop optional.
Let your own plan for the day decide. For a short, dry look at the sea, a Rhodes submarine cruise or a glass-bottom boat does the job. For swimming, pick a longer semi-submarine trip with swim stops, or a snorkel trip.
Which season, sea conditions and times of day suit a Rhodes submarine cruise?
The cabin of a Rhodes submarine cruise works well in the heat. One Lindos page calls it air-conditioned even in the warm summer months. Departures run from morning to late afternoon, and a dry cabin does not depend on how warm the sea is.
Wikipedia’s figures for Rhodes airport show July with 0.2 rainy days, August with 0.1 and January with 15.5. Wikivoyage adds that flights from across Europe land between April and October. In winter the only options are domestic flights from Athens and Thessaloniki. Ask the operator which months your boat sails.
Sea temperature decides a swim stop, but the Rhodes submarine cruise from Mandraki stays dry. Weather Atlas figures on Wikipedia put the sea at 17.0 degrees Celsius in February. November reaches 20.9. A snorkel trip puts you in that water. The cabin keeps you out of it.
Timetables differ by boat. One page for the Mandraki trip lists departures at 10:00, 12:00 and 15:30. Another says daily starts run between 11:30 and 17:30. A Lindos operator lists 9:30, 14:00 and 16:40. So a Rhodes submarine cruise fits a morning, midday or afternoon slot. Check the timetable for your date.
That Lindos operator also arranges private trips for couples, families and groups. It names a private sunset celebration as one kind of private trip.
What else do travellers ask about a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Do children, babies and prams fit on a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Yes. Listings for the harbour trip allow infants and small children to travel in a pram or stroller. They add that infant seats are available. Another page wants every infant seated on an adult’s lap. One listing sets no minimum age.
A semi-submarine operator in Lindos says the underwater views and fish feeding are especially exciting for younger passengers. An operator in Faliraki says its cruise is suitable for every age and ability. One booking page adds that small pets are allowed on board. Ask the crew about pram space when you book the Rhodes submarine cruise.
Is a Rhodes submarine cruise comfortable if you dislike small spaces or get seasick?
A travel writer points out that the lower cabin is an enclosed space under the boat. If you have claustrophobia, the writer says, take that section seriously. One booking page offers a choice: stay in the cabin, or walk on deck in the ocean breeze.
For motion, a Lindos operator advises staying on the upper deck during sailing if you are sensitive. The same operator says the vessel itself stays on the surface, so you stay completely dry. A Rhodes submarine cruise therefore gives you two places to sit: the cabin and the deck.
Can visitors with limited mobility book a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Booking pages for the Mandraki Harbour trip list the boat as wheelchair accessible. One of them calls the trip suitable for people at every level of physical fitness. Another page recommends it to nature lovers of every age.
The listings say nothing about the boarding steps. If you travel with a wheelchair or a walking frame, write to the operator before the day. Ask how the Rhodes submarine cruise handles boarding and where you sit. One operator in Faliraki lists hotel pick-up on request for its semi-submarine trip.
Which clothes and gear suit a Rhodes submarine cruise?
Dress comfortably and for the weather, one booking page says. A Lindos operator suggests a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, plus a camera or smartphone. Swimsuit and towel come along when the trip has a swimming stop.
Snorkelling equipment is on board on the Faliraki trips. On the harbour trip, the port authorities need three details from every participant: nationality, passport number and birth date. The crew asks for them on the spot before boarding. Carry those details with you to the Rhodes submarine cruise. Either a printout or a mobile voucher is accepted.
Where do you meet, and what if the weather stops a Rhodes submarine cruise?
For the Rhodes submarine cruise from the harbour, the meeting point is Mandraki Port. One booking page places it opposite a waterfront cafe. Another describes a desk opposite the Courthouse of Rhodes. Booking pages ask you to arrive 15 minutes before departure.
Weather decides the day. One operator says all its boat trips need suitable conditions, as defined by the Captain and the Harbour Police. Guests are offered an alternative date if a departure is called off. Another operator reserves the right to cancel, postpone or modify an activity because of a change of weather.