During both our October 2024 and October 2025 trips to Rhodes, we were genuinely shocked by the sheer amount of litter and plastic pollution we saw across the island. This was not just limited to busy tourist beaches or town centres. We saw rubbish scattered along roads and pavements in residential areas, in neighbourhood green spaces, beside walking routes near Kolymbia, and even off established paths on mountain walks where very few people go.
What stood out most was where the litter was. It appeared in places with minimal tourist footfall, far from bars, beach clubs, and crowded attractions. We saw rubbish up hillsides, in bushes, and off walking trails where hikers and nature lovers usually tread carefully. In our experience, people who hike mountains and explore nature tend to respect the environment. They carry their rubbish out. What we saw in Rhodes did not align with careless tourism alone. And on researching online, many people are quick to say it’s the tourists who are littering.
We live in Newquay in Cornwall, a major UK tourist destination where the population increases dramatically in summer. While tourism does bring extra litter, it does not look like this. The scale and spread of rubbish we saw in Rhodes felt different and deeper rooted.
This article shares what we personally observed, looks at why the problem may exist, and explores why blaming tourists alone must not tell the full story.
Continue reading “Why Is There So Much Litter in Rhodes? A Traveller’s Perspective on Pollution Across the Island” →
