Farma of Rhodes is a petting zoo in the green hills next to the Valley of the Butterflies, on the west side of Rhodes. Visitors meet, feed and photograph more than 20 species, from lemurs and ostriches to alpacas and goats. Tours across the rest of the country are listed on Greece Tours.
The sections below cover the tours and transfers, the location, the animals, feeding and petting, the visit, the restaurant, tickets, the aquarium combo, who it suits, duration, opening times and getting there, with links into the Rhodes pages. The tours shown are checked on GetYourGuide.
What is Farma of Rhodes?
Farma of Rhodes is an interactive petting zoo in Epano Kalamonas, on the west side of Rhodes. It covers 25,000 square metres next to the Valley of the Butterflies. Visitors feed, pet and photograph more than 20 animal species there.
Farma of Rhodes first became known for its ostriches. Over time it grew into a full animal park. Lemurs, camels, kangaroos and llamas now share the grounds with farm animals such as sheep and goats.
The site also has a children’s playground, a snack bar and a herb garden of local plants. Its gift shop sells carved ostrich eggs, feather dusters, olive oil and honey. The park is privately owned and gets no outside funding. Ticket money pays for animal food and vet care.
A wildfire next to Farma of Rhodes killed 22 animals one August. Staff restored the animals’ home within 15 days. The animals stay on site all winter, as temperatures rarely fall below 10°C.
Which Farma of Rhodes tours and transfers can you book?
Three GetYourGuide listings take you to Farma of Rhodes: a shared round-trip bus transfer, a return transfer with pickup, and a farm and aquarium tour. Visitors who arrive by themselves buy timed entry tickets on the farm’s own booking site.
The round-trip bus transfer (tour 1167326) is a shared half-day trip of 4 hours. It includes pickup, transport both ways and your Farma of Rhodes entry ticket. Farm staff supervise every contact with the animals.
The transfer-only listing (tour 1297903) lasts 3 hours and includes pickup. It promises over 100 animals, including ostriches, camels, deer, donkeys, lemurs and kangaroos. The farm and aquarium tour (tour 1330341) adds a stop at the aquarium in Rhodes Town.
- Round-trip bus transfer: 4 hours, shared coach, pickup and entry ticket included.
- Transfer only with return: 3 hours, pickup included, ride there and back.
- Farm and aquarium tour: 4.5 hours, small group, pickup and both entry tickets included.
- Direct ticket: bought online from the farm, valid for one chosen time slot.
Where is Farma of Rhodes?
Farma of Rhodes stands in Epano Kalamonas, a couple of kilometres north of the Valley of the Butterflies. The farm lies 24 km from Rhodes Town and 60 km from Lindos, in the green hills of western Rhodes.
The Valley of the Butterflies is a shaded gorge where Jersey tiger moths gather in summer. It sits 10 km from the airport, on a small inland road between Paradisi and Theologos.
Theologos lies about 5 km northwest of the valley. Guests staying in Epano Kalamonas can walk to Farma of Rhodes. The walk runs about 2 km along the main road and takes 25 to 30 minutes.
Half-day coach tours also pair the Butterfly Valley with Filerimos Hill. For satellite navigation, the farm’s coordinates are 36.35218, 28.04651. The farm’s contact page tells guests to ask their hotel reception for directions.
Which animals live at Farma of Rhodes?
Farma of Rhodes keeps more than 20 animal species, from African birds to South American rodents. Ring-tailed lemurs, ostriches, camels and kangaroos live beside Greek natives such as fallow deer, wild boar and Kastellorizo cattle.
Each animal at Farma of Rhodes has its own name and character. Visitors meet Babis the lemur, or Maria and her family of Patagonian maras.
- Lemurs: nine ring-tailed lemurs, seven adults and two babies, live in their own park.
- Big birds: ostriches, emus up to 2 metres tall, and rheas, South America’s largest bird.
- Camel family: camels, llamas, and alpacas, the llamas’ smaller cousins with shorter ears.
- Hoofed animals: donkeys, ponies, fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar and Kastellorizo cattle.
- Small mammals: raccoons from North America, porcupines, rabbits and Patagonian maras, rodents from Argentina.
- Other residents: white kangaroos, which carry their young in a pouch, and Nigerian dwarf goats 43 to 58 cm tall.
Kastellorizo cattle take their name from Kastellorizo, a Greek island 125 km east of Rhodes. The mouflon is a wild sheep and one of two ancestors of farm sheep.
Can you feed and pet the animals at Farma of Rhodes?
Yes. At the Farma of Rhodes entrance you buy cups of vegetables or corn as treats. Signs show which animals you can feed and touch. Staff guide all contact in the lemur and ostrich zones.
Outside food is banned at Farma of Rhodes for the animals’ safety. Certain species eat a special diet, so the entrance treats do not suit them.
In the ostrich interaction zone, trained staff take you in to feed the birds and take photos. The farm says this zone is safe even for young children. In the lemur park, keepers let you pet the lemurs and feed them vegetables.
- Keep about 50 cm between you and an animal when taking a selfie.
- Keep eye contact and never turn your back on an animal.
- Pet or feed lemurs only with permission from staff.
- Do not touch any animal that the signs mark as off limits.
The operator says feeding and petting do not disturb the animals’ natural behaviour. Families can find more island ideas on the page about Rhodes with kids.
What happens step by step on a Farma of Rhodes visit?
A visit to Farma of Rhodes follows a simple loop. You book a time slot and collect a cup of animal treats. Then you walk the paths past each enclosure. The walk ends at the restaurant, the shop and the playground.
Farma of Rhodes lies about 10 kilometres from the airport, which sits beside the village of Kremasti. Bring the ticket number that arrives by email after booking.
- Arrive at the Farma of Rhodes entrance within your booked hour.
- Buy a cup of vegetables or corn for the animals.
- Walk the paths and read the sign at each enclosure.
- Feed the animals face on, about 50 centimetres away.
- Stroll the herb garden or rest in a hammock.
- Finish at the restaurant, shop or playground.
Staff guide guests inside the lemur enclosure and the ostrich zone. They also share facts, such as an ostrich egg holding 150 kilograms of weight. Raccoons can be fed and petted only at their set feeding time, so ask staff on arrival.
Children can take a pony ride on site. For full horse rides, see horse riding on Rhodes. The shop sells carved ostrich eggs, honey and herbs. Toilets on site are free to use.
What are the Kastellorizo cattle at Farma of Rhodes?
The Kastellorizo cattle at Farma of Rhodes are a rare local Greek breed. They come from Kastellorizo, a small Dodecanese island east of Rhodes. Breed records say only a small number of these animals were ever found there.
Greek rare-breed groups list Kastellorizo cattle among the country’s native island breeds. Native means the breed formed locally, shaped by nature with little planned breeding. Kastellorizo lies far to the east, close to the Turkish coast.
Scientists at the Agricultural University of Athens studied the DNA of native Greek cattle. They tested Kastellorizo cattle alongside cattle from Nisyros, Agathonisi and Crete. Breed experts say its official status still needs more research.
Cattle like these once pulled ploughs on Greek farms until machines took over. Farma of Rhodes keeps this herd beside its miniature zebus, the only naturally tiny cattle breed.
What does the Farma of Rhodes restaurant serve?
The Farma of Rhodes restaurant serves home-style dishes made with fresh, local ingredients. The menu covers vegetarian dishes, fresh salads, grilled meats and desserts. Its signature dish is an omelette made from the farm’s own ostrich eggs.
Produce comes straight from the farm’s vegetable garden. Herbs, vegetables and extra virgin olive oil are grown at Farma of Rhodes itself.
- Ostrich omelette with spinach, spring onion and toasted bread
- Scrambled ostrich egg from the farm’s own birds
- Ostrich omelette sandwich with grilled mushroom, manouri and pesto
- Whole fried ostrich egg with grilled vegetables, pita and chips
- Spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce
- Orange pie with pistachio ice cream
Manouri, in the sandwich, is a soft white Greek cheese. The kitchen also brews a homemade tea from an old family recipe. Children’s dishes are on the menu as well.
Snacks and drinks from the restaurant can be taken away to a bench. From there, you can sit and watch the animals while you eat. The chips on the menu are freshly made.
How does the Farma of Rhodes ticket system work?
Farma of Rhodes sells tickets for hourly time slots, each with a limited number of places. Visitors book online in advance and pick a date and hour. There are three age groups: adults over 12, children aged 3 to 12 and infants.
You can enter at any point within your booked hour. Choose a 10:00 slot, and the latest arrival is 10:59. Early arrival does not guarantee entry.
Each ticket is valid only for its chosen day and time. Turning up after your hour can cancel the ticket with no refund, or add an extra charge.
- A discount on the gate price
- A visiting hour of your choice
- No wait in the entrance queue
- A ticket number sent by email
Each voucher matches one ticket, so download all of them from the Farma of Rhodes website. Infants under 3 enter free of charge, but still need a ticket.
What does the farm and aquarium tour add to Farma of Rhodes?
The farm and aquarium tour pairs Farma of Rhodes with the Rhodes Aquarium in one small-group trip. It lasts about 4.5 hours. Pickup and entry tickets for both sites are included in the GetYourGuide booking.
The GetYourGuide listing calls it a tour of a traditional farm and the Rhodes Aquarium. Guests meet friendly animals and learn about local traditions along the way. The tour is listed under Epano Kalamonas, the village beside the farm.
The aquarium sits in Rhodes Town and shows sea life from the Aegean; see the Rhodes Aquarium page for details. The listing shows both morning and afternoon start times.
For more sightseeing by coach, see the Rhodes bus tour. For a day of slides and pools, families can try the Rhodes water park on the east coast.
Who suits Farma of Rhodes?
Farma of Rhodes suits families, couples and groups of friends who enjoy animals. Young children love the playground and the lake with ducks and swans. A ramp leads to the restaurant, and the toilets are wheelchair friendly.
Toddlers have one limit to know about. The lemur enclosure only admits children aged three and over. Staff apply this safety rule to every visitor without exception.
At Farma of Rhodes, under-18s stay with a guardian at all times. Children cannot walk around the grounds alone. Near the animals, running and shouting are not allowed.
- Toddlers under three: free entry, the playground and the duck lake
- Children from three: lemur visits and hands-on feeding with staff
- Families: a café, a gift shop and a botanical garden walk
- Wheelchair users: a ramp to the restaurant and an accessible toilet
- Couples and friends: quiet green paths and close-up animal photos
How long does a Farma of Rhodes visit last, and what is included?
A full visit to Farma of Rhodes takes 60 to 105 minutes, as the farm itself advises. Entry gives access to more than 20 animal species, the walking paths, the botanical garden and the children’s playground.
Animal snacks such as corn and vegetables are available at the entrance. Meals in the restaurant cost extra. So do gift shop souvenirs, such as carved ostrich eggs and natural cosmetics.
Organised trips take longer than the visit itself. The round-trip bus transfer lasts four hours, with 2.5 hours of free time at Farma of Rhodes. Entry to the farm is an extra fee on that trip.
The transfer-only trip to Farma of Rhodes lasts three hours, with pickup included. The farm and aquarium tour runs for 4.5 hours, and both entry tickets are included.
When is Farma of Rhodes open, and what do you bring?
Farma of Rhodes opens every day from 09:00 to 17:30 in summer. The last entry is at 16:30. The visit is a sunny outdoor walk among the animals, so pack good shoes, sun protection and water.
Morning hours suit a visit at Farma of Rhodes. The animals are livelier early in the day. The walk is also cooler before the midday heat.
The café inside the farm sells bottled water and small snacks. For weather across the year, read about when to visit Rhodes before you plan the day.
- Closed, comfortable shoes for walking the farm grounds
- A hat and sunscreen, especially in summer
- A bottle of water for the walk
- A phone or camera with free storage for photos
- Your booking vouchers, one for each ticket
How do you get to Farma of Rhodes, and how do you book and cancel?
Farma of Rhodes sits in the green hills of western Rhodes, a short drive inland from the coast. You reach it by hotel transfer, car, taxi or public bus. Tickets are booked online, and you cancel them up to 24 hours ahead.
The round-trip bus transfer to Farma of Rhodes offers 44 pickup points. They include hotels in Faliraki and Kallithea, plus Rhodes New Marina. Its four-hour length suits a Rhodes shore excursion on a port day.
Hotels in Ialysos and Ixia sit on the west coast, a shorter drive from the farm. Public bus line 20 runs from Rhodes Town past the airport to Petaloudes. Its nearest stop is about 1 km from the farm, a 14-minute walk.
Farma of Rhodes sells tickets through the Buy Tickets button on its website. An email then sends your ticket number. For taxis and car hire, see getting around Rhodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bring a dog to Farma of Rhodes?
No, the farm rules ban pets of any kind anywhere on the premises. The ban covers dogs, cats and every other animal that travels with you on holiday. Inside, every visitor also follows staff instructions and the signs posted around the grounds.
Can you take a picnic into Farma of Rhodes?
No, the farm rules ban carrying food of any kind into the grounds. The rule covers snacks for people and treats for animals alike. Feeding an animal anything not approved for its species is also banned, even fruit from home.
What happens if you reach Farma of Rhodes before your slot?
The restaurant is a handy spot to sit with a coffee meanwhile. Late arrival is riskier, because the farm can cancel the ticket without a refund or charge extra.
Can you ride the animals at Farma of Rhodes?
No, the transfer-only trip lists riding the animals as not allowed. The farm rules also ban picking animals up, pushing them or forcing them to do anything. Animals that are asleep or resting are left alone, and staff will not wake them for visitors.
Who runs Farma of Rhodes, and how do you contact it?
The business is G. Kefala – G. Kalafatas O.E., trading as Rhodes Ostrich Farm. For questions, call +30 22411 22673 or use the message form on the contact page.