Stuart Forster provides an overview of the historical sites that mean holidays in Lindos offer an ideal blend of sightseeing, relaxation and traditional Greek cuisine and hospitality.
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Visit Lindos
Lindos was attracting visitors centuries before Britons first dreamed of boarding planes for sunshine holidays on Greek islands. The prospect of praying at the Temple of Athena, up on Lindos’ steep-sided acropolis, drew pilgrims from around the Mediterranean when togas were still fashionable. Alexander the Great is one of the great figures of history to have reputedly made a sacrifice at the Lindian Acropolis.
These days, visiting that ancient landmark presents holidaymakers with a reason to stray from the comfort of sun loungers. Spectacular views over white-walled houses and terracotta tiles in the heart of Lindos are a reward for climbing the footpath that corkscrews around the rocky hillside leading to the ancient citadel.
Climbing the Acropolis in Lindos
Taking a taxi to the gate of the Acropolis of Lindos is not an option. Motorised vehicles don’t operate in central Lindos. That isn’t the result of some fashionable, recently introduced ecotourism masterplan aimed at emphasising the sustainable credentials of the Rhodian fishing village. The twisting alleyways were laid out long ago and are simply too narrow for cars.
Coaches drop day visitors at Lindos’ compact public square. Anyone daunted by the prospect of the five-minute uphill stroll can sit astride a donkey and clomp along the lanes.
Donkeys in Lindos
Experienced donkey handlers hold the reins and holler warnings before turning corners. Dozens of journeys a day during the high season ensure the handlers get plenty of exercise. The tanned faces of some of the senior donkey handlers bear lines reminiscent of the fissured rock below the citadel’s crenellated walls.
For more than 300 years, Ottoman guards patrolled the parapets and prayed in the hilltop Byzantine church of Ayios Ioannis after converting it into a mosque.
To untrained eyes, the slit-like windows in the place of worship’s straw-coloured stone walls look like they may once have been part of the defences constructed by the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. Also known as the Knights Hospitaller, the order captured the fortress of Lindos in October 1307, around the time of year that now signals the end of the annual tourism season in this part of Rhodes.
Lindos Acropolis
At the foot of the steps leading up to the knights’ medieval command house is a detailed bas-relief depiction of an ancient Rhodian warship with a curving prow. It was sculpted around 2,200 years ago.
Seafaring remains important here. With strong maritime traditions, Lindos now attracts pleasure craft into its rugged bays.
Grander properties in the village centre are known as captains’ houses. Built for wealthy sea merchants around 400 years ago, their thick stonework and walled courtyards provided security plus cool relief from the summer heat.
The Captain’s House Bar presents visitors with opportunities to step beyond the patterned threshold of one of the historic buildings and peek inside the airy living quarters. It’s a welcoming bar and a lovely place to sit on a sunny afternoon.
Day trip to Rhodes
Staying in Lindos means a drive of around an hour to Rhodes’ Old Town. Attractions such as the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes and the impressive Archaeological Museum of Rhodes, in the knights’ former hospital, warrant a day trip to the island’s biggest city.
Travelling by bus means being able to enjoy an afternoon drink or two in Rhodian bars. KTEL buses depart Lindos from stands close to the bronze statue of Cleobulus. The scroll in the left hand of the toga-clad figure hints that he was a celebrated poet known as one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Yet he was reputedly also a tyrant.
Lindos theatre
Stepped seating hewn from stone around 2,300 years ago occupies the hillside below the Lindos Acropolis. In many countries, the existence of an ancient theatre would be celebrated. Yet in a land dotted with so many telling historic sites, there’s not so much as a hint of a visitor centre. A lopsided sign, in Greek and English, proclaims the presence of the otherwise unheralded archaeological treasure.
Continuing downhill leads to St Paul’s Bay, where the apostle Paul is said to have landed in AD51. Jutting rocks guard the cove’s water, whose calmness makes it an ideal spot to cool swim or snorkel. Cabanas and sun loungers are ranged along the beach, facilitating views of a tiny waterfront chapel whose white façade and solitary bell make it a photogenic wedding venue.
Many visitors wander past the tiered stone belfry of Lindos’ Church of Panagia without popping inside. The arching walls and cupola are covered with colourful yet time-worn frescoes depicting biblical scenes and bearded Orthodox saints. Meanwhile, the zigzag pattern of the flooring was created by the careful arrangement of sea-eroded black and white stones, a laborious technique utilised around the village.
Restaurants in Lindos
Lindos’ scattering of rooftop restaurants brings opportunities to dine with views of the Acropolis. The Delight Restaurant and Acropolis Roof Garden Restaurant are two of the many options for traditional, unfussy Greek cuisine. Expect the food to be accompanied by the warm, easy-going hospitality that comes so naturally in this part of the world.
Visitors seeking a fine-dining experience should head to Almyra or Christof, for exquisitely presented modern Mediterranean cuisine.
The concept of slow travel has become fashionable in recent years. The layout of Lindos means slowing down comes naturally. Enjoying each day as it comes has long been central to the way of life in this Greek village.
Travel to Rhodes
Rhodes is one of the Dodecanese islands. It is the ninth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Flights to Rhodes Airport have a duration of approximately four hours and 30 minutes from airports in the north of England.
TUI and Jet2.com offer direct flights between Newcastle International Airport and Rhodes.
Holidays in Lindos
Package holidays in Lindos, including international flights and transfers between Rhodes and Lindos, are available from operators including jet2holidays and TUI.
Accommodation in Lindos
Lindos has a selection of boutique and upscale accommodation, including the adults-only Lindos Grand Resort and Spa, Melanos Art Boutique Hotel and, 15 minutes’ drive away at Lardos Beach, Lindian Village.
Check the map below to find hotels in Lindos and the surrounding area:
Map of Lindos
Zoom out of the map of Lindos, below, to see the location of the village midway down the east coast of the island of Rhodes:
Books about Rhodes and Lindos
Want to discover more about the island or read a novel set in Lindos? The following books are available to buy from Amazon:
The Mini Rough Guide to Rhodes.
Marco Polo’s travel guide to Rhodes.
John Wilton is the author of the Lindos Murder Mystery series. It features three novels: Lindos Retribution, Lindos Aletheia and Lindian Summers.
Alastair MacLean wrote The Guns of Navarone. The movie adaptation was released in 1961 and stars David Niven, Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. Several scenes were filmed in and around Lindos.
Further information
Discover more about Lindos and elsewhere on the island of Rhodes on the Visit Greece website.
Photos illustrating this post are by Why Eye Photography.
Thank you for visiting Go Eat Do and reading this post about history and holidays in Lindos, Greece. If you enjoy holidays in the Mediterranean, you may also enjoy reading about Christmas in Cyprus.
Stuart Forster is an award-winning freelance travel writer who lives in northeast England.
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