The stunning heritage site of Lindos is one of Rhodes’ jewels in the crown. Situated on the south east coast of the island, around 50km from Rhodes Town, it boasts an impressive Acropolis that stands high up on a hill-top overlooking the modern town and the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.
Down at ground level, there are winding streets that are brimming full of souvenir shops, restaurants and roof-top bars. Lindos is also home to two beaches, both of which get packed out during the peak summer months thanks to their soft golden sands and unrivalled views.
Lindos is 60km south of Rhodes’ only international airport, which connects to a large number of cities across Europe. There are regular buses that depart from the airport to Lindos, though be aware that these stop after about 9pm.
If you miss the last bus and don’t have a pre-booked transfer waiting for you, then prepare for a hefty taxi fare, or you can pick up a hire car (there are several car hire desks at the airport).
As with the rest of the island, Lindos is a superb all-year-round holiday destination. If you prefer to avoid the tourist masses of the peak summer months, you would be advised to stay away during July and August.
Thankfully, Lindos can also be enjoyed at virtually any other time of the year, owing to its consistently mild weather, which begins to hot up in April and continues well into October.
If you’re visiting out of season, be aware that things can get a little chilly during the evenings, so you would be advised to bring a jumper or two.
You can do it when you arrive, or you can do it before you leave, but it would be a crime to visit Lindos and not climb up to the imposing Acropolis that looms large over the town. Used as a method of fortification against the Ottoman invaders of the 14th century, this impressive archaeological site is steeped in history and certainly worth a couple of hour’s exploration.
Back on street level, there is a maze of winding cobbled streets to explore in Lindos’ new village. Head for the Main Square to check out the Byzantine church that dominates the plaza.
After all that energy-sapping sightseeing, a reward waits for you in the shape of two glorious beaches. North of town, in Lindos Bay, the lovely sandy Pallas Beach sits in a deep, sweeping cove, and offers watersports facilities. South of town, St Paul's is a sand and pebble beach sitting in a bay enclosed by steep rocks.
Eating out in Lindos can be done expensively, in the restaurants and tavernas dotted throughout the old town, many of which offer impressive views from rootop terraces, or inexpensively, along Pallas Beach in Lindos Bay. Greek cuisine and pizzerias are the stock eaterie options.
The nightlife in Lindos centres around cocktail bars and tavernas in the old town. Most of the bars here begin to quieten down fairly early, at around midnight. But below the old town, on the road down to Pallas Beach, there are two open-air clubs for late-night dancing, Nama and Acropolis, while a third, Amphitheatre, can be found as you enter Lindos on the road from Kalathos.