Lindos – Rhodes

This idyllic village from ancient history is one of the real gems on Rhodes island. On the highest peak of the village rises acropolis with well remained columns and ruins. I hope that the masses of tourists will not ruin this fantastic historical play since you can still touch many of the ruins. It is difficult to avoid the tourist masses in Lindos, especially if you are visiting the site during midday. The parking was full of tourist busses and the acropolis was occupied with cruise and day tour guests. Entrance fee to the acropolis was 12 euros (it was 6 euros last time I visited).

It is recommended to keep water close by and get a (fancy) sun hat since the climb to the acropolis can be quite tiring, especially for older people. We had a sudden heatwave in June and a few cruise guests had to lie down after 42 c heat had taken all the energy and fluid out of them. We decided to save our feet from climbing and rented a donkey for 5€ from the donkey taxi station. I was happy to save my energy for admiring the acropolis but I did feel slightly sorry for Jimmy and Katherina, our donkeys, who dragged our not-so-light bodies along the narrow alleys.

The narrow alleys of Lindos are the best part of the trip. In the afternoon when the tourist busses head to their next destination, you can find nice boutiques and restaurants almost empty. The Melenos boutique hotel has been on my “definitely maybe” hotel list for quite a while and I have also praised Mavrikos restaurant already before. This time we found a lovely Giorgos café bar from one of the alleys (don’t ask which one) where we enjoyed delicious prosciutto sandwich and refreshing frappe.

Lindos is approximately 50 kilometers from Rhodes town. Most of the traditional travel agencies organize bus tours to Lindos. You can book a trip from local travel agencies but I also recommend to check the boat tours although the trip itself takes longer. Taxi to Lindos cost 56€ one way. We rented Volkswagen Eos cabriole for 50€ which allowed us to make our own schedule. I asked by curiosity how much it would have cost to book a private, fancy yacht from Mandraki harbor. I have quite many other plans for 1000 euros (e.g. the beautiful carpet I found in the old town).

Do not skip Lindos if you have the chance.