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What if you want to see something more than the city of Rhodes on the island of Rhodes, Greece? Perhaps, a marine trip to the Turkish towns of Marmaris or Bodrum would be exciting, but we did not find time for it. We allowed ourselves just one trip—to the town of Lindos, having rented a cheerful orange Smart microcar.
We went to this city, famous for its Acropolis, a fortress of the knights Hospitallers, and two beautiful beaches. In Lindos, you should take into account your physical condition to overcome many ascents and descents. However, the islanders tried to create a maximum of comfort for their guests: for 5 Euro, you will get a cute donkey fulfilling the role of local taxi.
The Acropolis of Lindos.
The landscapes of Lindos are gorgeous: on the cliff top, medieval walls surround the ruins of the ancient Acropolis, the second largest and important in Greece. I doubted it, but the Greeks think so.
The bas-relief of an ancient Greek warship is carved in the foot of the rock where the Acropolis sits (altitude is 116 meters). This work of art dates back to the 2nd century BC. You can find something similar in Petra, Jordan, but preservation of this bas-relief is a little bit better.
The central temple is dedicated to the goddess Athena (4th century BC, but unfortunately, a reconstruction). A guide will tell you that Alexander the Great visited it to ask for mercy from gods.
The fortress of the knights Hospitallers.
The Acropolis has the ancient theater, the stage, and the tribune carved in the rock. They were built before our era, but in the Middle Ages, knights surrounded them by impressive walls, and now the whole complex combines elegance, power, and asceticism. The view from the top is breathtaking.
The Acropolis opens at 8:00 a.m. Tourist buses from hotels and the port arrive in Lindos between 9 and 10 o’clock in the morning. You have half an hour to stay tête-à-tête with the city and the museum. We easily sacrificed the hotel breakfast, and entered the archeological site at 8:00 a.m. in the company of three other tourists/photographers.
You need no more than one hour to explore the whole complex. Despite the stories of guides, the Acropolis of Lindos is not in the same league as its majestic brother in Athens.
When we went down to the town to order a much desired breakfast, its narrow streets were filled with hundreds of tourists moving uphill on foot or by donkeys. The municipal parking lot was full of buses.
For us, it remained a mystery why so many people arrived at Lindos. Two amazing beaches? But the end of April is not an appropriate time for swimming yet.
One of the beaches.
If there are so many tourists in the spring, you can imagine the pandemonium that is going on here in July or August. Be careful with the choice of the month for visiting Lindos!
Happy travels!