Lindos travel guide
Athena's clifftop temple, captains' houses and St Paul's Bay
Lindos is a car-free whitewashed village on the east coast of Rhodes, crowned by an acropolis with a temple of Athena and wrapped around two sandy bays. May, June, September and October are best, outside the worst heat. Do it as a day trip from Rhodes town or stay two or three nights. Costs are high.
On the east coast of Rhodes, about 40 km south of Rhodes town, Lindos piles its whitewashed houses up a hillside below a fortified acropolis. People come for two things that rarely share a village: a major ancient site and proper sandy beaches, with the bay curving right under the cliffs.
Up on the rock, the Knights of Saint John built walls in the early 14th century over Byzantine and older defences. Inside are a Hellenistic stoa and the reconstructed columns of the Temple of Athena Lindia, perched at the cliff edge. Tickets are sold at the gate, and closing time shifts with the season, so check the current hours before planning a late visit. At the foot of the stairs, look for the ancient warship carved into the rock face.
Down in the village, every lane is car-free and most are cobbled. The captains' houses, some several centuries old, hide pebble-mosaic courtyards behind carved stone doorways. A few now take guests or serve drinks. Free maps from the tourist office carry no street names, so expect to get lost. That is half the point. The Church of the Assumption, off the main lane, has walls covered in frescoes.
St Paul's Bay, just south of the acropolis, is the better swim: a near-circular cove of clear water, with shade arriving on its southern side from about half past five. Loungers and parasols can be hired. The main beach below the square is closer but gets crowded with day-trippers and boats, including a glass-bottom one.
Food is the weak point. Restaurants here cook mostly for visitors, and menus can feel interchangeable and not very Greek. Where Lindos does shine is the rooftop terrace: book one facing the floodlit acropolis and go for the view and the evening light, not the cooking.
Staying the night changes the place. Most day-trippers have gone by evening, and the lanes fall quiet. Self-catering rooms inside the village are the best bet, since some hotels sold under the Lindos name sit a drive away from the beach and the bars.
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Top things to do in Lindos
One acropolis, two bays and a hillside of old houses to wander.
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Best time to visit Lindos
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs of 27 to 32C, almost no rain and a warm sea, with the climb still manageable before noon.
Highs of 35C on average and peak crowds from late morning; climb at opening time and swim at St Paul's Bay later.
Highs of 16 to 22C and the year's rain, up to about 124 mm in December; most rooms and restaurants shut.
Climb to the acropolis when it opens: there is no shade up there, and the tour coaches from Rhodes town arrive by late morning.
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Getting there
Bus, taxi or boat from Rhodes town
Lindos lies on the east-coast road about 40 km south of Rhodes town, and the airport is on the opposite, western side of the island. From the airport the choice is a taxi all the way, or the bus into Rhodes town (about 35 minutes) and a change to the KTEL east-coast service, which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and sells tickets on board. Day boats also run down the coast from Mandraki harbour in Rhodes town and land you in the bay below the village. Drivers cannot go in: park above Lindos, in the big car park by the supermarket or along the road, where blue paid bays sit among free spaces. From the lowest car park, either slip into the village by a side lane, or drop to the beach, walk to its far end and climb up.
- From Rhodes town
- KTEL east-coast bus, about 1 hour 15 minutes, tickets from the driver
- From the airport
- Taxi direct, or bus to Rhodes town and change
- By boat
- Day boats from Mandraki harbour into Lindos bay
- By car
- Park above the village; the lanes are pedestrian only
- Agree the taxi fare before you set off, and if a driver tries to overcharge, ask to be taken to the police station.
- Note the last bus back to Rhodes town before you settle into an evening drink.
Where to stay
Village houses or nearby bays
Stay inside Lindos village to be a few minutes' walk from the acropolis, the beaches and the tavernas, accepting steps and no car access. Hotels marketed as Lindos can be some distance out along the coast, so check the map before booking.
- Lindos village
- Self-catering studios in old houses, many with roof terraces
- Near St Paul's Bay
- Quieter, and close to the better beach
- Pefki
- Small resort just to the south, with more space
- Charaki
- Fishing village across the bay, calmer and cheaper
Getting around
Feet, a shuttle bus and donkeys
Every lane in Lindos is closed to cars, and most are cobbled and stepped, with the houses climbing the hillside toward the acropolis. Walking is the only real way around, and it is more effort than the size of the village suggests. A short bus hop runs from the main arrival stop at the top down to a square nearer the sea, which saves a steep descent with bags. Donkeys carry visitors from the village entrance up to the acropolis, though the walk is short if you take it slowly. The free tourist-office map shows no street names, so steer by the acropolis above and the sea below. Mopeds are the only motor traffic in the lanes; step into a doorway when you hear one.
- On foot
- All lanes, both beaches and the acropolis path
- Shuttle bus
- Upper bus stop to the lower square
- Donkey ride
- Village entrance to the acropolis
- Moped
- The only vehicles allowed in the lanes
- Wear shoes with grip: worn cobbles and steps make sandals hard going, especially on the way down.
Know before you go
What makes Lindos worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The view from the Temple of Athena Lindia, straight down onto St Paul's Bay.
- The warship relief cut into the rock at the foot of the acropolis stairs.
- Getting lost in the back lanes, where the captains' houses hide their mosaic courtyards.
- An evening swim at St Paul's Bay, once the southern side falls into shade.
- Drinks on a roof garden as the floodlights come on over the acropolis.
Good to know
- Prices run high for the island, and the supermarkets on the main street charge a premium for imported British food.
- Taxi drivers sometimes overcharge; if a fare looks wrong, ask to be taken to the police station.
- The donkeys are optional: the walk up is steep but short, and many visitors prefer to climb themselves.
- The acropolis has no shade; carry water, as the climb in July heat catches people out.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Lindos, month by month
Tap a month to see what to expect. Figures are long-term averages for Lindos 65 m a.s.l.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Lindos 65 m a.s.l (National Observatory of Athens, via Wikipedia).
Lindos acropolis at opening time, St Paul's Bay by late afternoon
Climb to the Lindos acropolis while the stone is still cool: catch an early bus from Rhodes town, walk up through the lanes to the Knights' walls and the Temple of Athena Lindia, and find the carved warship. Explore the captains' houses and the frescoed Church of the Assumption, then spend the afternoon at St Paul's Bay.
Catch an early bus from Rhodes town, or drive down and leave the car at the supermarket car park. Before leaving, find the carved warship and look over the ancient theatre cut into the slope.
Walk back down for a drink in the shade, then wander the side streets to spot captains' houses with their pebble-mosaic courtyards and step into the frescoed Church of the Assumption. Spend the afternoon at St Paul's Bay, quieter than the main beach, and stay for the shade that creeps over its southern side around half past five. If you are staying, end the day on a roof terrace facing the floodlit acropolis; if not, check the time of the last bus to town before you settle in.
Rooftop views, pitaroudia and melekouni in Lindos
Most Lindos restaurants serve international menus to a holiday crowd, so choose a terrace with an acropolis view and treat dinner as an occasion. Where you find Rhodian dishes, order pitaroudia, crisp chickpea fritters, and finish with melekouni, the sesame and honey bar handed out at island weddings.
Eating in Lindos takes some lowering of expectations. Most restaurants serve international menus in English to a holiday crowd, and many bars do breakfast until mid-afternoon, so the village can feel more like a resort than a Greek town at mealtimes. Pick a place for its terrace and its view of the acropolis.
The three supermarkets on the main street, all within 100 m of each other, stock seasonal fruit and vegetables for self-caterers, though imported British goods push prices up. For a more local table, drive to Charaki, the fishing village across the bay, or save your serious Greek meals for the backstreets of Rhodes town.
St Paul's Bay, the main beach and the best months to swim
Lindos has two sandy beaches right below the village: St Paul's Bay, a nearly enclosed cove with clearer water, and the busier main beach. Come in May or October, with highs near 27C, or June and September for the warmest sea; July and August reach 35C and make the acropolis climb an ordeal.
Lindos has some of the few sandy beaches on Rhodes, and both sit right below the village. St Paul's Bay, a small, almost enclosed cove south of the acropolis, has the clearer water and the better setting; the main beach is easier to reach from the square but fills early, and boat traffic, including a glass-bottom boat, crosses the bay all day. Litter can be a problem on the busiest days.
Timing matters more here than in most of Greece. July and August average highs of 35C with no rain at all, and the climb to the shadeless acropolis becomes a real ordeal after mid-morning. May and October, with highs of 27C, are the sweet spot, and June and September bring hot days and the warmest sea. In winter, highs drop to 16 to 18C, December rain reaches about 124 mm, and most rentals and restaurants close, leaving the lanes to the people who live here.
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How we research our Lindos travel guide
Lindos acropolis hours and the KTEL east-coast bus times from Rhodes town are checked with Visit Greece and the operators before each summer.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Lindos.
Getting there
Take a taxi direct, or ride the airport bus into Rhodes town (about 35 minutes) and change to the KTEL east-coast bus, which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
General
Outside the village, for example at the large car park by the supermarket or along the road above, then walk down. The lanes are pedestrian only.
St Paul's Bay, just south of the acropolis, for clear water and late-afternoon shade. The main beach is closer to the village but busier.
Yes. Day boats leave Mandraki harbour in Rhodes town and land in Lindos bay, a scenic alternative to the bus.
Yes, donkeys wait at the village entrance. Walking is a fair alternative if you go slowly and early.
July and August average 35C and the rock has no shade, so the climb is hard work after early morning. May, June, September and October are kinder.
Pefki, a small resort just to the south, or Charaki, the fishing village across the bay, both quieter than Lindos itself.
Old mansions built by the village's seafaring families, with carved stone doorways and pebble-mosaic courtyards; a few now operate as guesthouses or bars.
Every lane in Lindos is closed to cars, and most are cobbled and stepped, with the houses climbing the hillside toward the acropolis. Walking is the only real way around, and it is more effort than the size of the village suggests. A short bus hop runs from the main arrival stop at the top down to a square nearer the sea, which saves a steep descent with bags.
Timing & weather
Hours change with the season, with longer days in summer than in winter, so check the current times before you go. Arrive at opening time, as there is no shade on the rock.
The best time to visit Lindos is May to Jun, Sep to Oct. The sea is warm enough to swim, but the climb to the shadeless acropolis is not punishing.
- Best overall: May - June, September - October (Highs of 27 to 32C, almost no rain and a warm sea, with the climb still manageable before noon)
- Summer: July - August (Highs of 35C on average and peak crowds from late morning; climb at opening time and swim at St Paul's Bay later)
- Winter: November - March (Highs of 16 to 22C and the year's rain, up to about 124 mm in December; most rooms and restaurants shut)
July is the warmest month in Lindos, with average highs of 35°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 11°C. December is the wettest month, at about 124 mm of rain; August is the driest.
Cancellations & changes
The village empties and quietens by evening. Self-catering rooms inside it put you a short walk from the beaches and bars, so a night or two is worth it.
Visa & documents
Greece is part of the Schengen area. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Greece is very safe. Heatwaves and wildfires in summer, and pickpocketing on the Athens metro, are the main concerns.
