Anastasis Studios

Pathway

by sandysmith

Access to either of the two beaches as you descend from the village of Lindos is easy as a lovely path runs between them so if you have to run for the return boat and end up on the wrong beach then no worries - just take this path and you'll reach the harbour area in afew minutes. Affords pretty views of the bay and another little church is passed too.

Beautiful Churches III

by steventilly

Right by the Church of the Assumption (next tip) and sharing a common courtyard stands a second church, in completely different style and with one of these "typical" Greek Island bell towers... I cannot find now any information about this church, and wish I made better notes while I was there!
You can see the shadow of the belltower of the Church of the Assumption playing on this other belltower.

Acropolis V

by steventilly

A view down to Lindos bay from the walls of the Acropolis. You can see here the larger of the two beaches that skirt the bay at the left of the pic and the smaller (usually more crowded) beach at the right.

St Paul's Bay

by steventilly

St. Paul's Bay is stunning - almost like a lake of crystal blue waters surrounded on all sides by cliffs and with the Acropolis towering high above it. The bay is not totally enclosed, there's a narrow opening at the far end.
There's a beach at either end, there's not much to choose between them. Both are small and get crowded. The one nearest to us in this pic loses the sun first as it goes down behind a hill.

Let the Donkey take the strain (uphill at least)

by murfee88

"Reaching the town"

As we crested the final hill and descended into the bus station at Lindos we could see the whitewashed houses perched on the side of the mountain. They looked down on the crystal clear waters of the Meditteranean Sea where local fishermen could be seen plying their way back and forth. High on top of the mountain was the main reason most people visit Lindos, the Acropolis (Athena Lindia).

But before you can get to the Acropolis you have to descend into Lindos itself. You can do this by walking down the winding hill, or take the shuttle bus that goes up and down every ten minutes. When walking you have to mind traffic as the road is narrow and there is not much room for cars to pass, meaning pedestrians have to squeeze past in the spaces left.

"Getting to the Acropolis"

Reaching the town square at the bottom of the hill you soon become aware of the narrow streets that zigzag around the town. The first thing you see as you funnel into the narrow walkways is the donkey station. For many years donkeys have provided one way to ascend the steep path to the Acropolis. For those who don't relish the idea of climbing the stepped path out of the town donkeys provide a unique way to make the trip. The cost is 5 euros for the 10 minute ride. As you can imagine the pack animals make the journey several times a day so need some encouragement from their handler on the way up. Coming down it's different as the donkeys know that food and water await at the bottom. So, it's advisable to use the donkeys to go up as if you use them coming down you may well find yourself bouncing around in a helter-skelter journey down the hill. This gets even more hair-raising as you reach the narrow streets given the donkeys can start to smell the waiting food. It's safer to take a casual walk back down the hill.

If you decide to walk up from the town you pass the local lace makers displaying their goods draped over the rocks on the side of the path. They are keen to show their fine work and appreciate it if you spend a few moments casting an eye over the finery.

"Acropolis Athena Lindia"

When you reach the Acropolis you have more steps to climb after paying the 6 euro entrance fee. As you turn to climb the main staircase your eye is caught by a relief carved in the rock (180 - 170 BC) showing an early Rhodian ship.

Dating back to the 9th Century BC the Acropolis has seen many changes over the centuries. One of the most interesting periods was arguably when the Knights of St John used it as a fortress in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Restoration work has been going on intermittently since the 1930's. Some poor decisions made at this time and subsequently meant that some of the restoration materials used created more problems than they solved. Today work has restarted on re-instating some of the important columns and facades using local materials and modern methods.

Coming back down the hill you once again join the throngs of visitors in the narrow streets. The shopkeepers have narrowed the streets further by displaying their goods outside their shops. Much of the goods on sale can be found in any typical tourist destination. To buy something that has a local relevance you could consider lace or ceramics. Gold is also another popular buy.

Having walked up and down the hill, perhaps detoured to the beach to dip your toes in the water you'll be ready for a break. The Spa bar is ideally placed just near the main town square. There are two or three outside tables but if the weather is hot step inside for an air-conditioned haven. The place is not big, there are a few stools lined up by the bar and a couple of small tables to sit at. Yet, there is a welcoming atmosphere with good choices of local beers, spirits, soft drinks and coffee. The stone floors and roughly plastered walls add to the feeling of originality with subdued lighting and light rock music giving it a contemporary feel.