LINDOS
Area: Rhodes
Country: Greece


Location:
Middle of the E coast, 33 miles S of Rhodes Town; 37 miles S of Rhodes airport. Vliha, where the large hotels are situated, is 2 miles N of the actual village of Lindos.

Telephone code from UK:
30 22440

Position:
Lindos itself clings to a hillside below the local Acropolis and above two bays, Lindos Bay to the N and St Paul's Bay to the S.

Description:
Lindos is the prettiest and most photographed village on the island. Its whitewashed houses perch on the hillside like sugar cubes below the imposing classical ruins of the Acropolis and the medieval walls built by the Knights of St John. The area has been inhabited for around 4000 years and most remains date from classical and medieval times; over the years it has been occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, Turks and Italians. The region declined during the 19th Century and by the 1960s, it was no more than a small community of farmers until tourists started to arrive, attracted by the acropolis. Today, the town is totally committed to tourism. Small family-run shops, bars and restaurants line the central two or three branches of a maze of cobbled streets; the village is pedestrianised and the only means of transport are donkeys (to the Acropolis or to the beach) or motorbikes. The area is classed as a Greek national monument and any development is strictly controlled by the government's Archaeological Services. Vliha is a small resort situated around Vliha Bay. It consists of a few hotels, a restaurant or two, a souvenir shop and a supermarket.

Suitability:
From upmarket clientele in the hotels outside the village to lower budget, family-type holidays around the village; little in the way of luxury in Lindos village itself.

Accommodation:
Most holiday accommodation in the village itself tends to be in older-style houses and is very basic; Lindos is a protected village, so planning permission for new building work is rarely given _ swimming pools are nonexistent and air-conditioning rare. Large hotels on Vliha Bay, on the other hand, do have varied modern facilities and cater for families.

Shopping:
Lindos has a large selection of supermarkets and the usual range of tourist shops. Common items include jewellery, leather sandals and traditional-style ceramics. Vliha has some basic shops near the hotels.

Beach:
Lindos has two beaches, the main one of which, on Lindos Bay, is considered by some to be the best on the island. The other is on St Paul's Bay at the S side of the village; this bay is almost completely encircled by rocks, forming a large natural pool. A range of water sports, loungers and tavernas are available at the main beach. It can be very crowded during the summer months and, as Lindos is completely surrounded by hills, temperatures can be extremely high. Vliha Bay has a sheltered coarse sand beach with umbrellas, sunbeds, water sports and a couple of tavernas.

Entertainments:
Daytime: the beach and the ancient Acropolis. The local church is worth a quick peek for its unusual frescoes. Nightlife: numerous bars, either with music or satellite TV showing English football matches; late-evening shopping.

Eating:
Wide variety of restaurants to suit all tastes, ranging from traditional cuisine to good-quality Italian, Mexican and Chinese. Several fast-food options selling crepes or stuffed filo pastry open until early morning.

Public-transport:
Restricted bus service to Rhodes Town or to S resorts as far as Gennadi (8 miles S) during daylight hours. Even fewer buses at weekends. Difficult to escape after dark unless you use the taxi rank in the main square.

Local-excursions:
Rhodes Island tour (full day), Symi Island (full day), Marmaris (Turkey) (full day), Rhodes Town tour (half-day), Rhodes Town by night (evening), Greek evening (evening), scuba diving (full day), Lazy Day cruise (day).