Lindos Acropolis

Lindos was the most important of the three ancient cities of Rhodes, and its sanctuary sits on a headland rock with the sea on three sides. The climb ends at a monumental staircase and a Hellenistic stoa whose re-erected columns frame the sky, and above that the small temple of Athena Lindia on the very edge of the drop. The Knights of Saint John later built their own walls and a governor's residence around the ancient remains, so medieval curtain wall and Doric column stand within a few metres of each other. At the foot of the approach a warship is carved into the living rock. Below, whitewashed lanes and two bays.

What you actually see

• The Doric stoa - re-erected columns across the upper terrace, the site's defining view.
• The temple of Athena Lindia - a compact sanctuary right on the cliff edge above the sea.
• The Knights' walls - medieval fortification wrapped around the ancient terraces.
• The rock-cut ship relief - a Hellenistic carving of a warship's stern beside the stairway.

When to go

May, June, September and early October are the workable months. In July and August the rock is brutal by ten in the morning and the village lanes below are shoulder to shoulder. First entry of the day or the last two hours before closing are the only calm windows in season. The site closes earlier in winter and some village services shut entirely.

Honest expectations

The climb is steep, stepped and unshaded, and much of what stands is twentieth-century re-erection rather than survival. Cruise groups arrive in blocks and the upper terrace can be hard to move on. Donkeys are offered for the ascent and their condition puts many visitors off. Lindos village itself is now largely souvenir shops and rental terraces, and parking is a long way out.

Nearby

Saint Paul's Bay is a short walk below, and the coast road continues south to quieter beaches.