Greece / Rhodes & Kos / RhodesRhodes
A Knights' Medieval Town and Lindos' White Acropolis
The largest Dodecanese island, near the Turkish coast: the walled medieval Old Town of the Knights of St John (UNESCO), with the Palace of the Grand Master and the Street of the Knights, and Lindos, a white village under an ancient acropolis above two bays, 50 km south. Long beaches on the east coast and Anthony Quinn Bay. Flights from Athens take an hour; Blue Star ferries from Piraeus take 15 to 18 hours. Boats to Marmaris in Türkiye (50 minutes; daily in summer, three a week in winter) and to Symi. Indian restaurants in the new town. Resorts close in winter; the town stays open.
Highlights
- Walk the medieval Old Town walls
- Palace of the Grand Master
- Lindos acropolis and St Paul's Bay
- Anthony Quinn Bay swim
- Day trip by boat to Symi
- Ferry to Marmaris in Türkiye
Things to do
- Old Town, Street of the Knights and the Grand Master's PalaceMorning · 3h 30m
- Lindos village and acropolisMorning · 5h
- Day trip by boat to SymiMorning · 9h
- Anthony Quinn Bay and the east-coast beachesAfternoon · 4h
- Old Town walls and the moat walk at duskEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – June, September – October
Heads up
Summer Heat
July and August bring heatwaves of 35-40 °C and more to the mainland and the big islands. See ancient sites at opening time (they have little shade, and can close at midday in extreme heat), rest in the afternoon, carry water, and book rooms with air-conditioning.
Worth knowing
Wildfire Season
From July to September hot, dry winds spread wildfires in Attica, the Peloponnese, Halkidiki and the islands; in 2023 thousands of tourists were evacuated from resorts on Rhodes. Follow the 112 emergency text alerts (sent in English), obey road closures and evacuation orders, never light a fire or barbecue outdoors, and check the fire-risk map before hiking. Travel insurance should cover cancellations.
Worth knowing
Winter: Fast Boats Stop, Many Hotels Close
From November to March the high-speed ferries stop, island-to-island boats run a few times a week, and most resort hotels, beach bars and boat tours close. The towns stay open with some hotels and tavernas, the conventional ferries and the flights from Athens keep running, and storms can still cancel sailings: keep a spare day before a flight home.
Heads up
Boats to Türkiye: Separate Visa, Fewer in Winter
The boats to Bodrum (from Kos) and Marmaris (from Rhodes) cross the Schengen border: carry your passport, a Turkish visa or e-visa if your passport needs one, and for an Indian passport a multiple-entry Schengen visa to come back. From October to May they run a few times a week rather than daily.
- Orthodox Easter (Pascha) — Greece's biggest festival: candlelit Good Friday processions, the midnight Resurrection service on Saturday with fireworks and church bells, and lamb roasts on Sunday. Corfu's is the most famous, with clay pots thrown from balconies on Holy Saturday morning. Greeks travel home, so ferries, flights and hotels fill, and shops, museums and sites close or shorten hours from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Book well ahead.
- Epiphany: the Blessing of the Waters — Priests throw a cross into the sea, a river or the harbour and young men dive to bring it back, at Piraeus, Thessaloniki's seafront and island harbours. A public holiday.
- Dekapentavgoustos (the Assumption) — The feast of the Virgin Mary and the peak of the Greek summer holiday: village festivals (panigiria) with music and food the night before, a great pilgrimage to Paros' Church of a Hundred Doors, and every ferry and island room full in the week around it. Athens empties and many of its shops close.