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Things to do in Lindos, Rhodes

I’m just going to get it out there - Lindos is probably the prettiest place that I have ever visited. It has ‘living in a postcard’ levels of pretty!

Sally

October 17, 2021

Things to do in Lindos, Rhodes

If you love the look of the white isle, Ibiza, and you want a family friendly vibe, then you should definitely consider Lindos.

The white winding streets, with brightly painted doorways festooned with pink bougainvillea. The narrow, cobbled pathways leading up the hillside to an imposing medieval castle that was built to surround the crumbling, archaic acropolis. When you're looking for things to do in Lindos, taking in the scenery is going to be first on the list.

At every turn there is beauty and history, begging to be photographed.

The Lowdown

Where We Stayed
Lindos Horizons, a small, family run group of apartments on the hillside just outside of the main village – with the most amazing view over Lindos to the acropolis and out to sea.

The Kids Favourite
Tsambika beach – a long, wide stretch of golden sand, with not just one, but two inflatable play parks. As far as the kids are concerned, this is one of the best things to do in Lindos although strictly speaking it's a few miles up the coast.

The Family Favourite
A day trip to Rhodes Town. A walled city, Rhodes, is a labyrinth of shops, bars and boutique style hotels.

Don’t Miss
Walking up to the acropolis. It’s a slog in the heat and it’s not particularly accessible, but if you can make it up there, the views are amazing. Not to mention being able to follow in the footsteps of people more than 2000 years ago as you walk around the ruin. Those with young children should take extra care – there are many steep drops with no barriers.

Insider Info
If you are buying gifts in Lindos village, shop in the streets that are past the steps up to the acropolis – prices are higher on the main route where all the day trippers are. The beach bars and shops on Pallas Beach, are slightly cheaper too.

Friendly welcome

To cut a long story short, we hadn’t meant to be holidaying in Rhodes this summer. We had another holiday booked but our destination remained on the red list, so when my husband spotted a last-minute bargain we thought ‘why not’?

I’m so glad we did.

From the moment we arrived on the island we were made welcome. The Greek people seemed as excited about the return of tourists as we were excited to be there. Stavros and his family at the Lindos Horizons apartments were incredibly friendly and it was a perfect base for our family holiday.

Lindos village is nestled in a bay on the east of the island and it has two beautiful golden beaches with calm blue waters, perfect for swimming and paddling. The first time you walk through the village looking for something to eat, it’s such a strange sensation. The streets are bustling, the shops are busy and you can hear the clinking of knives and forks and the buzz that you associate with being in a restaurant, but when you peer through the restaurant doorways, all the tables are empty!

That, lovely reader, is because everyone is up on the roof!

Dining in Lindos is mostly on rooftop terraces, which is a great way to try and stay cool in the evenings, but best of all you have the most amazing views of the village, the floodlit acropolis and the twinkling yachts in the bay.

As you’d expect, the seafood in Lindos is amazing (so I’m told!) and there’s a wide variety of restaurants. Vegetarians will find plenty of options, for vegans it’s a bit harder, but it’s worth remembering that the Greek dish of Briam (a sort of layered ratatouille) is widely available and traditionally vegan.

Fabulous food

We found two restaurants in particular that we really loved, and that seemed to have something for everyone in our party of six.
Mythos Restaurant is long established in Lindos and they have prime position, their entrance is just off the main square. I’d recommend this beautiful spot if you’re travelling as a family or large group, they have plenty of big tables and lots of space. Alongside the traditional menu, they have a wood fired oven for pizza, so there is something for everyone. They are more than happy to adjust the dish to suit your picky eaters too. Perfect.

My particular favourite was ‘Burger Lab’ - I know the name doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of a tranquil Greek fishing village, but don’t let that put you off! The food here is amazing and the staff are so friendly. It’s not traditional Greek food, no, but the kids loved it and I was happy as there were two vegan options – gluten free options too. The terrace is right next to the byzantine church tower so as you’d expect, the views are spectacular. I really recommend trying it out.

Exploring the island

As well as having plenty of things to do in Lindos, the village makes a great base from which to explore the island. We hired a car from Lindos Rentacar for our adventures (if car hire isn’t your thing, there are plenty of buses so it’s still easy to get around). A short journey from Lindos is Pefkos, which isn’t as picturesque, but it does have more of a ‘strip’, if nightlife is what you’re looking for. The beach there is beautiful, and the harbour is worth a visit too.

Rhodes Town is a must-see destination about an hour’s drive from Lindos, but well worth it. It’s a walled city, and it looks similar to the Tower of London, but larger and still inhabited, it’s the thriving capital of the island. The walls somehow keep it a bit cooler and the little market squares are lovely places to have a drink watch the world go by. My youngest was really entertained by the public loos in Rhodes Town, they are fully automated and pipe music out to tempt you in, he thought this was absolutely hilarious!

The kids loved Tsampika beach, about 30 minutes north of Lindos. It has two huge inflatable play parks and a long golden beach with plenty of parking, loungers and parasols for rental and lots of beach side tavernas, a great destination for a day out. On the road down to the beach there are a couple of tavernas with sun dappled children’s play areas, they looked great for families with younger children.

As a special treat for my daughter’s birthday we decided to explore the islands coastline by boat, hired from Lindos speed boat rental. In my opinion, this is one of the best things to do in Lindos, it's so much fun. We had an amazing time, the turquoise sea in Navarone Bay is quite spectacular and there are so many beautiful beaches to moor at and have a dip in the crystal waters all along the coast. A word of caution on boat hire, health & safety was a bit lax, we were offered no life preservers, and we got caught out by drifting when the anchor wasn’t long enough, even close to shore, so make sure you’re strong swimmers & leave someone aboard if you’re at all unsure whether you are anchored properly.

We returned from the boat trip to a beautiful candlelit table on the beach at The Pallas Taverna, much recommended if you have a special occasion, or date night. Special mention goes to Gelo Blu for the amazing birthday cake, she loved it so much she went back to the shop a couple of times in the holiday to buy a slice. If you’re in need of a sweet treat in Lindos you’ll find them in the heart of the village.

We made so many happy memories on our 2 week family holiday in Lindos, Rhodes, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it as a wonderful destination for your summer getaway.

If you're still considering European destinations, you might also enjoy my review of our amazing 2 centre family holiday in Croatia.
Thanks for reading,
Sally x