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Ninety seconds on Acropolis of Lindos
From 1 November 2026 the acropolis opens Wednesday to Monday from 8.30am to 3.30pm. From 1 April it opens daily from 8am to 8pm, and the close moves earlier in steps from 1 September, reaching 6pm in the second half of October.
Lindos is about 40 km south of Rhodes town, roughly an hour by car or an hour and 20 minutes on the KTEL Rodou bus from Bus Station 1 at Mandraki. The timetable posted online covers the summer season only, so check winter times at the station.
The historic centre of Lindos is traffic-calmed, so drivers leave the car in the car parks on the main road above the village and walk down.
Yes. Entry is free on 6 March, 18 April and 18 May, and on the last weekend of September for the European Heritage Days. On every other day the site is ticketed.
On a 116-metre rock above the sea, the Doric columns of Athena's temple stand inside a knights' castle. From the top you see the two natural harbours around the rock.
A relief of a Rhodian trireme, a warship, is cut into the rock at the base of the steps to the acropolis. A statue of the general Hagesander once stood on its bow.
Above it, a broad staircase climbs to the long Hellenistic stoa and the propylaea, the gateway of the sanctuary. The stoa ran 87 metres and carried 42 columns.
On the summit stands the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia. Inside, look for the table of offerings and the base of Athena's cult statue.
The castle of the Knights of St John wraps the top of the rock, its walls and towers following the line of the cliff. Two towers survive, one at the southwest corner and one on the west side.
The Italian restoration of 1912 to 1945 rebuilt the staircase, re-erected many of the colonnade's columns and covered large surfaces in concrete.
Walk up from Lindos village through the white lanes, on the path used historically. The lanes give way to a series of steps and terraces that climb to the site entrance.
Stop at the carved ship before the final climb. The broad staircase above it leads to the gateway, a wall with five door openings, and through it to the temple on the summit.
On top, walk round the edge of the rock for the views along the coastline. Then walk back down to the village.
Wear shoes with a firm grip on the sole; sandals with good soles are enough. Watch your step on the way up, because the path is littered with dung.
Carry your own water and a hat on a hot day, even though water is on sale.
Below the temple, on the southwest side of the hill, the ancient theatre has seats for about 1,800 spectators cut into the slope.
Explore the rest of Lindos
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