Greece
Lindos
Sugar-cube houses cascade to a bay where an acropolis older than the Parthenon crowns the headland.
Sugar-cube houses cascade down the headland to the bay, and above them all the acropolis crowns the summit — columns and propylon framed against blue sky, older than the Parthenon. Donkeys carry visitors up the stone path, and the view from the top takes in two bays and the open Aegean stretching to the Turkish coast.
The Acropolis of Lindos dates to the 4th century BC, with the propylon and Temple of Athena Lindia surviving on a 116-metre headland above the village. The sea captains' mansions below, built in the 17th century, feature painted internal courtyards in a style unique to Lindos — several now operate as guesthouses. No motorised vehicles are permitted in the village centre, and donkeys carry luggage up the same stone path used for 2,500 years. St Paul's Bay, where the apostle is said to have sheltered during a storm, curves below the acropolis.
Couple
Rooftop dining beneath the acropolis at night, the donkey path up to the temple at dawn, and swimming at St Paul's Bay with the ruins above.
Family
The donkey ride to the acropolis delights children, St Paul's Bay is sheltered and shallow, and the car-free village is safe for wandering.
Friends
The acropolis at sunset with cold beers, the beach at Tsambika a short drive south, and rooftop cocktails with the floodlit temple above.
- The Acropolis of Lindos, built on a 116-metre headland, dates to the 4th century BC — the propylon and Temple of Athena Lindia survive intact.
- The village's sea captains' mansions (17th century) have painted internal courtyards in a style unique to Lindos — several are open as guesthouses.
- No motorised vehicles are permitted in the village centre — donkeys carry luggage up to the acropolis along the same stone path used for 2,500 years.
- The bay below is said to be where the apostle Paul sheltered during a storm — a small church marks the supposed landing point.
Rooftop dining beneath the acropolis, grilled octopus and cold Rhodian wine as the bay darkens.
Local orange-blossom honey drizzled over thick yoghurt in a courtyard shaded by bougainvillea.
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