Lindos
Rhodes was a perfect island for us because it provided a great spot for gorgeous day trips to Turkey, neighboring towns and nearby islands. Our first day trip from Rhodes Town was to nearby Lindos.
Ideally, this charming resort town is located approximately 1.5 hours from Rhodes Town by local bus however, if you decide to take the early afternoon bus, as we mistakenly did, it takes an additional hour to pick up kids leaving school for the day, turning the bus into a loud, sardine packed "school bus." Finally arriving in Lindos much later than anticipated, we quickly set forth to hike to the top of the Acropolis before closing at 3pm (every tourist attraction in Greece closes at 2:30 or 3 pm). Located above the modern town, the Acropolis is a natural citadel, which has been fortified successfully by Greeks, Byzantines, Ottomans and the Romans.
Out of breath, we finally made it to the top of the Acropolis and took in the magnificent views of the surrounding harbors and coastline. Like so many of our experiences during non-tourist season, we had the place to ourselves.
Similar to most famous Greek ruins, the Acropolis in Lindos was under construction as people constantly work on trying to put the puzzle back together.
We could have taken one of the adorable donkeys up the hill but we decided it would be nice to give their little shouldn't-have-to-carry-more- than-120lbs back a break.
The old town itself is a maze of picturesque narrow streets filled with restaurants (the one we ate at is pictured below) and small shops openly displaying their wares from souvenirs, jewelry, pottery and regional crafts.
Lindos also has clean, beautiful and sandy beaches, which were only being used by those who could brave the cold or by those who have eaten too many gyros (Dead sexy isn't he?).
Symi
One of our main reasons for visiting Rhodes was so we could easily access Turkey and add another country point to our list (this is a huge obsession for us) but being out of season, none of the ferries were running and we had to find a new location.
(The Turkey ferry just sits in port day after day, looking lonely.)
After receiving advice from locals that we should visit the island of Symi, known for having the most beautiful harbor in Greece, we embarked on a new adventure. Pulling into port, we were blown away by the towns magnificent beauty. The architecture, landscape and colors of the buildings immediately reminded us Italy. Prior visits to the towns of Portofino and Cinque Terre with their light yellow, terracotta, greens, and blues danced in our heads. We were amazed to learn Italy had control of island for almost 60 years, which explains the similarities to the Italian Riviera.
We were blessed with perfect weather and we really enjoyed strolling the cobbled streets that surrounded the harbor, visiting the local cafes and perusing the small shops. In short, this place was perfect, and we spent our time enjoying the breathtaking views and just watching the world go by.
Rhodes was a perfect island for us because it provided a great spot for gorgeous day trips to Turkey, neighboring towns and nearby islands. Our first day trip from Rhodes Town was to nearby Lindos.
Ideally, this charming resort town is located approximately 1.5 hours from Rhodes Town by local bus however, if you decide to take the early afternoon bus, as we mistakenly did, it takes an additional hour to pick up kids leaving school for the day, turning the bus into a loud, sardine packed "school bus." Finally arriving in Lindos much later than anticipated, we quickly set forth to hike to the top of the Acropolis before closing at 3pm (every tourist attraction in Greece closes at 2:30 or 3 pm). Located above the modern town, the Acropolis is a natural citadel, which has been fortified successfully by Greeks, Byzantines, Ottomans and the Romans.
Out of breath, we finally made it to the top of the Acropolis and took in the magnificent views of the surrounding harbors and coastline. Like so many of our experiences during non-tourist season, we had the place to ourselves.
Similar to most famous Greek ruins, the Acropolis in Lindos was under construction as people constantly work on trying to put the puzzle back together.
We could have taken one of the adorable donkeys up the hill but we decided it would be nice to give their little shouldn't-have-to-carry-more- than-120lbs back a break.
The old town itself is a maze of picturesque narrow streets filled with restaurants (the one we ate at is pictured below) and small shops openly displaying their wares from souvenirs, jewelry, pottery and regional crafts.
Lindos also has clean, beautiful and sandy beaches, which were only being used by those who could brave the cold or by those who have eaten too many gyros (Dead sexy isn't he?).
Symi
One of our main reasons for visiting Rhodes was so we could easily access Turkey and add another country point to our list (this is a huge obsession for us) but being out of season, none of the ferries were running and we had to find a new location.
(The Turkey ferry just sits in port day after day, looking lonely.)
After receiving advice from locals that we should visit the island of Symi, known for having the most beautiful harbor in Greece, we embarked on a new adventure. Pulling into port, we were blown away by the towns magnificent beauty. The architecture, landscape and colors of the buildings immediately reminded us Italy. Prior visits to the towns of Portofino and Cinque Terre with their light yellow, terracotta, greens, and blues danced in our heads. We were amazed to learn Italy had control of island for almost 60 years, which explains the similarities to the Italian Riviera.
During our visit, preparations for the tourist season were underway and locals were quickly and quietly making repairs from the winter storms and getting ready for the influx of tourists. Boats and houses were getting fresh coats of paint, roads were being repaved and fresh flowers were being planted everywhere.
We were blessed with perfect weather and we really enjoyed strolling the cobbled streets that surrounded the harbor, visiting the local cafes and perusing the small shops. In short, this place was perfect, and we spent our time enjoying the breathtaking views and just watching the world go by.
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