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Lindos swarms with tourists in the summer months, all thronging to see this most picturesque of Rhodian villages. Lindos is set into a hillside and is flanked by several wonderful beaches, three harbours, the sublimely lovely St Paul’s Bay to its south, and the awe-inspiring Acropolis and Knights’ castle atop of the 105 m. (350 ft) high crag that looks over the village and is visible for miles around. The alleyways teem with shops offering porcelain, woven rugs, leather, jewellery, pottery, lace, and paintings, their sun blinds forming a canopy over the alleys that keeps the searing summer sun out, but has the effect of creating the largest sauna in the world.

Lindos is famed for its marvellous Captains’ Houses, built by wealthy seafarers whose amassed fortunes facilitated the construction of these unusually decorated domiciles, some preserved as they were, some now bars or private dwellings. Hokhlaki floors are ubiquitous here, and the best examples are to be found on the front steps of the Captains’ Houses, as well as on the interiors.

Many of the restaurants are perched upon 3- or 4-storey balconies, offering superb views of the azure Aegean and the constant comings-and-goings within Lindos’ main harbour.

Ancient archways are still to be seen, although many have now been covered or integrated into more recent developments. There are influences here of Venetian, Roman, Byzantine, Moorish, Saracen, and Ottoman occupation, all of which serve to give Lindos its distinctive flavour and atmosphere. There are several ornate churches in the village, most open to the visitor.

Stop awhile at one of the dozens of tavernas and bars that line the alleyways, all offering decent food at keen prices, and whilst waiting for the bus to take you back to your resort, relax in the shade beneath the huge olive tree that is centre-stage in the village square.

Quick Tips:

• Lindos is very, very busy during the summer months due to its reputation of being the island’s second-most-visited location behind Rhodes Old Town. We found it best to visit after 3pm, when the majority of the tour coaches had departed from the village.
• As with anywhere on Rhodes, it is very hot, and this is exacerbated by the shops’ blinds that cover the alleyways. We certainly found prices to be a bit higher than in some resorts, but not extortionately so.
• The large, flat area besides St Paul’s Bay is often used for open-air concerts, and during our stay, a Pink Floyd tribute band played a stunning set, according to some friends who attended.
• The walk from the main car parks is steep in places, with no real footpath for pedestrians. Taxis race up and down the hill with inches between them and the tourists, so caution is definitely advised.

Best Way To Get Around:
Lindos is situated just off the main east-coast road between the villages of Kalathos and Lardos, with two large car parks adjacent to the village. You can take the lane down into Lindos to the small car park about 100m from the village square, but this fills rapidly. Parking in the square is only for taxis, and a barrier is operated by a whistle-yielding female warden who will turn you away with a blast on her whistle and a dose of vernacular Greek. Buses services run to Lindos from all over the island and are inexpensive and frequent, although not always on time. Taxis will often stop for you if you are walking or awaiting a bus and ask if you want to share with the existing occupants, an unusual way to make friends, that’s for sure.

Lindos itself is traffic free due to the narrowness of the alleys, although this doesn’t deter locals from screaming around on their derelict mopeds and scooters.

Every tour operator offers trips here, but book your trip with an independent travel firm, which will be at least 15% cheaper for the same trip.

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Recently, the Dodecanese Prefecture published a map of free access wi-fi hotspots at various locations around the town center of Rhodes. For more information you may contact wifi@nad.gr (SSID: www.nad.gr – no password required).

Most of the cafes in Rhodes town offer wireless free access. For example all of the Swedco and Finn cafes have open hot spots offering free internet access. You can also search at Free-Hotspot.com although the site doesn’t seem to be very up-to-date.

The Municipality of Rhodes offers free Wi-Fi access in the following locations:

• Aktaion cafeteria, Elevtherias Sq. (Mandraki)
• Palio Syssitio cafeteria, 179, Socratous St. (Medieval Town)
• Information Office of the Municipality of Rhodes, 3, Averof St.

Also the Municipality of Kalithea is offering free wireless internet access in Psinthos and Koskinou. In the center of Faliraki a subscription service, RodosDigital WiFi, covers a large area that includes the Bar Str. and the main beach.

According to an announcement free Wi-Fi access will be soon available at Diagoras International Airport.

If you have further information about Wi-Fi access in Rhodes, please post it through your comments.

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• The Kresten Royal Villas and Spa, located on a hillside near Kallithea will feature a total of 203 rooms, including villa suites with private swimming pools and double rooms with Jacuzzis and balconies offering views of the Aegean Sea.
• La Marquise, is also a five-star complex located on the outskirts of Rhodes, near Faliraki, boasting 386 rooms in nine different themes. The property will also have an environmental angle, with energy-saving lights and the use of technology to reduce chlorination in the swimming pools among the eco-friendly measures being put into place.
• The third is the five-star Aquagrand hotel that will be opened on the beachfront in Navarone Bay, at about 1.5km from the village of Lindos. Visitors will be accommodated in 87 guest rooms, 48 suites and a maisonette, each of which will have modern facilities including LCD televisions and internet access.

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Or How to organize your Greece wedding…

The reasons to choose to marry abroad can be varied: a wish to make something really memorable and romantic, desire to avoid family conflicts and even to cut costs, convenience, trend. Usually the couples that make this choice share a more informal approach to the ceremony and care less about wedding gowns and big receptions. Admittedly, organizing a wedding abroad may not sound romantic to you at all. In fact mixing travel with a wedding might sound like a stressful experience. However, if you are careful to plan ahead, a romantic wedding can be a hassle free alternative.

Greece is not only rich in archeological heritage, but also in traditions. Grecian weddings are among those rich cultural traits.

While planning a wedding ceremony away from home, the first thing to keep in mind is the kind of help you may require and the amount you may have to spend on it. Factors arising due to travel may considerably alter the budget you may have planned for your ceremony. You can start by contacting a professional. There is a large number of wedding planners operating in Greece and, in particular, in Rhodes. They can help you to decide the course of events that a Greek wedding requires. In some cases there is only the need of some paper work to be done and a couple of bouquets to be arranged for the bride and groom. In other cases though, there may be a considerable amount of decisions to be made as greek wedding ceremonies require a lot of detailing, depending on how far one had made their mind to follow the rich traditional route.

It is for you to decide how traditional and lavish or not the ceremony will be. The place of the actual wedding can be a place of worship, like one of the beautiful small Greek chapels, a private villa, on a cruise liner or a resort by the sea. Decisions such as the nature of reception after the wedding ceremony involving buffet, sit-down meal, Greek or non-Greek cuisines etc., should be made well in advance. Depending on the budget and activities, one could plan to stay afloat anything from 2-3 days to an entire week. Of course, this should take the legal aspect and the required paper work into consideration too, as it would additionally require your time and attention.

Beach wedding in a hot mid summer day requires also proper planning. Some prefer to marry in a hotel or other shaded area and then have the reception ceremony on the beach. Others decide to wed in the early evening, when the heat and the sun has died a bit. You could decide to stay at private villas, self-catering apartments or sea resorts depending on your personal taste. You should also decide in advance regarding which activities your guests may prefer to be part of. This may include the activities like cruise journey, sightseeing, swimming, snorkeling, spa, golf and hiking.

Like any other wedding, your wedding in Rhodes does also demand for wedding robes, the mode of transportation, a very clear thought on how far the guests’ expense may have to be born by you – some guests may prefer to have their own ideas, but you could not choose to overlook maximum possible expenditure.

The average cost of a wedding in the UK today is around 14.000 euros. Compared to a Greek wedding ceremony of an average cost around 800 – 1.000 euros which usually includes fees for the registrar, marriage license and certificate, a wedding cake with stand and a bouquet and buttonhole for the groom. Obviously the cost of the honeymoon is not included. Weddings in Greece are legal for couples coming from Europe, US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and most other countries. The paperwork depends from where you come from, but it has become much easier that it once was.

UK residents wishing to marry in Greece may choose between Civil or Religious Ceremony. The basic documentation required includes:

• An original birth certificate.
• A consular registration certificate.
• A recent (non older than 2 months) Certificate of No-Impediment (two copies), obtained from the Superintendent Registrar. Bear in mind that it might take a month to issue this certificate.
• Decree Absolute (the final divorce paper where applicable).
• Death Certificate (widow or widower).
• Change of Name Deed (required if you’ve changed your name).
• Adoption certificate (where applicable).

Once again, this is the basic documentation required. There might be cases where further certificates will be requested.

All documents must be legalised by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Legalization Department and then translated to Greek. Further documents will be required for the religious ceremony, also translated to Greek. All translations must be handled by an Official Translator and then legalised. Once collected all the required documentation, it must be forwarded to either the Registry Office or to the priest, at least 4 weeks prior to the ceremony.

After the wedding the couple must declare (in non more than 40 days) the marriage to the local Registry Office in Greece so a Marriage Certificate will be issued (within 3 days). If you have a wedding planner they will send your certificate for translation and then forwarded to you at your postal address (if requested). Alternatively you can translate it by visiting the Consular Authorities and request the document to be forwarded to the General Register Office in the UK where it can be deposited.

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