Greece - Korina Miller [424]
Further up the road is a turn-off to sandy, idyllic Stegna Beach. Another 4km along is a turning for Haraki from where you’ll find a path up to the ruins of the 15th-century Castle of Faraklos. Once a prison for recalcitrant knights and the island’s last stronghold to fall to the Turks, it offers great views. Nearby is the sandy cove of Agathi.
Lindos Λδος
pop 1090
Topped with an impressive acropolis and spilling down into stunning twin bays, Lindos is one of Rhodes’ most picturesque villages. Following the narrow, winding alleyways will lead you through a maze of dazzling white 17th-century houses, once the dwellings of wealthy admirals and many boasting courtyards with hohlakia.
Of course, the loveliness of Lindos has not gone unnoticed and it’s become a bit of a tourist hotspot. Most of the day-trippers congregate between 10am and 4pm; you could visit early in the morning or spend the night to see Lindos au naturel. Even in the bustle of the day, head off from the teeming main thoroughfares lined with tourist shops and cafes, and you’ll find quiet corners of the village to explore.
HISTORY
Lindos is the most famous of the ancient cities of the Dodecanese and was an important Doric settlement because of its excellent vantage point and good harbour. It was first established around 2000 BC and is overlaid with a conglomeration of Byzantine, Frankish and Turkish remains.
After the founding of the city of Rhodes, Lindos declined in commercial significance, but remained an important place of worship. The ubiquitous St Paul landed here en route to Rome. Later, the Byzantine fortress was strengthened by the knights, and also used by the Turks. The 15th-century Church of Agios Ioannis, within the Acropolis, is festooned with 18th-century frescoes.
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
The village is totally pedestrianised. All vehicular traffic terminates on the central square of Plateia Eleftherias, from where the main drag, Acropolis, begins. The donkey terminus for rides up to the Acropolis itself is a little way along here. Turn right at the donkey terminus to reach the post office, after 50m.
* * *
The Captain’s House Korina Miller
During the 17th century, ship captains from Lindos grew increasingly prosperous. Many of them poured their new-found wealth into building lofty homes that towered over the traditional village houses.
I’m standing inside the oldest of these captain’s houses. It was built 400 years ago and is small but very grand. The whitewashed walls stretch upward to a soaring resin ceiling, intricately painted with elaborate, colourful patterns and still scorched in the corner above where the original family cooked. You might be tricked into believing that the captain’s family has just stepped out – except for the rather incongruous flat-screen TV and the stylish sofas and coffee tables. Savvas Kornaros is here doing a little repainting and tells me the story of the building.
‘This house has been in my wife’s family for 150 years. Her great-great grandfather bought it in the 19th century. Her father turned it into a bar 33 years ago, for local people and tourists. He lived here with his family at first, with the bar in the courtyard. But everyone wanted to come inside and see the ceiling and so after a couple of years he moved into the building next door and made the house part of the bar.
The bed is a traditional penga (raised wooden sleeping platform) where the whole family slept. The bed and the