Lindos & Seven Springs Guided Tour with Hotel Pickup Rhodes

Seven Springs (Epta Piges) valley

Seven Springs, Epta Piges in Greek, lies in the green hills inland from Kolymbia on the east coast of Rhodes, about half an hour from the main resorts. Here several natural springs rise among pine and plane trees and join to form a clear stream that runs through the valley in little channels and over small cascades. Wooden bridges, stone paths and a shaded café make it one of the coolest places on the island in the heat of summer, and peacocks, ducks and geese roam freely between the tables.

Your guide leads you through the valley for about 75 minutes, explaining how the springs were used to irrigate the fertile plain below and pointing out the best spots for photos. It is an easy, mostly flat walk on earth paths, a refreshing contrast to the beaches and the sunny stone lanes of Lindos later in the day.

The Seven Springs tunnel and lake

The adventure here is the tunnel. Built in 1931 by the Italian administration to carry the spring water to the farms of Kolymbia, it runs for 186 metres straight through the hill, so narrow that two people can barely pass and so low in places that tall visitors stoop. You walk in the dark through ankle-deep, very cold water, and the exit opens onto a peaceful little lake held back by a small dam, with a waterfall spilling down the far side.

The tunnel walk takes only a few minutes and is optional: if you prefer to stay dry, a path over the top of the hill reaches the same lake. Water shoes are strongly recommended because the floor is slippery, and a phone torch helps. Children usually love it, though anyone uneasy in dark, enclosed spaces should take the hill path instead.

Lindos village

Lindos is the most famous village on Rhodes, a cascade of whitewashed houses spilling down a hillside between its Acropolis and the sea, about 50 kilometres south of Rhodes Town. Walking through its car-free lanes, you pass the grand captains' mansions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with carved stone doorways and courtyards paved in black-and-white pebble mosaics, and the Church of the Virgin Mary, whose interior is covered with frescoes.

Your guide gives you an introduction to the village before the free time begins. In total you have about three and a half hours, which is enough for a Lindos day trip from Rhodes to feel complete: shops selling ceramics and lace line the lanes, and rooftop tavernas look straight up at the Acropolis. The lanes are steep and polished, so wear shoes with good grip.

The Acropolis of Lindos

High above the village, on a rock rising sheer from the sea, stands the Acropolis of Lindos, one of the most impressive ancient sites in Greece. At the top are the Doric Temple of Athena Lindia from the fourth century BC, a long Hellenistic stoa with a grand stairway and, wrapped around them, the walls of the castle built by the Knights of St John. At the foot of the steps, a ship's stern carved into the rock in the second century BC is one of the site's most photographed details.

The climb from the village takes about 15 to 20 minutes on steps with little shade, so go early in your free time and carry water. Lindos Acropolis tickets are bought at the entrance and are not included; reduced or free entry applies to some age groups with ID. Lindos Acropolis opening hours change with the season, longer in summer and shorter in winter, and your guide will advise on the day.

Lindos beaches, St Paul's Bay and the viewpoint

Below the village lies the main Lindos beach, a sweep of sand with clear, shallow water that is perfect for a swim after the Acropolis. On the other side of the rock is St Paul's Bay, an almost enclosed lagoon of turquoise water where, according to tradition, the apostle landed during his voyage to Rome; a small white chapel stands on its shore. If you plan to swim, bring swimwear and a towel.

On the way back, the coach pauses for about 10 minutes at the Lindos viewpoint, where the whole scene comes together: the white village, the Acropolis on its rock and the two bays on either side. It is the classic photograph of Rhodes, and the best time to visit Lindos for light and fewer crowds is late spring or early autumn.