Lardos is a small inland village on the east coast of Rhodes a few kilometres south of Lindos and fifty-five kilometres from Rhodes Town. It has a transfer time from the airport of between ninety minutes and two hours. Lardos Beach is two kilometres from the village and offers relaxing days on sand and shingle that is washed by the clear blue Mediterranean waters. Evenings are low-key affairs where visitors stroll around the village and dine in traditional tavernas beneath the stars.
If you are looking for a relaxing break in a traditional village with a long stretch of beach, good food and friendly locals, book a Lardos holiday and you will not be disappointed. In Lardos the pace of life is slow and peaceful, where visitors can find a retreat from the hurly-burly of twenty-first century living and recharge their batteries. Lardos is ideally situated for exploring, what is reputed to be the prettiest village on the island, Lindos.
A Lardos holiday appeals to a wide variety of people with the exception of those looking for wild evening entertainment. Families are attracted by the sand and shingle beach that shelves gently into the warm Mediterranean water. Couples enjoy the tranquillity of the village, its friendly community and the many opportunities for sightseeing in the area.
The most popular time to visit Lardos is in the summer although the season does extend from March to November when the temperature range is from twenty to thirty degrees.
Lardos, on the south east coast of Rhodes is ideal for those looking for a quiet relaxing holiday in traditional surroundings. The village lies two kilometres inland from the coast. It is a charming place with an Italian fountain in the middle of the tree lined square which has pavement cafes, where you can sit in the shade watching the locals going about their business. Wander around the older part of the village and visit Agios Taxiarchas, an attractive church with a bell tower surrounded by tall cypress trees.
Holidaymakers have a choice of beaches with Lardos Bay two kilometres from the village and Glystra beach three kilometres away. The long beaches are comprised of sand and shingle and shelve gently into the clearest of waters providing safe bathing for children and less confident swimmers. A range of water sports are available including water skiing, tubing and snorkelling. Tavernas line the beach providing daylong refreshments.
If you should tire of the beach there are local buses to neighbouring resorts including Lindos and Rhodes Town. Lindos professes to be the prettiest village on Rhodes and most of its visitors will agree with this claim. The bay on which Lindos lies is surrounded by hills and the white houses of the village appear to rise out of the sea reaching up to the ruins of the Acropolis on the top of the hill. The views from here are quite spectacular. The old town itself is a warren of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways with many delightful shops and pavement cafes. There are also excursions to the ancient ruins and old monasteries scattered around the island.
Lardos nightlife is very quiet with a few bars and tavernas which at times provide entertainment such as traditional music and dance. Hotels offer karaoke nights and discos. Neighbouring Lindos has a greater variety of venues but, even so, it is not a town that parties into the night.
Lardos shopping provides for holiday essentials as well as gifts and souvenirs. Neighbouring Lindos has a good variety of craft and souvenir shops selling the usual items of ceramics, leather goods and jewellery. It also has a plentiful supply of supermarkets. Handmade rugs are popular in the area.
Lardos has a limited number of restaurants and tavernas serving a variety of food that caters for most tastes. Situated on a small island, fish plays an important part in the diet and small fried fish, shellfish and kalimari are firm favourites. Lamb and chicken are used most commonly in meat dishes. Local wines are very pleasant and good value. Fast food stalls such as Souvlatzidiki sell takeaway souvlakis, a type of kebab. For a more substantial snack these are sometimes wrapped in pita bread and called gyros.
Eating in Rhodes is meant to be an unhurried pleasure, so please don’t mistake the relaxed attitude of waiters for tardy service.
