Article Feraklos Castle

The road to the ruins is only 15 minutes by car from the city of Lindos. Even from a distance, the rocky massif is clearly visible, on top of which you will find the remains of the castle. I would recommend wearing reasonable shoes for the ascent, after all, jumping on rocks in flip flops is not the best idea.

Before you start climbing up to the top, walk through a shorter tunnel under the rock. It is a hollowed-out circuit of a few tens of meters, which will be a good fight for you and the children. And a small light, for example from a mobile phone, is enough to have a good view.

After a few minutes of climbing, you will have a wonderful view of the distant surroundings. Just below you is the town of Charaki, and further south on the horizon is the town of Lindos.

In the bay below the ruins, the white houses of the port city of Charaki glisten in the western sun. In the 14th century, the fortress was used to guard the anchorages of the towns of Charaki and nearby Agia Agathi.

The fortress was originally built in the Byzantine era. In 1306 it was seized by the knights and was their first possession on the island that became their base. It was in ruins by 1408, and under the Grand Masters Giovanni Battista Orsini (1467–76) and Pierre d'Aubusson (1476–1503) it was repaired as a fortress to protect the area.

The fortress has an irregular polygonal plan with a wall perimeter of 680 m covering an area of 1,700 m2. The northern and western parts date from the Byzantine period, but the rest are additions or modifications made by the Hospitallers. A single gate and two cylindrical towers have been preserved in the southern part of the walls, and a cistern in the interior.

The view of the bay on the other side to the north of the fort and the towering rocks behind it is also worth exploring. With the last rays, we descend under the rock to the parked car. The excursion is for an hour, but the experience is great.