Kos, Dodecanese Islands

In brief
Very popular with Scandinavians, Kos Island is rich in archaeology including Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian sites. Many of the beaches can be quite crowded just as they are in other popular islands, but not everyone comes to Greece to be alone…despite the amount of tourists in the summer you can still get away and enjoy private moments by the sea. The interior of the island is still undeveloped, fertile and agricultural and best of all, largely flat so that riding bicycles (and of course motorbikes) is a fun way to get around.

General Information
Kos is the island that gave the world Hippocrates, the father of medicine. The third largest of the Dodecanese, it is long and narrow in shape, mostly flat with two low mountains, Dikaio (875 m.) and Simpatro that run along its southern coast.
It lies south of Kalymnos and was first inhabited in the Neolithic era. In 700 BC, it joined together with Lindos, Kameiros, Ialyssos, Knidos and Halikarnassos to found the Dorian Hexapolis.
In the 4th century B.C., Asklepieion became famous as the leading “hospital” of antiquity.

The capital, Kos, is situated in a verdant district on the northeast of the island, at the back of an open bay. Around the port you can still see the ruins of the ancient city and the castle, built between 1450 and 1478 after the Knights of St. John took over the island.
Excavations in the ancient city brought to light building foundations of the Classical era (e.g. the Agora) and of Hellenistic and Roman times (the Gymnasium, Odeon, Roman baths, a Roman mansion with beautiful mosaics), sections of wall from the Classical period, the foundations of a temple of Aphrodite and another temple, probably dedicated to Heracles.

The rest of the town is modern and well laid out, with contemporary buildings, hotels and avenues lined with palm trees. In a lush area 4 kilometres west of town, you’ll find the Asklepieion (Asklipiio) or Sanctuary of Asklepios. Its buildings, owing to the slope of the site, stand on four different terraces united by a marble staircase. The view from the highest one is stunning.
The most important structure is the temple of Asklepios, a Doric peripteral temple erected in the 2nd century BC. Other buildings include the Stoa (Colonnade), which housed Hippocrates’ medical school and the Bomos or Great Altar (3rd century BC), which was decorated with sculptures attributed to the son of Praxiteles.

During your visit to Kos, it would be well worth your while to visit the pretty villages, which are scattered round the island. Among them are Asfendiou, 14 kilometres southwest of town, built on the slopes of Mt. Dikaio overlooking the sea; Pili, further south, with its ruined Byzantine castle and the Ypapanti church within it; Andimahia, perched on a plateau in the middle of the island; Thermes, with its hot springs and spa and Kardamena, a seaside resort, both on the east coast; Tingaki (near the airport), Marmari, and Mastihari, Kos’s second harbour, on the north coast; and finally Kefalos on the southwest coast with its splendid beach. The ruins of the ancient town of Astypalaia can be seen at the district known as Palatia nearby.
You’ll find wonderful beaches all over the island. You can reach the closer ones by bicycle, a popular means of getting around on Kos.

Sightseeing 
Starting with the capital, Kos, there is an interesting archaeological museum, the Kastro from the 13th century, where the knights of St. John had a stronghold, the plane of Hippocrates where he supposedly taught and read, as well as the Mosque of Gazi Hassan Pasha from 1786.
There is also an archaeological excavation area here where ruins from the ancient agora have been found. Houses, temples, baths and mosaics from different eras have been found here as well as the statue of Hippocrates. You can visit the Roman Villa, Casa Romana, which is a replica of an ancient Roman house open for visitors.

Asclepion is a must for those interested in ancient history. Here, the great temple of the god of medicine lays, and it dates back to the 4th century BC, but might be even older than that.

Kos has many small villages worth visiting, and it is a good idea to rent a vehicle and explore them on your own. Palio Pylio is a deserted village from Medieval times, where there are many interesting little churches and a kastro. In Asfendiou there are very old churches and the Kastro of the Knights of St. John. Kefalos used to be the capital, Astypalea, in ancient times, and there are excavations going on here. Kardamena has a Byzantine church dedicated to Agios Theodotas, in Antimachia there is a Venetian castle, Zia is built like an amphitheatre with many little churches and shops.
You get the best sunsets on the southern peninsula Moni Agiou Theologou.

Beaches
Kos has a lot of swimming options all around the island and can satisfy all kinds of swimmers.
Well known, organized beaches with extensive facilities such as Psalidi & Lambi just outside the town of Kos, Thermes beach with volcanic pebbles & hot seawater due to the nearby mineral water springs and Agios Focas at the northern side just before Thermes.
At the northwest side of Kos, there are well known sandy beaches such as Mastihari, Marmari and Tigaki.
At the southern coast of Kos, near Kefalos village there are many beaches, most of them long and sandy such as Limnionas, Agios Theologos, Kamari, Kefalos, Agios Stefanos, Kamila, Paradise, Magic beach (Polemi), Chryssi akti (Golden Coast) and Kardamena.

Useful Information
How to get there
By air from Athens 

Olympic Airways: +30 2103550500
By sea from Piraeus
Piraeus Port Authority: +30 2104226000-4, +30 2104114005

Useful telephone numbers
Area Code: +30 22420
Municipal Office: 23226, 28223 

Police: 28211

Port Authority: 26594-5 

Olympic Airways: 28331-2 (tickets), 51590 (airport)
Health Center: 23423, 28050

http://www.kosisland.gr