This summer I booked a trip together with my boyfriend to spend our summer holiday in Greece. We decided to give Kos a try because we had never been there and my sister told me some good stories about the island. I already visited Greece a few times before and I fell in love with the calm surroundings, the warmth, the crystal clear blue water and the delicious food. So making the choice to go to Greece again wasn’t hard to make.
We stayed at the end of June. It was just before the high-season and already warm, but not too warm. You’re still able to do things like hiking or making bike trips without feeling like you’re getting completely overheated. We booked a hotel just outside of Kos-town and close to the beach, in my opinion, a great place to stay because everything you need is nearby and you’re not in the middle of all the tourists. During our stay, there were a view things I would absolutely recommend doing or seeing.
1. Rent a bike and ride around the east side of the island.
Because I’m a dutchie, of course, I couldn’t go without spending some time on a bike. Kos is a bike-friendly island and has many roads that aren’t steep. There are bike-rental companies on every corner of the road and most of the time you can also rent them at your hotel. Cycle through Kos town, down to the beach and all the way up too Tigaki. If you’re feeling sporty then you can even go to the thermal springs by bike. These springs are on many 'what-to-do' list you can find online. In my opinion, they are not worth visiting. The beach was very crowded and I really did not like the smell. Renting a bike definitely is worth it tho :-)
2. Climb to the highest point of the Island.
There is basically one big mountain in the middle of the Island called Dikeos, which is 846 meters high. If you like hiking then it's the perfect mountain to climb in a day. The climb can be a bit difficult at times so make sure you have the right shoes (don't go on your flip-flops like I did) and bring enough water and food with you. We went on a day when it was a bit cloudy. It was the perfect weather because it wasn't too hot but because it wasn't too cloudy we still had a good view when we reached the top.
3. Rent a motorbike
We decided to rent a motorbike instead of a car because the price was much cheaper. When you want to cross the island from east to west it takes about an hour. You'll come across some small towns which are perfect for a coffee or lunch break. In the east part of the island, there are some beautiful beaches you can visit. Agios Stefanos Beach, Limnionas Beach and the beach in Kefalos were the ones we liked the most. When you're at Agios Stefanos beach you can swim to the little island you see in the sea. A part of the Mamma Mia movie was filmed at the little chapel on the island.
4. Visit the mountain villages
If climbing all the way to the top of Dikeos mountain is a bit too much for you, then maybe visiting the mountain villages is more of your thing. You can either go by car or by a motor and if I remember it right there are even buses that take you uphill. Zia, old Pyli, and Asfendiou are definitely worth visiting. Zia can be very busy so either go early or late.
5. Visit the ancient hospital Asklepieion
Asklepieion is an ancient medical center a few kilometers outside of Kos town. The building dates back to the first half of the third century BC and was built to honor the god of health and medicine, Asklepios, after the death of the famous ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates. The physicians of the hospital were also priests and a sanctuary was available for everyone who wanted to pray. Because of several earthquakes, it doesn't look exactly the way it did in the old times but it's still definitely worth a visit. You can see where the old rooms used to be and read a lot about the history of the place.
Overall we had a great time at Kos island. But despite that, I found it a very touristic island. To people spending their first time in Greece, I wouldn't recommend going to Kos for the first time. That's my opinion of course, which is based on the fact that I liked islands like Kefalonia and Zakynthos more. On the other hand, it maybe is a nice place to get a taste of Greece for the first time. You get a good first impression of the food, the culture, and the greek nature. You can see many cats, goats and have a dive in the Mediterranean sea.
Have you ever visited Kos? And how did you like it? Let me know in the comments.
Lots of love,
Marleen.