Kos

Ships dock in Kos Town beside the impressive Castle of the Knights, only 200 m. from the pleasant centre. The terminal mainly serves ferries from Turkey and the Greek islands and includes an indoor/outdoor café.

Carry the printable map for reference.

Kos combines exceptional scenery with golden sandy beaches and monuments from its distinguished past. These qualities make it an ideal holiday destination among the Greek Islands and internationally, with far more to offer than sea and sunshine.

Beyond its imposing Castle and the charm of its old town, Kos impresses first-time visitors with numerous archaeological remains scattered throughout the settlement itself.

At the entrance to Kos harbour, the castle of the Knights of the Order of Saint John occupies what was an island in antiquity. It connects inland by a surviving bridge on "Phoinikon" (Palm Trees) Avenue. Two defensive enclosures form the castle. Four round corner towers protect the inner one, while the south-eastern tower belongs to the larger outer precinct, which has four massive corner bastions, battlements and gun ports. A broad moat separates the two sections, linked by a drawbridge.

Hippocrates Tree stands beside the castle entrance. In ancient Greek times, the physician Hippocrates is said to have taught students beneath its shade. The route into town passes the poorly marked but unmistakable tree.

Asclepion, or Asklepeio, lies 4 km west of Kos and is the island's most important archaeological site. Excavation began in 1902. Set among cypress trees, it functioned in antiquity as a sanatorium dedicated to Aesculapius, Apollo's son and guardian of health and medicine. Significant figures taught and worked here, including Hippokrates, the father of Medicine.

Kos is a windsurfing paradise with some of the Mediterranean's finest beaches. Visitors specifically seeking sandy shores have come to the right island.

Kos Archaeological Museum stands on Eleftherios Square in the heart of Kos Town and holds exhibits chiefly from archaic, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Ferry agents and travel offices crowd Kos Town harbour, selling scheduled journeys, boat trips and excursions. Daily boats to Bodrum in Turkey take 45mins, leave around 0830 and return at 1600; compare offers at the local port. Excursion vessels also visit island beaches and outlying islets including Pserimos, Plati, Nisyros and Giali.

A small tourist train runs Tuesday to Sunday, hourly from 9 AM until 6 PM, to the Asclepion. Its stop is on the waterfront.

Kos is predominantly flat and ideal for bicycle hire. It is also among the few islands, perhaps the only one, with dedicated cycle lanes across much of its area.

Asklepion stands 3.5 km west of Kos among wooded foothills. This impressive classical-era hospital occupies three enormous terraces connected by stone stairs. Patient wards filled the upper and lower levels, while temples occupied the middle terrace.

Numerous cafés and restaurants provide generally good Greek hospitality and suit a leisurely lunch.

The currency is the euro.

Greek is spoken.

Public Services open Monday to Friday from 8.00am – 2.00pm. Retail Stores & Specialty Shops trade Monday to Friday from 9am – 1.30pm and again from 5pm – 9pm, with Saturday hours of 9am – 2pm. Supermarkets open Monday to Friday from 9am – 9pm and Saturdays from 9am – 6pm. Most Tourist Shops and Convenience Stores have no official schedule and usually remain open from dawn until well after midnight in summer.