The island Kos with endless beaches

Great historical monuments, unique architecture, picturesque settlements and vast sandy beaches. Kos is an island with many faces worth discovering.

Kos, the third largest island of the Dodecanese and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Greece, easily conquers the hearts of visitors. Here you will encounter important archaeological sites and unique historical sights from different periods, picturesque villages and a long and wonderful coastline that includes beaches for all tastes, from endless golden sands to well-hidden bays. If you choose Kos for vacation, you will definitely not be disappointed.

The island of Hippocrates has many faces – both the touristic and the “easy” but also the one that requires “searching”. Kos is a relatively large island and to enjoy your vacation you will need at least a week. Appetite and time to have for tours and discoveries.

Exploring the town of Kos.

The District building and the castle of Neratzia.

The beautiful town of Kos with the scattered samples of the cultures that passed through the island will take you back in time. Ancient buildings, Italianate buildings, mosques and Ottoman fountains coexist harmoniously in an outdoor “open” museum. The island alleys, the palm trees, the marina with the yachts, the locals and the tourists with their bikes, complete the cosmopolitan scene.

The Avenue of the Palms is one of the most beautiful spots in the town of Kos

Walk or take a bike ride on Avenue of Phoenix, the emblematic street of the city, in front of the castle of the Knights of John. Nearby is also Freedom Square, which is surrounded by unique buildings, such as the Municipal Market and the Defterdar Mosque. Here the visitor sees monuments that summarize the rich history of the island, while at the same time feeling the modern pulse of the city. The Archaeological Museum, which is housed in a listed building from the time of the Italian occupation, gathers a number of important finds from the Agora, the Conservatory, the Altar of Dionysus and the Roman House (Casa Romana). The entrance to the old town starts from Freedom Square, where you can do your shopping and relax in a cafe, bar or restaurant.

Worth seeing.

Castle of Neratzia.

On the south side of the harbor dominates the emblematic Castle of Nerantzia. The castle was built from 1436 to 1514 AD. and is one of the most characteristic examples of the architecture of the Knights in the Dodecanese. In this location there was a separate island that was connected to Kos by a bridge. It consists of two fortified precincts and local stones as well as architectural elements from the ruins of the ancient city have been used for its construction.

Platanos Hippocrates.

Hippocrates Sycamore: Thousands of visitors to Kos camp every year opposite the Castle of Neratzia and next to the Ancient Agora, where one of the oldest trees in the world is located: the Hippocrates Sycamore. According to popular tradition, the plane tree was planted by Hippocrates about 2,400 years ago and under its shade, the great sage taught the science of Medicine to his students. Today, the historical tree has a circumference of 12 meters and a huge trunk that resembles a cave, while next to it there are two fountains from the time of the Ottoman Empire and an inscription in Arabic that informs visitors that the water comes from the source of Hippocrates.

Ancient market.

The commercial and social center of ancient Kos is one of the largest markets that have been excavated to date in Greece. As an archaeological site, the market is part of the wider archaeological zone of the port, the part of which visible today covers an area 152 m long and 82 m wide. In this zone, apart from the visible part of the market, the visitor can see part of the city’s fortifications, the sanctuaries of Aphrodite and Herakles, building islands with the remains of private houses, but also part of the ancient port of Kos.

Casa Romana.

One of the most impressive sights of Kos is the restored Roman house or Roman house as it is known. It is a Roman Pompeian style mansion from the end of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century AD, built on the ruins of a Hellenistic house. It consists of 36 rooms and 3 outdoor areas.

Routes in nature and history.

Asklepiio, one of the most famous healing centers of antiquity.

The top attraction of Kos is Asklepeion, located about 4 km from the town, on the slopes of a hill with lush vegetation and overlooking the Asia Minor coast. It is one of the most famous Asclepias in Greece, which was a famous “hospital” as well as a “medical” school in antiquity. The Keians did not consider this temple as the center of their city, therefore in 260 BC. the right was recognized.