Location

The third largest island in the Dodecanese archipelago, Kos is east of mainland Greece with views towards the Turkish coast. Pretty traditional villages, numerous beaches and lively coastal towns nestle in the island’s green landscape where visitors are never far from the 120km coastline. The Asklepieion, close to Kos town, is the well-preserved remains of a third century BC hospital and medical school and a popular attraction for visitors. As the birthplace of Hippocrates, the island is considered the home of medicine and has a wealth of excellent archaeological remains from this period of antiquity.

 Weather

With a Mediterranean climate, June in Kos is generally warm and dry with daytime temperatures reaching as high as 30 degrees. Evenings tend to be cooler and milder.

 Places to Visit

Kos town
The capital of the island, Kos town has many attractions, from the restaurants, cafes and bars and shopping centred around the harbour and main streets of the town to a number of important cultural and historical sites. At the entrance to the harbour lies the castle of the Knights of Saint John, constructed during the fourteenth century featuring a number of towers and a drawbridge, most of which remain today, and original friezes. A museum within the castle explores the castles’ rich history. In front of the castle an ancient Plane tree marks the spot where Hippocrates first lectured on medicine beneath the branches of an older tree. The Archaeological Museum of Kos can also be found in Kos town and is home to a collection of Roman and Hellenistic mosaics, statues and ceramics.

Outside of Kos town the Casa Romana and Odeon reflect the Roman influence on the island, and are excellent examples of a fine Roman villa, with third century frescos and mosaics, and a grand amphitheatre. Close to the village of Agios Focas, a short distance down the coast from Kos town, can be found thermal baths where natural hot water issues from the rock and is cooled with incoming sea water forming a warm pool close to the beach.

Tingaki
The long, white sandy beach of Tingaki can be found 11km north of Kos town and is renowned as one of the island’s most beautiful.

Antimachia
Located on the island’s central plateau, Antimachia has both an interesting Venetian castle and many traditional houses and windmills.

Kefalos
The southernmost town on Kos, Kefalos is home to many of the island’s most popular beaches and and is close to the attractive Monastery of Agios Nikolaos and the Folk Museum of Kefalos which provides an insight to the agricultural history of Kos. Nearby, Aspri Petra - the White Stone cave, can be found on the coastline and is the site of archaeological finds dating settlement on Kos four thousand years ago.