Kos

A prize to past conquerors, a boon to travellers who want more than a beach holiday.

On the edge of the Dodecanese, Kos is a feast of emotion, experience and excitement. To borrow from the famous American motivators, Canfield and Hansen, it truly is ’chicken soup for the soul’, as well as the body and the eye. Tall palm trees, endless sandy beaches, alternating landscapes and numerous archaeological sites and attractions left by ancient Greeks, Romans, mediaeval knights, Venetians and Ottomans make Kos – or Cos as it is also spelt – more than just a pretty face. Hippocrates, antiquity’s most noted physician (he of the oath), was born here, on one of the most visited islands of Dodecanese. Whichever you choose of the aliases Kos has gone by – Meropi, Nymphaia or Karys – this fascinating island in the Aegean will be a prominent entry in your holiday diary from now on.

About Kos Island

Hippocrates’ Asclepeion, a holistic healing centre

Just 4km northwest of the town of Kos, on a verdant hill with a spectacular view, you’ll discover one of Greece’s most important archaeological sites, the Asclepeion. A holistic healing centre, it contained infirmaries, temples, hot springs, hostels, a school for physicians and much more. In the 3^rd and 2^nd century B.C., the Asclepeion of Kos became the third most important institution of its kind in the ancient world, following guidelines set down by native son Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. It’s worth making time in your holiday itinerary to visit it.

A young city with a rich history

Following a major earthquake in 1933, the town of Kos was redesigned by the reigning Italians with large squares, sidewalks and wide tree-lined streets, flanked by modern buildings with shops, cafes and restaurants. That said, history buffs will love this place.

What other modern town can claim so many attractions like the Nerantzia Castle of the Knights of Saint John, late 14th-century walls hastily erected to keep out Sultan Bayezit I, an ancient Greek agora, a mediaeval district, an old harbour, and Roman ruins in the west? Don’t forget to pay your respects to Hippocrates’ huge plane tree – 12m in circumference – which, legend says, was planted by the doctor himself.

Beaches that go on forever

Almost every beach on Kos is a kilometre long. You’ll probably develop a particular soft spot for Kardamena beach, with its glorious scenery and deep blue water but don’t miss Mastihari, Tigkaki, Marmari, Chrysi Akti, Kefalos and Paradise.