Kos

KOS is an island in the Dodecanese Island group. It is believed to be a birthplace of the ancient physician Hippocrates. Its area is 320 km² and has a population of 30.947 inhabitants.

Due to its mild Mediterranean climate Kos guarantees almost 200 sunny days in a year. The summers are hot and dry summers, whereas the winters are mild. The average temperatures in July and August range from 28°C during the day to 22°C at night. Rainfall is rare in summer but showers can be expected between October and March.

Kos does not offer its visitors only natural beauty but also a lot of historical monuments. You can visit monuments from Mycenae and Archaic period, up to the Byzantine period, and the period of Italian domination. The main attractions are The Castle of St John’s Knights, Hippocrates’ Plane Tree, Asklepieia (ancient hospital), The Mosque of Lotzia, The Mosque of Defendar and many more scattered around the island.

The main port is located in the Kos town. From Piraeus port there are daily connections with Dodecanese Islands by ferry boats and ship. The ship lines connect the islands Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Phodes daily and less frequent connections with the islands of Cyclades, Thessalonica, Alexandroupoli, Crete, Chios, Mitilini. During summer there is also daily connection with Bontroum in Turkey. The international airport of Kos is located at south-western part of the island, in a distance of 26 kilometers from the capital, near the village Antimachia.

Kos is an island which offers unique gastronomical enjoyments. In Kos, is followed the Greek Mediterranean cuisine, that is based on meat, fish, vegetables, olive oil and pastas, in combination with local traditional recipes. The menu in the restaurants of the island includes a big variety of dishes with meat, vegetables, cheeses and marine dishes with fishes, prawns, squids, lobsters. Of course, from the dinner are not absent the sweets, mainly with honey and the wine.