The island of Hippocrates
The father of medicine was born here around 460 BC. After his death his followers built the Asklepieion, a healing sanctuary on three terraces above the town, and it became famous across the Greek world.
Κως · Island of Hippocrates, hot springs and long sandy beaches
Kos, where medicine was born and the sea runs warm
Swim in a hot spring where it runs into the sea, walk the terraces where Hippocrates' followers healed the sick, and watch the sun go down from a mountain village above the Aegean.
Greetings from Kos
Kos Town, Dodecanese
We lay in a pool of hot spring water at the bottom of a cliff, with the cold sea washing in over the stones. By noon we were sitting in the shade of a plane tree that Hippocrates is said to have taught under. Tonight we're up in Zia, watching the sun go down behind the islands, and the whole plain below has turned gold.
Hour by hour
A perfect day on Kos
From a dawn soak in a hot spring to a sunset dinner on the mountain, by way of Hippocrates and a ghost village.
- 07:30
A hot spring where it meets the sea
At Therma, below the cliffs past Agios Fokas, hot water bubbles out of the rocks into a pool of stones by the sea. Go early, before the crowds, and float between the warm spring and the cool waves.
- 10:00
Where medicine began
Climb the three terraces of the Asklepieion, the healing sanctuary built after Hippocrates' death. From the temple at the top you can see the town, the sea and the coast of Turkey.
- 12:30
Old Town and the plane tree
In Kos Town, stand under the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, walk past the castle and through the ancient agora, then sit down for a long lunch in the Old Town.
- 16:00
The ghost village of Old Pyli
Drive up into the forest to Old Pyli, abandoned in the 19th century, and climb to its Byzantine castle on a crag above the island.
- 19:30
Sunset from Zia
Take a table on the edge of the mountain village of Zia and watch the sun drop behind Kalymnos while the plain below turns gold.
- 21:00
Dinner from the wood oven
Stay on for dinner after the tour buses go down. The village goes quiet, and the lights of the coast come on below you.
Where to stay
Where you'll wake up on Kos
Kos Town
Wake to the sea, a stroll from the Knights' castle
Kos Aktis Art Hotel · Design hotel · €€€
Agios Fokas
Sleep by the sea, minutes from the hot springs
Sagredo Beachfront Retreat & Spa · Boutique hotel · €€€
Lagoudi Zia
Stay up the mountain after the sunset crowd has gone
La Casa a Zia · Village house · €€
Only on Kos
The things you'll tell everyone about
What makes Kos different from the other islands of the Dodecanese.
A hot spring that runs into the sea
At Therma, on the south-east coast, hot water flows out of the cliff into a pool of rocks on the beach. You lie in the warm water while the sea washes in over the stones.
Ruins in the middle of town
The 1933 earthquake knocked down much of Kos Town and uncovered the ancient city beneath it. Italian archaeologists dug it out, and today you walk past its columns, mosaics and Roman streets on the way to dinner.
Flamingos by the beach
Alyki, a salt lake beside Tigaki beach, is a protected wetland. Flamingos often feed in its shallows in winter and spring.
“Life is short, the art long.”
Towns & villages
Where you'll fall for Kos
01
Kos Town
Kos Town
Harbour town of knights, ruins and palm trees
The island's capital wraps around Mandraki harbour, under the walls of the Knights' castle. Ancient ruins lie open in the middle of town, between Italian-era squares, bicycle lanes and the old lanes of the Ottoman quarter.
- Neratzia Castle and the harbour
- The Plane Tree of Hippocrates
- Ancient Agora and Casa Romana
- Evening walk along the seafront to Lambi
02
Mountain villages
Zia
Mountain village where Kos comes to watch the sun go down
A small village in the pine and cypress forest on the slopes of Mt Dikaios, looking west over the plain, the sea and the islands. Its lanes fill with herb and honey stalls by day and with sunset tables in the evening.
- Sunset from a taverna terrace
- Hike to Christos peak, 843 m
- Herbs, honey and village sweets
- Old Pyli castle nearby
Things to do
Moments to collect
Wellness
Soak in the Therma hot springs
Walk down the path from the car park to a pebble cove where hot water runs into a pool of rocks by the sea. Best early in the morning.
Past Agios Fokas, 12 km from Kos Town
Culture
Walk the Asklepieion terraces
Climb from the Roman baths to the temple at the top, with views over the town to Turkey. Little shade, so go early.
4 km south-west of Kos Town
Hike
Hike up Mt Dikaios
A steep path climbs from Zia to the chapel on Christos peak at 843 m, about two and a half hours up. Start early and take water.
From Zia
Good to know
Before you fall for Kos
Kos is long, green and mostly flat, with sandy beaches on almost every side and a mountain, Dikaios, running down its spine. It was the home of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, and its capital still has ancient ruins lying open between its streets. Knights' castles, Ottoman mosques and the Italian-era squares built after the 1933 earthquake stand side by side. The ferry to Bodrum in Turkey takes about half an hour.
- Area
- 290 km²
- Population
- ≈ 37,000
- Highest peak
- 843 m
- To Bodrum
- ≈ 30 min by ferry
- Beaches
- Ancient history
- Cycling
- Couples & families
When to go
May, June, September and early October are ideal: warm sea and fewer people. July and August are hot and busy, and the meltemi wind can blow strongly on the north coast.
Getting around
The island is flat, so bikes are popular around Kos Town, Tigaki and Marmari. Hire a car or scooter for Zia, Old Pyli and the Kefalos peninsula. KTEL buses link the town with the main resorts.
How long
Five days to a week covers the town, the mountain and the best beaches. Add a day trip to the volcano on Nisyros or across to Bodrum.
Getting there
Direct summer flights from most of Europe, Athens all year, and ferries from Piraeus, the Dodecanese and Bodrum.
Flights & ferries
2,500 years of Kos
The island of Hippocrates, a fortress of the Knights of St John, an Ottoman province and an Italian colony, rebuilt after an earthquake before it finally joined Greece in 1948.
Walk through the story