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
Kos · Things to do
Things to do in Kos
Beaches, trails, festivals, food and wine: the experiences that make this island its own.
Experiences
Our favourite things to do
Ideas for every kind of day, from a lazy swim to a full-day hike.
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
Beach
Swim at Kastri and Agios Stefanos
Swim out towards the islet of Kastri with its tiny chapel, past the columns of an early Christian basilica on the shore.
Kefalos peninsula
Nature
Cycle the flat north coast
Kos is one of the flattest Greek islands and has cycle lanes in and around the town. Hire a bike and ride out past the Alyki salt lake.
Kos Town to Tigaki & Marmari
Food & wine
Sunset dinner in Zia
The island's most famous view. Book a terrace table facing west and stay on for dinner once the coaches leave.
Zia, Mt Dikaios
Beach
Paradise Beach
A long curve of fine sand and shallow turquoise water on the south coast, one of several beaches along Kefalos bay.
Kefalos bay
Only on Kos
What makes Kos different
What makes Kos different from the other islands of the Dodecanese.
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.
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.