Kos Island

Kos is a large Dodecanese island about 100 km northwest of Rhodes Town by sea in Greece, and the crossing to Kos Town takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours by fast boat or ferry. Dodekanisos Seaways catamarans sail daily in summer, and Blue Star Ferries on the Piraeus route call several times a week. Because the journey consumes five to six hours round trip, Kos works as a day trip only on a well-timed morning departure, and an overnight stay is the better choice for a relaxed visit. The ferries dock at Kos Town harbour, directly beside the Castle of Neratzia, a 15th-century fortress built by the Knights of St John with a stone bridge over a former moat. A short walk leads to the ancient agora, an open field of columns and foundations at the edge of the old town, and the nearby Hippocrates plane tree, said locally to shade the spot where the physician taught. The main excursion is the Asklepieion, the ancient healing sanctuary about 4 km from town, built on three terraces overlooking the sea and the Turkish coast. Visitors can reach it by taxi, tourist train, hired bicycle or a flat cycle path, and the visit takes about an hour. A day itinerary usually begins with the castle in the morning, moves to the agora and the old town lanes, and continues to the Asklepieion after lunch before returning to the quay. Kos Town has numerous tavernas and cafes near the harbour and on the pedestrian streets, serving grilled fish, souvlaki and local cheeses, and bicycles are widely available for hire as the town is flat. Late spring and early autumn are comfortable, while midsummer afternoons are hot and the ruins have little shade. Visitors should check the final return sailing carefully, because some schedules leave only a short window and missing the last boat means booking a night's accommodation. Tickets for the castle and Asklepieion are paid separately at the sites, and prices are modest.