Visiting Kos means not only enjoying the sun and the beach. Many attractive and interesting monuments from the past are located on the island. Before and after the season, the island of Kos offers attractions for those who like history, are curious about the world and love Greece! See what is worth visiting on Kos.
Kos is associated with summer recreation. This small dot located in the Aegean Sea, in the Dodecanese archipelago, is a perfect place for a quiet holiday with your family, but not only.
The island itself has a length of 50 km and a width of only 10 km, so you can easily visit all of it with the car in one day. The Greek road structure in Kos is referred to as the fish’s spine – the main route, 42 km long (from west to east) passes through the island, and other smaller ones diverge from it, leading to coastal towns.
There is no shortage of tourist attractions, however, the Greek island of Kos is often thought of as a place for sunbathing. It is known more from the 112 kilometer coastline than from monuments or entertainment providing adrenaline growth. Even so, if we are on vacation on this island, it is worth moving a little further from the hotel. Kos Island definitely offers something more than beaches and unforgettable views.
What to see on the island of Kos? To the point: Kos – the capital of the island
Kos is definitely the largest resort on the whole island, it is a tourist, entertainment and cultural center. This is where the airport and the main port that welcomes even the largest passenger ships are located. Kos is inhabited by over half of the population from the whole island.
While visiting the capital, first of all it is worth going for a walk along the coast line to see moored boats and yachts, and with a bit of luck, also great and impressive passenger liners. Walking along the port you will also see Palazzo de Governo, a palace built in the Italian style where a police station is currently located. Opposite it, you can see Turkey on the other side when you look closely. Then you can go to the largest square, where the Hassan Pasha mosque is located along with a Turkish well. Its presence is the result of the influence of Turkish culture on the island. You can sit here in one of many pubs, with external tables and umbrellas.
Going further towards the Joannit castle, you pass the tree of Hippocrates (age-old plantain supported by a metal scaffolding nowadays). Next to it is another, closed Turkish fountain. Lovers of ancient ruins may find the remains of the former Agora interesting. You can see here fragments of the columns of the Temple of Aphrodite, the remains of the basilica (early Christian era), some of the floor mosaics and the part that remained of the defensive walls. In the western part of the city there is the Roman Odeon, where performances are still taking place, and quite well-preserved Casa Romana.
See also the most popular sandy beaches on the island of Kos:
Asclepeion – remains of a medical complex
Being in the capital of Kos, it is also worth visiting a little further away from the capital (about 3km) – the Hippocrates Museum and the nearby Asclepeion. This complex was built after the death of Hippocrates, which was to serve not only as a hospital, but also as the first medical school for ancient doctors. It is preserved in quite good condition.
The complex spread on a hill had three levels. At the lowest was the school and the place for the sick. Above there was a small temple and an altar in honor of Asclepios (god of medicine), from which the whole complex took its name. At the top was a large temple, erected for the same god. That level has the best view not only of the lower levels and the city of Kos, but also of Turkey and the Aegean Sea. Visiting Asclepieon also means attending an extraordinary concert created by the cicadas who live here.
We can get from Kos to Asclepeion by a city bus or a tourist train that starts from Akti Koundouriotou.
Agios Fokas, a natural SPA with thermae
The next point to see near the capital of the island of Kos, will be the small town of Agios Fokas, where hot springs fall straight from the rocks into the sea. This water comes from volcanic sources, which makes it reach even 50 degrees Celsius. The undeniable therapeutic benefits (containing magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium and sulfur), which improve the appearance of the skin and hair and nails, also well affects people suffering from rheumatism or muscle pain. You only have to remember that not everyone likes soaking the whole body in a “hot soup”. Keep in mind that the ubiquitous smell of sulfur, definitely not the most pleasant fragrance, is present in the area.
The whole thermae complex is separated from the sea by large stones. It is a completely free pleasure, but to take a bath it’s best to go there early in the morning or very late in the evening. However, you must be careful with the children, because the descent is steep, and there is absolutely no infrastructure there (toilets, chairs, shops).
Agios Stefanos Beach
People go there to take a picture of an island on which a chapel is built. This is an unforgettable view, which is often placed on postcards and guides from Kos. You can calmly swim to the island (about 500 meters) or rent a pedalo from a nearby rental company. The beach itself is sandy and stony, but the entrance to the azure sea is mild and shallow. So if you are with children, they can take advantage of sunbathing here. Nearby are the ruins of a basilica from the 6th century.
Tourist attractions on the Greek island of Kos as seen from the drone:
Peafowls in a pine forest
On the way from the capital, towards Kefalos you can turn into a dirt road that will take you to the pine forest (Plaka Forest). Unfortunately, there are no signposts, so it is best to ask the locals about the way. Indian peafowls live here semi-feral (they are fed), brought allegedly by Alexander of Macedon. Numerous birds, without fear, approach visitors in the hope of getting treats. Together with the peafowls that occupy this shaded patch of Kos, there are also cats, turtles and frogs. It’s like a small, open zoo. This pleasure is of course free, but it is worth to throw coins into the set money box, then the guardians will tell us a little more about birds.
It seems to be an attraction mainly for children, but who would not want to take a photo with proud peacocks, living at large. In addition to the ubiquitous peafowls, you can enjoy the aroma of pine oil straight from nature.
Flamingos in Tigaki
The salt lake in Tigaki attracts with the unique beauty of the birds – pink flamingos, so fashionable this year. However, it must be remembered that the lake dries out, because of the high temperatures prevailing here and to meet the rosy colored birds at all, we have to come here before June, when there is still water. Between January and April, other species of migrating birds also settle here, and you can also come across water turtles throughout the year.
The lake itself, thanks to a nearby horse farm, can be circled riding a horse.
Dining under sunset
To finish the exploring the island of Kos, you can have a dinner while enjoying the sunset. Zia is a small town in the middle of the island, picturesquely located among the hills. For years it has been a sensation when it comes to admiring the sunsets seen in one of the local pubs. The town itself is famous for the production of cinnamon syrup, which is also worth tasting and buying. You have to remember that when driving to Zia, we have to be careful on the road, because it is sometimes narrow, winding and steep. The travel time will certainly be a little longer than the distance in kilometers indicates.
Current Map of Kos Island
As a bonus we also add the current map of the island of Kos, which will help you find out the location of individual attractions and thus improve your navigation around the island:
Monuments on the island of Kos are something you definitely need to see and visit. The hot summer in the middle of the tourist season may not be conducive to walking around the city or sunburned soil (it favors lying on one of the beautiful beaches located on the island of Kos though), so if you are there before the season or after the season, we highly recommend visiting the places mentioned in our guide.
For a larger dose of detailed information about monuments and tourist attractions on the island of Kos, we invite you to the official tourist page of this island, where other aspects of travel to this charming place were also described.