Dodecanese Islands

KOS

General Information
Aesculapium
How to get there
Useful Telephones

Area: 290 sq. km
Distance from Piraeus: 200 nautical miles
Population: 21.334

This island has given the world Hippocrates, father of medicine; it looks like a huge floating garden. The city is built along a wide bay and catches the eye from the very first moment. Here we shall visit the Knights' Castle, an impressive medieval building, Freedom Square with its huge plane, under the shadow of which Hippocrates is said to have taught, also Roman homes with marvelous mosaics early Christian basilicas and the Museum, with its' statue of Hippocrates (4th century B.C.) and other fascinating items of Ancient, Hellenistic and Roman times.

We can also see the Doric Temple of Venus, the Roman School of Music and the Castle, built c. 1450 - 1478 by the knights of St. John on the ruins of the ancient wall.

The Castle houses a small collection of Classical sculptures as well as inscriptions of the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and early Christian period.

Four km. to the SE of the city we shall visit the Aesculapium, infirmary of Antiquity, which began to be built in the 4th century B.C. The ground slope is such that buildings exist on four different levels connected by a marble stair-case. Among the ruins we can discern the Temple of Aesculapius, the Stoa of Hippocrates' medical school, and the altar.

The island boasts villages well known for their beauty, e.g. Asfendiou (14 km. from the city), Kardamaina (by the sea) and Pyli. From Pyli the road leads to Palio Pyli, with remnants of an old castle, and to the fishing village Marmari and Mastichari. At the southwestern end of the island lies Kefalos, a village endowed with wonderful sandy beaches and little tavernas. In Kefalos, at the Palatia site, we can see the ruins of Astypalaia, capital city of the island in Antiquity. There is a beautiful beach near the town. There are others - marvelous and often quiet places - all over the island, some of them accessible by bicycle - a means of transport much used in Kos.

How to get there

There are daily flights to and from Athens; boats are frequent to and from Piraeus. There is also a boat service to and from Rhodes and Kalymnos. Kos is a port of entry and exit. Port, customs and sanitary authorities are here, as well as a yacht refueling station.

By ferry from Piraeus
Information: Piraeus Port Authority, tel: 01/4226000

By ferry from Rhodes
Information: Rhodes Port Authority, tel: 0241/28888

By ferry from Kalymnos
Information: Kalymnos Port Authority, tel: 0243/29304

Useful telephone numbers

Automatic dialing code: 0242
Port Authority: 28507
Police: 22222
Tourist Police: 26666
Town Hall: 28724
First Aid: 22300
G.N.T.O.: 28130