Looking for a beautiful and sunny Greek vacation destination? Then the versatile island of Kos is definitely a good idea. You are guaranteed sunshine hours here and there is plenty to do on the island. Kos is one of the most popular Greek vacation destinations among Dutch tourists. What is there to do on Kos in Greece? The best sights and other tips can be found in this article.
How do I get to Kos?
The flight from Amsterdam to this Greek island takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. Kos airport is located 25 km southwest of Kos Town. You can take public transportation from the airport to Kos Town and to several seaside resorts. Cabs are also available at the arrival hall to take you to your destination. The transfer time to most accommodations takes at most 45 minutes. You can also rent a car at the airport.
In the summer months you can fly directly to Kos. Off-season you will be forced to make a transfer in Athens. Airlines offering direct flights are Skycanner, TUIfly and Corendon. There are flights from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen and Eindhoven.
Transportation on Kos
Despite the fact that public transportation on the island is fairly well organized, we recommend getting a rental car on Kos to rent. This is because the beautiful beaches and sights are quite scattered around the island. Also, in our opinion, it is safe and pleasant to drive around on Kos.
Where do I stay on Kos?
Kos is an elongated island with an area of about 290 square kilometers and has a coastline of 112 kilometers. Both the north and the south have beautiful places to stay. The most famous places on Kos are Kos Town, Tigaki and Kardamena, but there are also smaller villages that are incredibly good places to be, such as Psalidi. We stayed in this resort town and it is home to a number of popular luxury resorts, such as Oceanis Beach & Spa Resort and Mitsis Ramira Beach.
We stayed in Mitsis Ramira Beach and are very enthusiastic about the hotel. It is the ideal place for a carefree all-inclusive beach vacation. Are you more looking for adventure and want to explore the island? Then there are nicer places for you to stay.
The most beautiful beaches on Kos
1. Paradise Beach
Undoubtedly the most beautiful sandy beach on Kos is Paradise Beach. This beach is located in a beautiful bay with many trees. It is a pearly white beach with crystal clear seawater, making it an ideal place for holidaymakers on Kos.
2. Tigaki Beach
Also one of the more popular beaches on Kos is Tigaki Beach. This is a beautiful, very long sandy beach in the south of the island, about 11 kilometers from Kos Town. It is very close to the Tigaki salt lake on the east side. There are sunbeds, showers, restaurants and bars available. With the shallow shore and all the necessary amenities, this beach is ideal for everyone, including families with children.
3. Marmari Beach
Marmari is a seaside resort located on the north coast of the island. It is small and peaceful and an ideal choice for travelers who long for a serene destination where you can laze around. The resort is quite suitable for typical beach relaxation: sunbeds, drinks, umbrellas... you will find it all there and it is absolutely affordable in the process!
4. Psalidi Beach
Psalidi Beach is the beach where we stayed and we found this a very pleasant place. It is a beautiful beach with small pebbles and you can do wonderful snorkeling here close to the shore. There are many luxurious resorts on this beach.
5. Lambi Beach
Looking for the Ibiza atmosphere on Kos? Then Lambi Beach is the place to be. Here you will find the cozy beach club Mylos. Here you can have breakfast, lunch and rent sun beds. Lambi Beach is very popular because of its convenient location in relation to Kos Town. It is one kilometer long and you have beautiful views of the sea and the nearby coast of Turkey.
What is there to do on Kos?
Although Kos is primarily a destination for a relaxing beach vacation, there is still more than enough to do on the island. You can explore the island by bike, visit Kos Town and the mountain village of Zia, and there are some great sights.
1. Rent a bicycle on Kos
Kos is often called the cycling island and that is not surprising. In fact, you can find quite a lot of bicycle paths here, which is quite special for Greek standards. The island is rather flat and especially in the north of Kos there is a lot of cycling. Bicycle rental companies are therefore abundant, almost as many as car rental companies. To rent a bike on Kos you pay about € 3,- to € 5,- per day, depending on the season and the provider. A super cheap way to explore (part of) the island!
2. Visit the traditional village of Zia
For us, the absolute highlight on Kos was the traditional mountain village of Zia. The village breathes Greece and you are therefore surrounded by nice souvenir shops, cozy tavernas and art galleries. This is also the place where you can admire the most beautiful sunrise and sunset of the island.
3. Take a trip to Kos Town
Kos Town is very touristy and not necessarily the most beautiful town we have ever seen in Greece. It reminded us a bit of the Turkish resorts. Nevertheless, a visit to Kos Town should not be missed during a vacation on Kos. There are a number of cozy terraces and bars, such as the Sitar Cocktail Bar and Restaurant Petrino.
4. Go to the Embrós-Thermae
A special attraction on Kos can be found at Therma Beach, namely the Embrós-Thermae. This is a hot spring with a temperature between 40 and 50 degrees. And is located directly on the beach. So you can jump straight from the hot spring into the cool sea and vice versa. It is quite crowded here. We went around sunset, which is the best time to visit the Embrós-Thermae.
5. Agios Stéfanos Basilica
Another special beach on Kos is Agios Stéfanos Beach. It is a beautiful sandy beach in itself, but you will also find the basilicas of Agios Stefanos from the 5th century. The beach is in ruins and of all the basilicas discovered during various excavations on the island, the two three-part basilicas of Agios stand out as the largest and best preserved of all.
A vacation to the Greek islands
Kos is a lovely sun-drenched island in Greece, but it is not the only Greek island we love. We have spent the past few years in addition to Kos also Santorini, Mykonos, Zakynthos and Lefkada visited and they are all unique. Where will your vacation to the Greek sun go?
