Kefalos (Kos)

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Jez

The long sandy beach stretching around this wide bay is the obvious attraction at Kefalos. The Beach Club ashore offers the chance to try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking or paddle boarding. Alternatively, take a swim on the pool, lounge on the beach or take a drink at the beach bar.

If you fancy exploring, take a stroll in to the village. A longer walk (or alternative transport) take you to Kefalos castle, dating from the 15th century. A short cab, scooter or bike ride away, is the Monastery of Agios Ioannis, and the Basilica of Agios Stefanos.

The bay is rather exposed and unless it’s good weather I wouldn’t spend the night here at anchor. However, the Beach Club may have some moorings laid, which if you’re going to use their facilities, they may be willing to let you tie up to.

Mastichari (Kos)

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Jez

Mastichari: The beach

It’s nice to find somewhere on Kos that seems to have escaped the ravages of mass tourism. The small fishing village of Mastichari welcomes the quieter kind of visitor.

There’s a good sized beach with much of the water based activities wind powered and kept to one end. A short walk inland there’s the ruin of a Christian Basilica with a mosaic floor.

There are several restaurants to chose from, some specialising in fresh fish from the boats based here. There’s a small assortment of shops, including a supermarket.

The only possible drawback is depending where you’re moored, and on the local ferry timetable, you may be asked to move your boat around 7am. So best to get there in reasonable time and try to secure a place where you can still have a lie in.

Mastichari: Fishing boats in the harbour

Compared to much of the Dodecanese, the surroundings are surprisingly flat. But it’s pretty place and one of the few places around Kos where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy some peace.

Kardamena (Kos)

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Jez

Kardamena: The beach looking north

Once a small village, Kardamena has grown in to a thriving holiday resort. The big attraction is the long sandy beach. So long in fact that most of the hotels could genuinely claim to be no more than 5 minutes from the beach!

Amongst the modern hotels, you’ll still find plenty of signs of the original village. There are even some Roman ruins and several old churches.

The resort was once prone to some of the worst excesses of “Brits on Tour”. However in recent times, it’s become more of a family holiday destination, helped by an influx of non British holiday makers.

There’s still plenty of nightlife for those that want it, and water sports on the beach. But there’s a pleasing number of seafood restaurants, and plenty of shopping and provisions available.

It’s probably not going to be the highlight of your yacht charter itinerary but then it’s got some pretty stiff competition.

Kamari / Kamares & Kefalos (Kos)

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Jez

Kamari: The beach

The village of Kamari is at the south end of the long sandy beach of Kefalos. The small harbour at Kamari provides good shelter, though if you’re just stopping for lunch you can often just anchor off the beach.

Needless to say, the beach has been well and truly discovered with a number of hotels in evidence.

The Beach Club ashore offers the chance to try your hand at dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking or paddle boarding. Alternatively, take a swim on the pool, lounge on the beach or take a drink at the beach bar.

Kefalos can seem a bit manic during the day with jet skis and speedboats zooming around, so I wouldn’t rush to get there – things quieten down later, though you may hear some music from the hotels. If this is a worry, you might want to consider Mastichari on the opposite side of Kos, or head south to Mandraki on Nisyros.

The village of Kamari is a more attractive proposition. There are several tavernas to chose from and provisions within walking distance. A longer walk (or alternative transport) take you to Kefalos castle, dating from the 15th century. A short cab, scooter or bike ride away, is the Monastery of Agios Ioannis, and the Basilica of Agios Stefanos.

Kos Town

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Jez

Kos Town: The Castle of the Knights of the Order of Saint John

Kos is an ancient settlement, originally founded on agriculture and fishing, with one of the largest market places in the ancient world, and known for its wines and silk. The home of Hippocates, the island still shows much evidence of past glories but today the main industry is tourism.

There’s plenty to do and see whether your aspirations are cultural or retail. The castle of the Knights of St John is right next to the harbour and unmissable.

The ancient hospital, the Asclepion takes a bit more effort being about 4km out of town but is worth a visit. Back in town, there’s a restored Roman mansion with mosaic floor, the Plane Tree, under which Hippocrates allegedly taught, and the Archaeological Museum.

The town offers all the shopping opportunities you’d expect of a tourist centre, with plenty of restaurants, cafe’s and bars to rest your weary limbs. It’s here that you notice the impact of tourism, with increasing numbers of fast food establishments.

Just outside town there’s a beach, with more around the island. There are plenty of scooters and cars for hire if you fancy exploring the rest of Kos.

Kos Town: Mosque and cafe

Come the evening the town really bursts in to life. If you’ve found the rest of the Dodecanese a bit sleepy, now is the chance to let your hair down and party, with a choice of nightclubs and countless bars at your disposal.

The town bears the noise and antics of the night owls fairly well and hasn’t yet sunk to the excesses of some of it’s holiday island rivals. But I wonder whether it will continue to do so – you might want to visit sooner than later.