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09914 4675
Level 4, 66 Wyndham Street
Auckland, New Zealand
Level 4, 66 Wyndham Street
Auckland, New Zealand
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Cos. It is located only 4 km from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey. The island has long been known for its marvelous climate, lively night life, outstanding beaches and its incredible variety of water sports. The island’s long, narrow shape provides for a lot of coastline, approximately 128 kilometers in total.
Other attractions on Kos include the Solfatara fields and hot springs, the wetlands of Psalidi, the three-aisled basilica of St. Stephen’s early Christian church, Asklepeion ancient Temple of Medicine, the Neratzia Venetian Castle of the Knights of St. John, at the entrance to the harbor of Kos and Paradise, Camel, Tigaki, and Marmari beaches.
Kos is particularly known as a shopping paradise. There are some nice jewellery shops, hand painted icons, and local artwork. Interesting daytrips include a visit to nearby Kalymnos, famous for its sponge divers; or a visit to nearby Nissiros to explore the sleeping volcano.
Things to See & Do
* Paradise, Camel, Tigaki, and Marmari beaches
* Water sports
* Solfatara fields and hot springs
* Neratzia Venetian Castle
* Zia & Pili – traditional Villages
General information
Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language – Greek
Land Area – 320 km²
Population – 30,502
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 30
Port Location – The harbour area at Kos Town is located a short distance from the town centre.
Travel Links – Kos lies on main ferry routes both from mainland Greece and the north Aegean so there are many connections both through Kos Town or the northern port resort at Mastichari. There are daily ferries to Piraeus (5-6hrs) that usually leave in the afternoon. The main Aegean route runs from Rhodes - Kos - Kalymnos - Leros - Lipsi - Patmos with several ferries each day. There are also less frequent boats to Syros, Samos, Thessaloniki, Ikaria, Fourni, Amorgos, Kastellorizo, Astypalea, Nisyros, Telos, Leros, Mykonos, Paros, Agathonisi and Symi throughout the summer.
Kos island airport is in the centre of the island just south of Mastichari and 26km west of Kos Town. It is known as Hippocrates Airport or Kos Ippokratis. Olympic Airways operate the only scheduled flights out of Kos to Athens (three daily flights) and Rhodes (about three a week). There is no public transport direct from the airport and most passengers take package tour shuttle buses, hotel minibuses or taxis. Public transport is available on the large roundabout outside the airport gates with a KTEL service to Kos Town and services to the ferry port at Mastichari.
Kos is an excellent island for bicycling, and there are many paths running between the beach areas of Psalidi and Lambi and the Town of Kos. Bicycles are available for hire at many locations throughout Kos.