KOS
ISLAND GREECE
Kos Island
Kos is located in the
south-eastern Aegean Sea south
of Kalymnos and north of Nisyros
at the ancient Keramiko gulf (Kerme
Körfezi) or Kos gulf, just 3
nautical miles from Asia Minor
coast. It is the third largest
island in the Dodecanese, its
extent 290,29 kilometers and its
circumnavigation is around 60
nautical miles. From the
prehistoric times it was an
important channel of the sea
ways that started from the Black
Sea and along the shoreline of
Asia Minor and the islands of
Aegean and reached North Africa.
Kos is the birthplace of the
father of medicine, Hippocrates,
which was born on the island
around 460 B.C. and founded the
Great School of Medicine of Kos.
The island is famous for its
rich vegetation and its
temperate climate and it was
characterized by the Roman
doctor Gallino as "the most
temperate place in the world".
Kos Island Air ViewThe
morphology of the ground varies
and is the result of
long-lasting geological changes
particularly owed to the
volcanic activity of the
commonly known Aegean Arc (Nisyros,
Thira, Milos, Methana).
According to the latest
geological studies seven
volcanoes are located between
Nisyros and Kos and one of them
in the Isthmus of Kefalos is
inactive today. The big
explosion happened 160,000 years
ago between Nisyros and Kefalos.
As a result it covered half of
the island of Kos, in the
western part, with a layer of
ash and kisiris thickness of
about 30 meters. Kos’s ground
fertility is a result of its
volcanic origin, which had been
known since antiquity and has
left the proverbial phrase “whom
Kos can’t nourish Egypt can’t
either”.
In kosinfo.gr you will find
useful information about our
island Kos. Starting from the
villages of Kos, Asfendiou,
Ammaniou, Antimahia, Kardamena,
Kefalos, Marmari, Mastihari,
Pyli and Tingaki, then on how to
get there, where to stay, what
to see, where to eat and all
that you need to make your stay
the best ever, with a large
photo gallery so that you can
get a glimpse of our island’s
beauties. The Marina of Kos
Island officially opened on the
15th of May 2001. Kos Island
Ancient Agora Since then high
quality services are offered to
guests. Located next to Kos
Island’s old harbour it’s the
heart of the Dodecanese islands
and serves as the best sailing &
cruising area in Europe! It
offers a wide range of benefits
such as: Pilot speedboat,
WC-showers, Trolleys, Parking
Lot, Bilge pump out, Sewerage
pump out, Waste oil disposal,
Refuse containers, Fuel station.
Reception, Authorities, Info
centre, Meeting room & Guests'
Suites. Weather report,
Internet, telephone and
facsimile services are offered
in the Marina's Info Centre and
many more.
Kos Island’s Marina can become
your own personal haven. We’ll
ensure that your stay at Kos
Marina is worth every moment of
your time. Kos Island’s History
and Mythology along with the
descriptions of all
archaeological sites are written
by the archaeologist Sophia
Ntintioumi. Kos Accommodation,
Sight Seeing, Excursions, Maps
and Traditions Kos Island
Figulinewere created to provide
the best information to the
visitor. The Business Block
ensures that you can find any
professional service on Kos
Island at any time needed and
also includes a database with
the most useful phone numbers.
We have included interesting
Links that give us additional
information on the island and
not only. The Events, Calendar,
and Weather sections provide up
to date information on
everything that has to do with
the everyday happenings of Kos
Island. In closing we would like
to point out that kosinfo.gr
will continue searching for
additional information to
include in its pages which may
be of use to the visitor and to
the island’s residents. Our
island which we love, now has
its’ own website, created with
care so that the entire world
can get to know Kos Island like
we do, as that island of
majestic beauty, lying in the
centre of the Dodecanese chain
with its splendid sandy beaches,
natural beauties and glorious
past.
History
In the Roman mythology, the
island was visited by Hercules.
The island was originally
colonised by the Carians. A
contingent from Kos participated
in the War of Troy[5] The
Dorians invaded it in the 11th
century BC, establishing a
Dorian colony with a large
contingent of settlers from
Epidaurus, whose Asclepius cult
made their new home famous for
its sanatoria. The other chief
sources of the island's wealth
lay in its wines and, in later
days, in its silk manufacture.
Its early history–as part of the
religious-political amphictyony
that included Lindos, Kamiros,
Ialysos, Cnidus and
Halicarnassus, the Dorian
Hexapolis (Greek for six
cities), is obscure. At the end
of the 6th century, Kos fell
under Achaemenid domination but
rebelled after the Greek victory
at Cape Mykale in 479. During
the Greco-Persian Wars, when it
twice expelled the Persians, it
was ruled by tyrants, but as a
rule it seems to have been under
oligarchic government. In the
5th century, it joined the
Delian League, and, after the
revolt of Rhodes, it served as
the chief Athenian station in
the south-eastern Aegean
(411–407). In 366 BC, a
democracy was instituted. After
helping to weaken Athenian
power, in the Social War
(357-355 BC), it fell for a few
years to the king Mausolus of
Caria. In 366 BC, the capital
was transferred from Astypalaia
to the newly built town of Kos,
laid out in a Hippodamian grid.
Proximity to the east gave the
island first access to imported
silk thread. Aristotle (384
BC-322 BC) mentions silk weaving
conducted by the women of the
island.[8] Silk production of
garments was conducted in large
factories by women slaves.
In the Hellenistic age, Kos
attained the zenith of its
prosperity. Its alliance was
valued by the kings of Egypt,
who used it as a naval outpost
to oversee the Aegean. As a seat
of learning, it arose as a
provincial branch of the museum
of Alexandria, and became a
favorite resort for the
education of the princes of the
Ptolemaic dynasty. Among its
most famous sons were the
physician Hippocrates, the
painter Apelles, the poets
Philitas and, perhaps,
Theocritus.
Kos was also known as Meropis
and Nymphæa. Diodorus Siculus
(xv. 76) and Strabo (xiv. 657)
describe it as a well-fortified
port. Its position gave it a
high importance in Ægean trade;
while the island itself was rich
in wines of considerable fame
(Pliny, xxxv. 46). Under
Alexander III of Macedon and the
Egyptian Ptolemies(from 336
B.C.) the town developed into
one of the great centers in the
Ægean; Josephus ("Ant." xiv. 7,
§ 2) quotes Strabo to the effect
that Mithridates was sent to Kos
to fetch the gold deposited
there by the queen Cleopatra of
Egypt. Herod is said to have
provided an annual stipend for
the benefit of prize-winners in
the athletic games (Josephus,
"B. J." i. 21, § 11), and a
statue was erected there to his
son Herod the Tetrarch ("C. I.
G." 2502 ). Paul briefly visited
here according to (Acts 21:1).
Except for occasional incursions
by corsairs and some severe
earthquakes, the island has
rarely had its peace disturbed.
Following the lead of its great
neighbour, Rhodes, Kos generally
displayed a friendly attitude
toward the Romans; in 53 AD it
was made a free city. Lucian
(125–180) mentions their
manufacture of semi-transparent
light dresses, a fashion
success.
The island was later conquered
by the Venetians, who then sold
it to the Knights Hospitaller of
Rhodes (the Knights of St John)
in 1315. Two hundred years later
the Knights faced the threat of
a Turkish invasion and abandoned
the island to the Ottoman Empire
in 1523. The Ottomans ruled Kos
for 400 years until it was
transferred to Italy in 1912. In
World War II, the island was
taken over by the Axis powers.
It was occupied by Italian
troops until the Italian
surrender in 1943. British and
German forces then clashed for
control of the island in the
Battle of Kos, in which the
Germans were victorious. German
troops occupied the island until
1945, when it became a
protectorate of the United
Kingdom, who ceded it to Greece
in 1947.
The Market - Agora
The Market place of Kos was
considered one of the biggest in
the ancient world. It was the
commercial and commanding centre
at the heart of the ancient
city. It was organized around a
spacious rectangular yard 50
metres (160 ft) wide and 300
metres (980 ft) long. It began
in the Northern area and ended
up south on the central road (Decumanus)
which went through the city. The
northern side connected to the
city wall towards the entrance
to the harbour. Here there was a
monumental entrance. On the
eastern side there were shops.
In the first half of the 2nd
century BC, the building was
extended toward the interior
yard. The building was destroyed
in an earthquake in 469 AD.
In the southern end of the
Market, there was a round
building with a Roman dome and a
workshop which produced pigments
including “Egyptian Blue”.
Coins, treasures, and copper
statues from Roman times were
later uncovered by
archeologists. In the western
side excavations led to the
findings of rooms with mosaic
floors which showed beastfights,
a theme quite popular in Kos.
Geography
The island is part of a chain of
mountains from which it became
separated after earthquakes and
subsidence that occurred in
ancient times. These mountains
include Kalymnos and Kappari
which are separated by an
underwater chasm c. 70 m (40
fathoms deep), as well as the
volcano of Nisyros and the
surrounding islands.
There is a wide variety of rocks
in Kos which is related to its
geographical formation.
Prominent among these are the
Quaternary layers in which the
fossil remains of mammals such
as horses, hippopotami and
elephants have been found. The
fossilised molar of an elephant
of gigantic proportions was
presented to the Paleontology
Museum of the University of
Athens.
The shores of Kos Island are
washed by the waters of the
Aegean Sea. Its coastline is 112
km long and is caressed by long
immaculate beaches, leading to
its main industry being tourism.
Farming is the principal
occupation of many of the
island's inhabitants, with their
main crops being grapes,
almonds, figs, olives, and
tomatoes, along with wheat and
corn. Cos lettuce may be grown
here, but the name is unrelated.
The main villages of Kos island
are Kardamena, Kefalos, Tingaki,
Antimachia, Mastihari, Marmari
and Pyli. Smaller ones are Zia,
Zipari, Platani, Lagoudi and
Asfendiou.
Culture
The main port and population
centre on the island, also
called Kos, is also the tourist
and cultural centre, with
whitewashed buildings including
many hotels, restaurants and a
small number of nightclubs
forming the famous Kos town "barstreet".
The town has a 14th century
fortress at the entrance to its
harbour, erected in 1315 by The
Knights of Saint John of Rhodes.
The ancient physician
Hippocrates is thought to have
been born on Kos, and in the
center of the town is the Plane
Tree of Hippocrates, a dream
temple where the physician is
traditionally supposed to have
taught. The limbs of the now
elderly tree are supported by
scaffolding. The small city is
also home to the International
Hippocratic Institute and the
Hippocratic Museum dedicated to
him. Near the Institute are the
ruins of Asklepieion, where
Herodicus taught Hippocrates
medicine. Kardamena is a popular
resort for young British
holidaymakers and has a large
number of bars and nightclubs.
Religion
The main religion practiced is
Greek Orthodoxy. Kos has one of
the four cathedrals in the
entire Dodecanese. There is also
a Roman Catholic church on the
island as well as a Mosque
catering to the Muslim community
of Kos. The Synagogue is no
longer used for religious
ceremonies as the Jewish
community of Kos was practically
wiped out by the Nazis in World
War II. It has, however, been
restored and is maintained with
all religious symbols intact and
is now used by the Municipality
of Kos for various events,
mainly cultural. Time
Greece Time is in the Eastern
European Time Zone. Eastern
European Standard Time (EET) is
2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT+2).
Like most states in Europe,
Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is
observed in Greece Time, where
the time is shifted forward by 1
hour; 3 hours ahead of Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT+3).
After the Summer months the time
in Greece Time is shifted back
by 1 hour to Eastern European
Time (EET) or (GMT+2)
Currency
EURO - Greece adopted
the Euro as its national
currency on 1 January, 2002.
Kos Island Banks
Banks on the island of Kos
are generally open from Monday
to Friday, 8am – 2.30pm.
Beware there is no ATM at the
Kos Island International airport
Ippokratis on Kos island, make
sure you have some cash or know
where to get some cash on
arrival in Kos island.
Remember to take your passport
to the bank to exchange money
into Euros, or cash your
traveller’s cheques at any bank.
Kos Island Climate and
Average Weather
The island of Kos has a
Mediterranean climate. Typically
dry hot summers (from June to
mid September) and mild winters
(from December to March)
prevailing. The lowest
temperatures being +8C degrees
and the highest being +34C
degrees.
Kos Island |
Air |
Sea |
January |
13°
C |
17,9°
C |
February |
15°
C |
17°
C |
March |
17°
C |
16.9°
C |
April |
21°
C |
17°
C |
May |
26°
C |
19.5°
C |
June |
30°
C |
22.5°
C |
July |
31°
C |
24°
C |
August |
30°
C |
25°
C |
September |
27°
C |
25°
C |
October |
20°
C |
23°
C |
November |
17°
C |
20°
C |
December |
15°
C |
19°
C |
Kos Island Geography and Population
The island of Kos is the third
largest island of the Dodecanese
group, after the islands of
Rhodes and Karpathos. It is
located south of Kalymnos and
Bodrum in Turkey and north of
Nisyros, very close to the
coasts of Turkey and about 200
nautical miles from Piraeus. Kos
has a total area of 290 sq km, a
coastline of 112 km and a
population of about 25,000
inhabitants. The island is
mostly flat and has two low
mountains.
The geography of Kos
distinguishes for the huge
coastline which is full of
golden beaches and many
beautiful islets right opposite,
such as Kastri islet opposite
Kefalos beach. The mainland of
Kos is verdant and incredibly
fertile, blessed with rich soil
and abundant ground water. Typical
Cost on Kos Island
English breakfast from 6 EURO.
Greek salad from 4 EURO.
Main course with a salad from 15
EURO.
Sunbeds on most Kos town
beaches are FREE if you buy your
drinks and food from the bar
running the beach. Your
discovery of the island further
afield may lead you to a lot of
private beaches, where a sunbed
rental typically costs 3EURO.
Travel Around Kos Island
Most visitors choose to be
independent and rent a car, as
the island of Kos is a great
place to discover on your own. You
will notice that most cars are
either economy class like Fiat
Panda or Hyundai Getz or 4x4
jeeps. It is recommended to rent
a car in advance to make sure
availability and best prices
especially during the high
season (mid June to mid
September).
The island of Kos also offers
a network of city buses and the
fare is quite cheap. The buses
stop at designated bus stops and
run to schedules, published at
most of the bus stops. Buses
link the main town with
Kardamena, Agios Stefanos,
Tigaki, Zia, Agios Fokas,
Mastihari and other beaches
around Kos.
Another option to travel around
Kos island is taxi, and the
prices are published at taxi
ranks around the island.
Bicycle rental is another great
alternative on Kos island. The
flat area around the coast is
very good for a ride to discover
the coastal areas of Kos island.
Health and Safety on Kos
Island
You may prefer not to drink the
tap water in Greece. Bottled
water is available everywhere
and is usually fairly cheap.
Pharmacies are the best first
stop for minor ailments. They
are usually open between 8.30am
and lunchtime. The pharmacists
usually speak English, are
knowledgeable and can supply a
wide range of medicines and
first-aid supplies.
After all, Kos is the island of
Hippocrates - the father of
medicine. There is Kos
Town hospital, the island
ambulance service, the health
centre at Antimachia. Health
insurance is highly recommended.
Electrical Appliances
Electricity in Greece is 220
volts, 50Hz AC; plugs have two
round pins. Visitors from abroad
who wish to use their own
electronic devices should bring
a plug adapter and a
transformer.
LOCATION OF THE PORT IN
KOS ISLAND
Kos ferry port is situated in
Kos town, in the north-east of
the island, and is a lively and
bustling port providing fast cat
and ferry connections to many of
the other Dodecanese islands and
Turkey.
Daily fast cats are linking the
port of Kos with Bodrum port in
Turkey, book in advance online.
Daily routes are linking the
port of Piraeus with Kos and
from Kos Island also is also
connected by ferry boats with
the Dodecanese Islands (Kos and
Rhodes), the Islands of the
Northeastern Aegean (Ikaria and
Samos) and Turkey.
GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES OF
KOS ISLAND PORT
36°51′N 27°14′E
KOS
ISLAND USEFUL TELEPHONES
Kos Port tel. +30 224 2028059
Our Office tel. +90 252 417 11 28
Kos Harbour Master tel. +30 2242
0 26594-6
Kos Customs tel. +30 2242
2022218
Kos Coast Guard tel. 108
|