This year I will have worked in travel for 19 years and have been obsessed with travel for almost 40! They say I’m a fountain of knowledge about lots of destinations (they are me!). I wanted to share that knowledge with you. I thought I’d start with one of my favourite Greek islands. The first one I visited and the one where my husband and I got married on, the island of Kos. We’ve visited 4 times now, three times with kids at various stages of their lives. We have managed to see a lot of the sights but still know there’s lots more to discover on this beautiful Dodecanese island.
Getting there
Just a 4 – 4.5 hour flight from the UK and direct flights from lots of UK airports make Kos easily accessible for many people. The summer season officially runs from May – October but many flights will begin flying out from mid-April. You can expect summer temperatures to range between 23°C and 35°C with very few rainy days. Kos benefits from being one of the furthest south of the Greek islands, therefore, giving it a much longer season than the Ionian islands.
On Arrival in Kos
On arrival in Kos, you will be transferred to your accommodation. You will have probably pre-booked this but taxis are available to grab at the airport too. The majority of resorts are a maximum of an hour’s drive which is a huge bonus for many after a 4-hour flight. Who doesn’t want to reach their hotel quicker?! This makes it great for anyone but especially families, undoubtedly kids just want to get there! It’s one thing getting them to be good on the plane but then to get them through the airport waiting for luggage and then in on a transfer. Even the biggest kids will be getting impatient by then and ready to explore!
Kos Town and Lambi
Kos town is approximately 30 minutes in a taxi from the airport sometimes a little longer on a coach transfer depending on drop-offs but should be no more than an hour. Steeped in history the centre of Kos town is fascinating with lots to see, many of the hotels right in the centre may suit couples more than families but the nearby beach resort of Lambi is great for families with sand and pebble shoreline. As it’s only 2km from Kos Town, you definitely can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Kardamena
Kardamena has a transfer time of around 45 minutes in a taxi. It has a reputation for being a party town and its famous bar street is far from sleepy, but it is not like Laganas or Kavos these days! After staying in Kardamena twice with kids, once for our wedding, we genuinely have never felt out of place.
The main square has a selection of bars and cafes including our favourite bar, the Stone Roses. Head on down to the harbour for a wide choice of restaurants and cocktail bars. There’s a huge selection of accommodation choices in Kardamena from 5* all-inclusive luxury to budget-friendly self-catering properties.
Tigaki
Tigaki (sometimes you’ll see it written Tingaki too) is around 30 mins in a taxi from the airport. A very laid-back, easy-going beach resort on the north of the island. It’s great for those who prefer a slower pace with a great selection of beach bars and restaurants to choose from. The beach here is the main attraction. There’s 6km of soft white sand and the chance to give kitesurfing a go or just opt for a pedalo if you want a slower pace. It’s only 11km from Kos Town, so it’s easy to reach for a night out or a day trip.
Kefalos is a traditional hillside village on the south of the island. It’s 40km from Kos town and again approximately 30 minutes from the airport in a taxi. The beach here is one of the prettiest on the island, known as Kamari Beach it’s approximately 2km from Kefalos centre. There’s a good mix of accommodation to suit everyone from rustic self-catering properties to the ultra-modern Ikos Aria.
Psalidi
Psalidi is a 5-minute drive from Kos Town, just under an hour from the airport. A small resort with a sand and shingle beach is home to some great family all-inclusive hotels and a big selection of bars and restaurants along the promenade. The gentle shelving waters and views over to Turkey make it a popular choice with families.
Marmari
Marmari is another resort which is fairly laid back with a selection of bars and restaurants and home to mostly all-inclusive hotels (there is a selection of self-catering properties too) such as the Holiday Village Kos. It’s a lovely short 20-minute transfer time. If the beach is the star attraction of your holiday Marmari might just fit the bill, its 2km stretch of white sand gets cleaned twice daily keeping it pristine.
Out and about on the Island of Kos
Getting around the island is very easy. Lots of car hire options around and the island has a great bus service serving all the main resorts, taxi’s also are fairly inexpensive. With my experience of staying in Kardamena, we’ve got the bus over to Kos town a few times and it takes a little over 30 minutes and is by far the most cost-effective way. Taxis are readily available and are the quickest option. The third way of getting around is by boat with a few boats in Kardamena harbour selling trips to Kos town, and this is probably the most scenic and memorable way to do the trip!
A visit to Kos town is not complete without a trip around the town on the “train” to see all the sights. The capital of the island is steeped in history and the old town walls are still partially intact. You can even visit the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, legend says under this tree Hippocrates taught his students medicine. It’s a great place for a day of shopping with winding back streets around shops selling traditional goods and souvenirs and dotted with cafes and bars between to keep you refreshed!
Paradise/Bubble Beach
Paradise Beach also known as bubble beach is one of the most famous beaches in Kos. It’s known as a bubble beach because volcanic gasses under the shoreline create small bubbles that you can walk through. A great trip for kids and adults alike.
Zia
Zia is another trip that’s highly recommended, a trip to the old-time usually for an evening for a traditional Greek night. Lots of good food, music and dancing are a great way to immerse yourself in the Greek culture.
Kos to Turkey day trip
For something different, you can even go on a day trip to Turkey! It’s only around an hour’s boat ride from Kos Town to Bodrum and daily trips are available from the harbour if you want to experience another country on your travels!
Accommodation options
There is a huge range of hotels on the island of Kos to suit everyone from small and friendly self-catering properties to huge multi-complex all-inclusive hotels.
One all-inclusive hotel that always gets lots of compliments and returning guests is the Mitsis Blue Domes. I haven’t stayed here personally but I have stayed in the sister hotels, the Norida Beach and the Family Village all located on the outskirts of Kardamena on one big site. The Blue domes are the newer of the 4 hotels on the complex and the most impressive. I highly recommend the Mitsis hotels for all-inclusive in Greece with high-standard hotels but keeping Greek traditional in there. The food has always been brilliant, so good in fact that Jay managed to put on so much weight in a week that he couldn’t fit into his wedding trousers!
If all-inclusive isn’t your thing there is also a huge range of self-catering properties to suit and some amazing restaurants to eat in too!
We got Married in Kos!
As I mentioned, we got married on the island of Kos. Right on Kardamena Beach, a very small intimate ceremony at dusk was perfect for us. All my dreams came true thanks to our amazing wedding planner Emma from Weddings in Kos. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to get married anywhere on the island.
Kos does suit everyone, there’s so much to see and do. After 4 trips I still have lots to see still and lots of food to eat! Kardamena is my favourite resort but on each trip, we have been sure to visit Kos town at least once. A walk around the ruins, the shops, the harbour and the restaurants are perfect to spend the day.
Niamh’s opinion age 11
“Kos is extremely nice, there is a lot of fun things. Personally my favourite is the beach in Kardamena, because it is lovely and sandy. A pizza from any restaurant is really nice, so I recommend that! Anyone would like it is good for anyone .”
Basics
- Flight time 4-4.5 hours
- Time zone GMT+2
- Language Greek
- Currency Euro
- When to go May – October
- How to get there From the UK there are flights pretty much daily
- Who should travel here? Everyone, Singles, couples, families…. there’s something to suit everyone.
I hope this has been helpful for anyone considering Kos. These tourist resorts so are happy to see tourism again and I for one cannot wait to get going again!
If you have any more tips about Kos I’d love to know, please let me know in the comments. Even after 4 trips, I know there’s still loads for me to discover and explore.
As well as Kos, we’ve been to Crete, Rhodes, Zante, Kefalonia and Corfu in Greece and I will be creating guides for them all and all of the rest!
Take care.
Becky x
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