We visited Kos, Greece in October 2013, midway through a year-long round-the-world trip, arriving off an overnight ferry from Santorini soaked to the skin and running on almost no sleep. It wasn’t glamorous. It also remains one of the more memorable stops of that entire year — a laid-back island with genuine ancient pedigree, close enough to Turkiye to see it from the shore, and refreshingly light on the polish (and price tag) of its more famous Cycladic neighbours.
Which makes it interesting that, in 2026, Kos is gaining traction among those looking to escape the tourist-heavy areas of Santorini and Mykonos. We’re not remotely surprised. Here’s what we found back in 2013, and what’s genuinely changed since.
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Quick Facts Before You Go
| Location | Dodecanese, south-eastern Aegean
3 nautical miles off Turkiye |
| Claim to fame | Birthplace of Hippocrates, father of medicine |
| Nearest Turkish town | Bodrum (visible across the water in clear weather) |
| Best base for sightseeing | Kos Town |
| Getting there | Ferry from Piraeus/other islands, or fly direct
into Kos Airport |
| When we visited | October 2013 |
Why Kos Matters (Beyond the Beaches)
Kos was the birthplace of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, born on the island around 460 BC, where he founded the Great School of Medicine of Kos. The island’s genuinely temperate climate — the Roman physician Galen once called it “the most temperate place in the world” — is partly why. It’s also volcanic in origin: geological surveys have traced seven volcanoes between Kos and neighbouring Nisyros, one of them dormant in the Kefalos Isthmus today. A major eruption roughly 160,000 years ago blanketed the western half of the island in volcanic ash some 30 metres thick — which, centuries later, is exactly what makes Kos’s soil so fertile. There’s an old local saying for it: “whom Kos cannot nourish, Egypt cannot either.”
Getting There: Our (Slightly Chaotic) Overnight Ferry
We left Oia, Santorini at 11 pm by transfer to the ferry port, bound for a 12.50 am departure with Blue Star Ferries — still, in 2026, one of the main operators serving the Piraeus–Santorini–Kos–Rhodes route and beyond, so this crossing remains a genuine, bookable option today. Our ferry ran late, sleep was next to impossible even with reserved seats, and we arrived into Kos harbour at 7 am to overcast skies and rain — running for the taxi rank soaked through. We were staying at Jonathan Studios in Tigaki, about 15 minutes from Kos Town, and were lucky enough to check in early to dry off before the day properly began.
Book a room at Jonathan Studios here
If you’re planning a similar island-hop today: overnight ferries between the Cyclades and Dodecanese are still common and often the most time-efficient way to combine islands without flying. Book cabin or reserved seating if you want any real chance of sleep, and build slack into your first day for exactly this kind of delayed, damp arrival — it happens more often than the brochures suggest.
Kos Town: Castle, Palm Avenue and the Old Town
Castle of Neratzia
The Castle of Neratzia guards the entrance to Kos harbour, built by the Knights Hospitaller between 1436 and 1514 using recycled stone from the ancient city of Kos and the nearby Asklepieion — look closely at the walls, and you’ll spot the reused ancient masonry. When we visited in 2013, the castle was open and walkable. It’s worth knowing that a 2017 earthquake damaged the structure and closed it to the public for years afterwards — but as of 2026, it has reopened, with a modest €5 admission. If a castle visit matters to your itinerary, it’s worth checking current opening status before you go, as access has shifted more than once since our visit.
Finikon (Palm Tree Avenue)
Just below the castle runs Finikon — Palm Tree Avenue — a palm-lined promenade that follows what used to be the castle’s moat before it was converted into a street in 1878. We walked beneath the old stone bridge connecting the castle to the town, with people walking along the top of it, which gives you a genuine sense of the castle’s original fortified layout even from street level.
Eleftherias Square
Eleftherias (“Freedom”) Square is the old town’s central gathering point — home to the Archaeological Museum, the public library, and the municipal market, and a natural anchor for exploring the surrounding lanes.
We spent a happy hour or two simply wandering the Old Town’s back streets and ruins beyond these three landmarks — this is genuinely one of the best free things to do in Kos, and hasn’t changed in character in the years since our visit.
What We’d Do Differently
If we were planning this trip again, we’d base ourselves in Kos Town itself rather than out in Tigaki. At the time, the self-catering studio and the quieter beachside setting seemed like the sensible choice — but once we’d spent a couple of days discovering just how much is packed into Kos Town (the castle, Finikon, Eleftherias Square, the Old Town’s back streets, the harbour, restaurants and nightlife all within easy walking distance), the 15-minute trip back out to Tigaki each evening felt like time we’d rather have spent exploring. If sightseeing and atmosphere matter more to you than a quiet beachfront stay, we’d genuinely recommend staying in Kos Town and treating Tigaki (and the island’s other villages) as easy day trips instead.
The Villages Beyond Kos Town
Kos rewards getting outside the main town, even briefly:
- Tigaki — where we stayed, about 11km from Kos Town, with the Alikes wetland nearby and a scatter of small inland villages beyond it.
- Zia — perched in the Asfendiou area, known island-wide for its sunset views.
- Kefalos — the island’s original ancient capital, on a hill at the island’s south-western tip, with castle ruins, a traditional windmill, and nearby ruins of ancient Astypalea and a temple to Demeter.
- Mastichari — a small western port linking to Kalymnos, with Early Christian basilica ruins nearby.
- Antimachia — an ancient settlement whose name hasn’t changed in three thousand years, with a 14th-century Knights of St John castle a short walk away.
Most of these villages hold their own summer festivals through July and August, honouring various saints — worth checking local listings if you want to catch one.
Where to Eat
Vasilis Restaurant, Tigaki — one of our best meals of the whole trip. We had baked feta wrapped in foil with a slice of tomato as a starter (genuinely excellent), followed by lamb and swordfish mains, all for around €30 for two. The good news: Vasilis started as a traditional fish tavern serving high-quality cuisine since 1978, and it’s still operating today, still well-reviewed, and has since added a wood-fired oven to the menu alongside its Greek classics. We’d happily eat there again.
Ambrosia — a good spot for a cold local beer in Kos Town after a hot day of sightseeing.
A small local tip that’s aged well: Fix beer prices vary noticeably between islands — we paid €1.35 a bottle in Kos versus €1.20 in Oia and just €0.97 in Paros. If you’re island-hopping, it’s a fun thing to track, even if the exact numbers will be higher today.
Practical Chaos: Ferries, Visas and Buses
Some of the most memorable parts of any trip are the logistics that don’t go to plan, and Kos gave us a few:
- We’d paid for two ferry tickets onward but received only one voucher, and were sent between three separate travel agents before finding the right office — worth double-checking your ferry paperwork immediately after booking, wherever you’re travelling.
- We needed printed copies of our Turkish visas and were sent around the block a few times before finding an internet café that could print them, for €0.60. If you’re island-hopping onward into Turkey, sort your paperwork and printing well before you need it — Wi-Fi and printing access can be patchier on smaller islands than you’d expect.
- Local buses into Kos Town cost €2 per person and fill up fast — we made the last two seats on one departure before it left early, standing room only. Arrive at the stop with time to spare.
Tours and Day Trips
Kos is a genuinely good base for island-hopping and day trips — during our visit, local operators ran everything from a full Kos Island tour to hydrofoil day trips to Rhodes, Patmos and Symi, a Nisyros volcano excursion, sunset trips to Zia, thermal springs visits, and day trips across to Bodrum in Turkey. These kinds of tours are still widely available from operators based in Tigaki and Kos Town today — pricing will be higher than our 2013 notes, so check current operator listings (Get Your Guide lists current Kos-based tours) rather than relying on old figures.
Budget Guide
A rough per-person daily estimate for Kos in 2026:
| Style | Daily Budget (USD) | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | $35–55 | Self-catering studio, local tavernas,
local bus |
| Mid-range | $60–110 | Comfortable hotel/studio,
restaurant meals, one or two day tours |
| Comfort | $150+ | Higher-end resort stay,
private transfers, multiple guided excursions |
Kos remains noticeably cheaper than Santorini or Mykonos for food and accommodation — a real part of its current appeal as travellers look for value alongside the scenery.
When to Visit Kos
May–June and September–October offer the best balance of warm weather and thinner crowds. July–August is peak season, hot and busy, and can also be genuinely windy, as we found during our own October visit — pack accordingly regardless of season.
Kos FAQs
Is Kos worth visiting instead of Santorini or Mykonos? For a different kind of trip, yes — Kos trades postcard cliffside views for ancient history, a more laid-back pace, and noticeably lower prices, which is exactly why it’s gaining traction in 2026 among travellers looking to escape the more tourist-heavy Cycladic islands.
Can you see Turkiye from Kos? Yes — on a clear day you can see across to the Turkish coast near Bodrum from Kos Town’s foreshore, and organised day trips across to Bodrum are a popular add-on.
Is the Castle of Neratzia open to visitors? It reopened in 2026 after being closed for years following 2017 earthquake damage, with a small entrance fee. Check the current status before you visit, as access has changed more than once.
How do you get to Kos? By direct flight into Kos International Airport, or by ferry — Blue Star Ferries and other operators connect Kos to Piraeus and other Aegean islands, including Santorini.
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Is Kos good for a multi-island itinerary? Yes — its location makes it a natural hub for hydrofoil day trips to nearby islands (Rhodes, Patmos, Symi, Nisyros) and even across to Bodrum, Turkey.
Final Thoughts
Kos gave us one of the more grounded, unpolished stops of our entire round-the-world year — a soaked, sleepless arrival that turned into feta and lamb dinners, a Knights’ castle, and views straight across to another country. Thirteen years on, it’s genuinely satisfying to see the island getting its due as travellers look beyond Santorini and Mykonos for something a little quieter, a little older, and considerably better value. If it’s on your radar for 2026, it’s earned the attention.
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