Kos Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Kos, Dodecanese, Greece)

Something for all ages and certainly all of the family in Kos Town's vehicular 'Tourist Train', which plies the main streets of the town and passes many notable tourist attractions along the way, offering a simple and pleasant way to sightsee.

The mountain villages around Kos make for a pleasant alternative to the island's beaches and water sports attractions, particularly those around the northerly slopes of the Dikeos mountain range. All of these village attractions are very quiet and at times, you may not even see another tourist, since most rarely leave the beaches and the bars.

Tourist Train

Address: Municipality Building, Vasileos Georgiou 1, Kos, Greece, GR
Guided tours onboard the Tourist Train start from the Municipality Building on the Vasileos Georgiou, close to Mandraki Harbour, and come highly recommended. The train is hard to miss, bring bright white and green is colour, with the journey lasting around 20 minutes or thereabouts.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Kefalos Bay and Kamari

Address: Kamari / Kefalos Bay, Kos, Greece, GR
From Antimahia, the sprawling Kefalos Bay can be reached along the main road and boasts no less than 12 km / 7 miles of golden sand and many related attractions. The huge expanse is roughly grouped as seven separate beaches, with the most most well-known being Paradise Beach, although both Exotic Beach and Langada Beach (Banana) are also worth look, being less crowded and making a very acceptable compromise. On the far western side of Kefalos Bay, Agios Stefanos Beach is home to a huge 'Club Med' complex. Situated directly below Kefalos, the resort of Kamari is based around a 2-km / 1.5-mile beach, which is cram-packed with bars, restaurants and hotels. Kamari Beach offers one of the best selections of water sport attractions on Kos, as well as boat trips to the nearby island of Nisyros.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free

Hippocrates Plane Tree

Address: Plateia Platanou, Kos, Greece, GR
Located on the northern side of the Ancient Agora attraction, the Hippocrates Plane Tree is especially famous in Kos Town and dominates the charming cobblestone square of Plateia Platanou, standing next to the Castle of the Knights. The Hippocrates Plane Tree is believed to be the oldest and largest of its kind in the whole of Europe and stretches for over 15 metres / 50 feet in diameters. Legend says that it was under this very tree where the ancient Greek physician of Hippocrates once taught his pupils in the shade provided by this very tree, some 2,400 years ago, although both historians and botanists think it highly unlikely that this plane tree is actually that old.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free

Mastihari Village / Resort

Address: Mastihari, Kos, Greece, GR
Tourists who would like to head away from the large crowds of travellers which will inevitably being hanging around Kos Town should seriously consider heading to the resort of Mastihari, which lies some 30 km / 19 miles away. Mastihari caters very well for independent holiday makers, and this village features a good sandy beaches and much more of a noticeable Greek flavour than other parts of the island. Ferries regularly depart from Mastihari headed for Pothia on the island of Kalymnos, while day trippers may like to take a boat trip to nearby Pserimos.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free

Mountain Villages

Many attractive and appealing villages are scattered around the mountains of Kos. The village of Zipari lies around 10 km / 6 miles from the capital of Kos Town and is worth a look. Nearby, head onto the highly recommended Taverna Panorama for lunch, before reaching the beautiful hamlet of Agios Dimitrios. A little more lively and located next to Agios Dimitrios is the village of Zia, which contains many more commercial tourist attractions and shops, and at times can pull in visitors by the coachload. If you have time, head to the north-west of Zia and visit the villages Lagoudi, Amaniou, and also Pyli, which is overlooked by the remains of a castle.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free