Kos walking tour & city guide

Kos Town

The Castle of the Knights, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, guards the harbour entrance and is reached by a bridge over a palm-lined avenue. Right beside it grows the Plane Tree of Hippocrates, a huge old tree propped up on supports, under which, according to tradition, Hippocrates taught his students.

Ancient remains are scattered all over the town: the Ancient Agora with its columns lies next to the old quarter, and the western excavations reveal Roman streets, mosaics and a small theatre. Eleftherias Square, with its Italian-built archaeological museum and old covered market, is the town's main square.

A walking route

Start at the harbour and walk to the Castle of the Knights and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates. Continue through the Ancient Agora to Eleftherias Square, then wander the lanes of the old quarter and finish along the seafront promenade, which runs past the beaches in both directions from the harbour.

The Asklepion and beyond

About four kilometres from town, the Asklepion was an ancient healing sanctuary and medical school built on terraces with views across the sea to Turkey. Kos is flat around the town and has many cycle lanes, so bikes are a popular way to reach the Asklepion and the beaches of Lambi and Psalidi. Further west are the long sandy beaches of Tigaki, Marmari and Kefalos.

Visiting tips

Kos has an international airport with many summer flights, and ferries to the other Dodecanese islands, Piraeus and Bodrum in Turkey. Summers are hot and the meltemi wind can blow on the north coast. Spring and early autumn are ideal for walking and cycling.