We spent 12 days on Kos and one day on the island of Nisyros and made the most of our time. We were there in the first half of June 2025 and enjoyed clear blue skies throughout, with temperatures around 27 degrees. There was often a light breeze, which was quite pleasant in the heat. Here are our places to visit with many photos and videos.
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Psalidi Beach and Psalidi Wetlands Kos

On the first day we went straight into nature: to the Psalidi Wetlands Kos, a small lagoon landscape on the east coast of Kos. Despite the heat, the area was not dry; on the contrary, there was plenty of water where a group of about 15 flamingos had settled. This detour was already worth it.

After a long path next to the reed landscape, we finally arrived at the eastern end of Psalidi Beach. This beach is rocky and tends to be a bit windy, was almost deserted, and compared to other beaches on Kos had fewer sunbeds set up. Around it there was a lot of dry landscape and remains of old bunker facilities from wartime.

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Kos Town: the Old Town, the Roman Odeon and the Western Archaeological Zone

Kos Town combines Greek atmosphere with historic landmarks and tourist streets. At the harbor, sailing boats and excursion ships are lined up, and you are approached by vendors promoting boat tours. Behind it begins the Old Town with narrow alleys, white houses, bougainvillea and other flowers, as well as small squares with cafés, taverns and souvenir shops. Overall, despite its very tourist-oriented character, Kos Town in my opinion is worth a day trip.

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Very close to the center of Kos Town lies the Roman Odeon. The small theater dates from the 2nd century AD and was used at that time for various cultural events. It is free to access and I was pleasantly surprised, certainly because it is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings on Kos.

Since you do not spend much time at the Roman Odeon, you can then visit the Western Archaeological Zone directly across the street. This site is also freely accessible and does not require an entrance fee. This important excavation area of Kos has well-preserved remains from the Roman and Hellenistic periods such as colonnaded streets, bath complexes, floor mosaics and parts of ancient temples.

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Plaka Forest on Kos: white peacocks in the pine forest

Plaka Forest, located not far from Kos Airport, is a beautiful pine forest with free-ranging peacocks. And there are really many of them. It is easy to get there by car and there is also no entrance fee. A bit deeper into the forest we even saw a white peacock. The animals are accustomed to people, which allowed me to get very close with the camera without disturbing them. When we were there, we also saw many peacock chicks. Turtles and other animals apparently live here as well. This forest was definitely one of my personal highlights on Kos.

Alikes Salt Lake and Igroviotopos Alikis wetland with adjacent Flamingo Beach near Tigaki

Just outside Tigaki lies Alikes Salt Lake, which we at least took a brief look at. In summer it often dries out, but when we were there only a small part was dry and had left behind a cracked-looking surface from which tiny plants were growing. The surrounding protected area is called Igroviotopos. With some luck you can also observe flamingos and other birds here. During our visit we did not see any.

Directly adjacent is Flamingo Beach, a wide, narrow and pleasantly quiet beach. What makes it especially charming is the calm, vast and natural landscape stretching behind it.

Zia: mountain village with views and a good spot for sunset

Zia is a small mountain village in the center of the island of Kos and a perfect place to experience the sunset. As in Kos Town, Zia is also strongly influenced by tourism. However, the taverns, small shops and souvenir stores blend in visually with the village in an appealing way. When we visited, the terraces filled with people who wanted to enjoy the wide view over the island and the sea, including the salt lake. We watched the sunset directly from a restaurant.

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Agios Stefanos Beach with the ruins of the Agios Stefanos Basilicas and a view of the island of Kastri

For us the journey continued toward Kefalos, where we switched to a new accommodation. The drive from Kos Town takes only 45 minutes, but we decided to always stay close to the excursion spots and therefore split our vacation between two accommodations.

Agios Stefanos Beach and the ruins of the Agios Stefanos Basilicas

From here in the afternoon we walked to Agios Stefanos Beach in the Kampos district, where the remains of the Agios Stefanos Basilicas are located. This area is not very large, but the combination of beach and sea together with the view of the island of Kastri makes it worth seeing. The rock formations in the sea between the island of Kos and Kastri also add to its charm.

The island of Kastri, Greece

The small island of Kastri with the chapel of Agios Nikolaos is definitely a postcard-worthy motif. The best view is from Agios Stefanos Beach, which we then walked along. From there you can also swim across, as the distance is not particularly far and the water is mostly very shallow. We also saw boats stopping there and apparently you can rent pedal boats, although we did not.

Psilos Gremos Beach, our favorite among the beaches on Kos

Psilos Gremos Beach on Kos lies between Markos Beach and Magic Beach and belongs to the municipality of Irakleides. This does not officially belong to Kefalos but is located right next to it. It is easily accessible by car, and if you dare to drive down the short steep slope, you can park directly at the beach.

We spent three full days at this quiet beach on Kos because it had everything we needed:

• Two sunbeds cost 15 euros per day.
• A small beach hut sells filled baguettes, coffee and snacks.
• Directly above is a restaurant with very good fish.
• The sanitary facilities of the restaurant may also be used by beach visitors.
• The fine sandy beach is almost stone-free and therefore great for walking barefoot.
• The water quickly becomes deep, which is practical for swimming.
• There are changing cabins on the beach.
• On all our visits the beach was pleasantly empty. Usually only the first row of sunbeds at Psilos Gremos Beach was occupied.
• Easily accessible by car and with plenty of parking spaces available.

Paradise Beach with water park in Kefalos: not our favorite

During our stay in Kefalos we also wanted to explore other beaches and therefore visited Paradise Beach, which also has a water park. This beach is apparently well connected by bus and is often recommended. However, it did not convince us, as it was quite rocky and rather crowded. We then returned to the quieter Psilos Gremos Beach.

The village of Kefalos on Kos: apart from the view not much to see

Kefalos on Kos is located on a hill and offers wide views over Kamari Bay to the other end of the island as well as to neighboring islands. When we were there it was very quiet and it seemed as if that is mostly the case. Because apart from an old windmill, a few scattered shops, restaurants and cafés, a small church and a chapel there is not much to discover. Still it was enough for a few nice photos.

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Kamari on Kamari Bay: the small harbor town below Kefalos

Kamari lies directly on the coast of Kamari Bay, below Kefalos. The town is also very small but has more cafés, restaurants and also bars than the village of Kefalos, probably due to its proximity to the water. This leads to more activity, also because of the hotels and apartments located there. We ate in a tavern called “Taverna Cavos” right by the water, which had very good food. Overall the sea view from Kamari is particularly beautiful because the water is well filtered by the rocks and appears very clear and blue.

At the small harbor of Kamari there were a few fishing boats and a yacht when we were there, as well as an angler who had arrived on his scooter. Not far from the harbor there is also a bar-restaurant, and behind it a decommissioned old yacht.

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By quad over the hill region behind Kefalos on Kos to the remote Cavo Paradiso Beach

This Paradise Beach on the southwest coast of the island of Kos is quite the opposite of the previously mentioned Paradise Beach in Kefalos. The journey there is already a little adventure, as the beach is not very easy to reach. We rented a quad for 65 euros. Prices ranged between 55 and 120 euros per day depending on the vehicle and model. Before departure there was a short briefing, but driving is straightforward and easy to understand.

The route first leads through the village of Kefalos and then continues into the hilly landscape, which could almost be called mountainous. At the beginning the roads are still paved with only a few potholes, but soon you can turn onto rocky narrow paths with open drops. Here you definitely need four-wheel drive. According to our quad rental provider you should not rely too much on the marked routes in Google Maps. We actually turned back on one unsecured section because it seemed too dangerous to us.

We then continued to the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist (“Saint John the Baptist Holy Orthodox Chapel of Thyme”), where there is also a parking area. During our stop I unfortunately witnessed a quad that overturned several times and fell down the slope. I was the first person at the scene of the accident. Fortunately the two riders were largely unharmed, as they had managed to jump off beforehand. Please drive carefully!

For us the ride then continued downhill by quad to the remote Paradise Beach, also known as Cavo Paradiso Beach. Some even drove the route with small cars without four-wheel drive, which we would not have dared. With the quad, however, it was no problem. At the bottom there is a small parking area with a snack bar. Only simple items like chips and drinks are sold there. There are a few sunbeds and overall few visitors. Toilets are not available.

The beach stretches widely in both directions with an impressive backdrop of light layered rock walls on one side, the partly very wide beach in the middle and the sea on the other side. The hills in the background also add to the scenery. At the right end lies a capsized sailboat that is half buried in the sand. At the left end is the “Mystic Phenomenal Beach” (name according to Google Maps), which can be reached on foot and is even quieter. Overall this trip was definitely worth it.

A short stop at Limnionas Beach

We then took the quad to Limnionas Beach, a quiet secluded bay with two small sandy beaches, some sunbeds and a few boats, partly surrounded by rocks. It is also located a bit off the main roads and is therefore not very busy, but the road leading there is in very good condition, making it accessible with any car. Here too there was excellent food at the nearby “Restaurant Limnionas” with a view of the bay.

The harbor village of Kardamaina in the center of the island of Kos

Let’s move on to the village of Kardamaina, which is centrally located on the island of Kos and not far from the airport. When we visited it was much livelier here than in many other places on the island. Kardamaina plays an important role when it comes to reaching other islands or parts of Kos by boat. There are many tourist shops as well as numerous cafés, bars and restaurants.

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A day trip to Mandraki on the island of Nisyros

Crossing from Kos

We took a day trip from Kardamaina to Nisyros and used the ferry operated by Captain Dimitris. We bought the round-trip tickets for 20 euros per person at their small office in Kardamaina. The crossing took one hour.

The village of Mandraki on Nisyros, Greece

After the crossing the boat docks at the harbor of Mandraki, the main town of the island of Nisyros. While many tourists gather there at first, they quickly spread out across the island and it becomes much quieter. You have various options such as taking a guided tour to the volcano or renting a scooter or a car to explore remote beaches and places like Nikia or Pali. We focused on Mandraki, as we could reach everything there on foot and were very interested in the small alleys with white or at least light-painted houses.

And we were not disappointed, as the distinctive architecture gives the town an appearance that in our eyes makes it a very worthwhile destination. The small alleys lead at times to relaxed restaurants and cafés, at times to the entrance of Paralia Chochlaki Beach, to small tourist shops, or to the entrance of the Virgin Mary Spiliani Monastery. We paid 2 euros each for entry to the monastery. The visit is worthwhile both for the unique interior design and for the wide view over Mandraki with the sea and the island of Strongyli in the background.

We could have also walked to the Paleokastro Castle on the hill nearby, but we decided against it because of the heat. All over Mandraki we encountered many tame cats, including some kittens. We took our time in Mandraki and later returned to the harbor, where we had a drink at a café while waiting for our boat back to Kos.

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Map of Kos & Nisyros: all visited places

My conclusion

For the length of this vacation Kos was a perfect destination. There would have been even more excursion options such as the Therma Springs with a natural hot spring for bathing, the Hippocrates Garden near the airport, the Asklepieion of Kos, hiking trails and much more. However we were very satisfied with our chosen destinations and had a good balance of exploration and relaxation. The amenities were very good and in terms of prices I would classify Kos as a mid-range option. The off-season on Kos was the ideal travel time for us since it was already very warm and at the same time quieter than during peak season.