Kos

Cycling between the agora, Neratzia Castle and the Asklepieion

Rent a bike on your first morning in Kos town and ride the flat streets between the ruins: the Ancient Agora by the harbour, the walls of Neratzia Castle, built by the Knights of Saint John, and the Asklepieion, the healing sanctuary on the hill south-west of town. Ask locally whether the castle interior has reopened.

Start at the Ancient Agora by the harbour, walk round the walls of Neratzia Castle, built by the Knights of Saint John to guard the port (the interior was shut after the 2017 earthquake, so ask locally whether you can go in), then spend the late morning in the Archaeological Museum with the statue of Hippocrates and the Casa Romana mosaic. After lunch, see the Casa Romana itself and the Roman Odeon, both a few minutes apart, and finish with an evening walk along the harbour.

On day two, cycle or take the bus out to the Asklepieion early, before the heat builds, and climb its terraces for the view across the strait to Turkey. Spend the afternoon at Therma on the southeast coast, soaking in the pools where hot spring water spills into the sea. Late in the day, drive up to Zia on the mountain slopes for sunset and dinner, and come back down to town in the dark.

Pita gyros, krasotyri and village tavernas on Kos

The cheapest meal on Kos is a pita gyros from almost any snack bar in town. For dinner, Mummy's Cooking near Dolphin Square serves family dishes of the day, and in the hill villages tavernas offer krasotyri, the local cheese aged in wine, with grilled meats and island salads.

The cheapest meal on the island is the one locals grab between errands: a pita gyros, sold by almost every snack bar and taverna in Kos town. For a sit-down dinner, Mummy's Cooking on Bouboulinas, near Dolphin Square, is a family taverna where the son of the house steers you through the dishes of the day, and its moussaka is the reason many people come back.

Outside town the better tables are in the villages. Ampeli in Tigaki is a traditional taverna a short walk back from the beach, Lofaki sits at Agios Nektarios about 4 km south of town, and the Watermill of Zia pairs a mountain setting with the sunset crowd. Look out for krasotyri, the island's cheese matured in wine, and order fish where the boats land, at the little harbours of Mastichari and Kardamena. In the resort strips of Tigaki and Kardamena, menus lean towards British and German holiday food, so walk a street back from the beach before choosing.

Ferries from Kos to Kalymnos, Nisyros and Bodrum

Kos is a good hub. Small ferries from Mastichari reach Kalymnos about every two hours for a day around Pothia harbour, boats from Kardamena run to Nisyros and its steaming volcano crater in high season, and Bodrum in Turkey is a short crossing from Kos town; bring your passport.

Kos works well as a hub. From Mastichari, near the airport, small ferries leave for Kalymnos about every two hours; the sponge-diving island is close enough for a day of lunch and a walk round Pothia harbour. In high season, daily boats sail from Kardamena on the south coast to Nisyros, where you can walk down into the steaming crater of its volcano. Go early, as the crater floor gets hot by midday.

For Turkey, foot-passenger catamarans cross to Bodrum all year in about 25 minutes, so a day trip to the Castle of Saint Peter is easy either way. Some summer boats land at Bodrum's cruise terminal, several kilometres south of the marina. Carry your passport. Longer routes link Kos town daily with Rhodes, Patmos, Leros and Piraeus, and a few times a week with Santorini and Syros.