Kos

Kos is beautiful but offers less greenery than Corfu, for example, and significantly less variety and historical buildings than Rhodes, for example. As car hire prices have risen in recent weeks to at least €125 a day for a small car, we switch to a 50cc scooter. We tour to the western end of Kos, climbing steep hills in the blazing sun and gazing out at the endless blue. We stay away from the few tourist hotspots that are approached every day by an armada of large buses.

At sunset, we drive to the highest mountain village of Zia. It’s all hustle and bustle here, but that’s to be expected given the panorama. The moon rises over the mountains. Clouds sweep over the ridge. After a hard climb, we roll back down to Tigaki, which is much warmer despite the difference in altitude of only 300 metres.

To avoid the crowds, we set off for Kos town at sunrise. Apart from the medieval fortress in the harbour, a few Roman archaeological sites and a few buildings from the Ottoman period of 1522 and 1912, there is little to discover. Our highlights are a few beautiful alleyways full of closed pubs and a few Art Deco buildings that were apparently all built after the great earthquake of 1933.

We move on to the south of Kos. At the end of a panoramic road with a view of Rhodes, there is a small sulphurous thermal pool that flows into the sea. An old house, probably built in the most surreal place on Kos, is guarded only by goats.

Kos’ most famous historical site is the Asklepion, the most important birthplace and teaching centre of Western medicine. The ruins are sparsely labelled. There is hardly any interesting information. 2500 year old remains drown butt 8 € entrance fee quietly in a sea of visitors. The view of Turkey and Kos town is great, but even better and free from the mountain roads further up.

The old mountain village of Palio Pyli was abandoned after a cholera epidemic in 1846. We ride in 35° heat until the bike can no longer hold on against the mountain. Then we walk a few metres uphill until we have a view of the old houses and castle on a rocky outcrop. The inhabitants never came back. They built a new Palio Pyli a few metres further down. With more distance.

On the last day, fully loaded with all the kite equipment, we take the scooter to the nearby Golden Beach in Marmari. With a few drinks from the nearby Swallow’s Nest, the sunbeds are free. Kitesurfing is also tolerated here, one of the few spots on the whole of Kos without a wind licence fee. In a mild 18 knots, I take my first turns after the longest break from kiting in 22 years and am happy. The sandy beach slopes down slowly. The waves break gently and beautifully. Unlike at the end of Tigaki Beach with its three-centimetre thorny tendrils, there are no dangers on the beach.

The Alikes salt lake near Tigaki is famous for its flamingos. However, they are currently on holiday. We sneak off for one last good dinner in the last restaurant, pack our things and prepare for the next island.