| Pronunciation | Khoss |
|---|---|
| Alternate Spelling | Cos |
| Transportation | Air, ferry |
| Main Attractions | Beaches, antiquities |
| Food | Many excellent choices |
| Accommodations | Many excellent choices |
Kos Page 1Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese with a population of 27,000. Its land mass is 290 sq. km. Its coastline is 112 km. Kos lies 201 nautical miles from Piraeus. Kos has official customs and yacht facilities.
Kos has plenty of water and is very green. The roads are good and so are the beaches. The island is lush with flowers and orchards. The climate is very good all year around.
In antiquity, Kos had a population of over 165,000 and was a major trading port and later a religious center of the Byzantine Empire. There was a strong Turkish influence and a couple of centuries of rule by the Knights of St John. There are many antiquities and monuments on Kos.
There are lots of large self contained, resort-style hotels, filled in August with English,
Swedish and German package tourists. The aftermath of the 1993 earthquake
resulted in much new and charmless construction. The
castle, some surviving Italian built structures and the two minarets
manage to add character. One good thing about the quake was the revelation of
several Greek and Roman ancient sites smack in the center of
holiday Babylon. The interior of the island is relatively untouched,
but its coasts near the many sandy coves are becoming over-built. Inland it resembles parts of California: golden hills, vineyards, groves, and grazing animals. Lots of lettuce is grown here. There are also many watermelon fields.
The only problems with Kos are the hordes of tourists, touts, neon, loud night clubs and drunken revelers. You can even get a tattoo!
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