Kos

Kos was the first vacation i had together with my husband.Kos is a beautiful and peaceful small Greek island part of the Dodecanese islands.To get to it and back to Bratislava you have a plane that goes only in summer to both Kos and Crete. The plane leaves Bratislava, stops first in Kos and there the tourist who are going in vacation to Kos go down, while the ones who are going to Crete stay inside. Next the plane is loaded with the tourists who's vacation in Kos finished. The plane next flies to Crete. Here again fresh tourists go to vacation and the ones who's vacation finished come in the plane. Then the loaded plane leaves for Bratislava.

Our trip to Kos started late in the evening and when  we reached Greece was late at night. From the plane we could see the black sea and here and there like pearls the islands, illuminated with thousands of lights and the blue of the swimming pools.As we arrived on the Kos airport, a hotel shuttle was waiting for us and it took us to our hotel: Achileas Eurovillage. It was one of the most beautiful hotels I ever saw.

Actually it is a complex, with scattered rooms along the beautiful gardens filled with flowers and tall palm trees and along the beach. As we took the key to our room we walked through the beautiful garden,listening to the sound of the waves breaking on the shore.In the morning the first thing we saw on the window was the blue sea.

To go to breakfast from our room we went again through the garden and in the the morning light we admired the green palm trees, the red flowers, the white houses and the blue sea.Here and there there is a banana tree or a grapefruit tree and statues of Olympic Gods. 

 

 

On out way we see the hotels swimming pools: a large one and a small one for children. The restaurant is very large, spacious and flooded with sunlight. The food there is all inclusive and for all the tastes.

If you wish it you can also go and say your morning prayer in the hotel's Chapel.

After the breakfast went directly to the beach. The beach is small and quiet and belongs to the hotel. You can seat on the beach benches, or on the hot sand.It  the windy part of the island and the sea is not quiet, the waves are strong and the water is warm and nice. This is a sea where you must swim and you can play with the waves.

In the afternoon after you have rested from the mornings swimming you can go to the neighboring village Mastihari. You can reach this very small village by a 20 minutes walk along the beach.

The village is made from a few thin streets, a few shops with souvenirs, a supermarket and a few beautiful houses. The houses are painted in white with the blue window shadows,the village is clean and there are red flower everywhere, olive trees palm trees.

The beach is large and full of restaurants, cafes and fast-foods where you can eat fresh fish, gyros and drink ouzo and wine.

Near by is a little port from which boat are going to nearby islands. You can walk there and admire the sea and the boats coming and going.

Two beautiful Orthodox Churches in Mastihari.

On the way back from Mastihari to the hotel you can slowly walk along the beach in the evening and watch as the sun sets and the sea turns red.

In the nigh you can sit at the hotel's bar near the pool and enjoy a drink or watch the show offered by the animators or play bingo.

If you are in Kos please make sure to book a day visit of the island. it is so small that it doesn't take more then 1 day to visit everything. The bus left in the early morning from in front of the hotel. The first stop was also one of the most interesting things on the island. We visited the ancient ruins of the Asclepeion. The Asclepeion is an ancient healing center dedicated to the god Asclepius.

 

Here sick pilgrims would come and the priests of the Asclepeion would give them different cures which consisted of bath or gymnasium. Here it is also know that Hippocrates had his medical training here. Here also young doctors come to take their Hippocratic oath.

The next stop of the bus was high up on the top of the small mountain of the island, on a very narrow street full of souvenir shops and restaurants. Some of the restaurants had terraces where you can eat and also have a beautiful view of the whole island, the sea and in the horizon other islands.

Here we stopped and shopped for t-shirts, postcard, other souvenirs and then we had a nice dream and cookie in some of the cafe-bars.

After all this vising we reached the other side of the island to a beautiful large and calm beach, Kefalos. Here the water is calm and transparent, we rested on the sand and then had some swimming in the sea. We admired the sea and the bots floating on it, and the small island near near the shore.

The last stop was at the Kos windmills. Here we admired old windmills and we can see how it was looking inside of them.

As Kos is only 4 km from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey, that is why we bought also a day trip there. In the morning from the beautiful port in Kos town we left by boat to Turkey. The trip is short, only one hour and then you get down in the very sunny and hot Turkey.

Bodrum port is very large and full of beautiful boats painted in light colors.

After a short visit and sightseeing of the city we stopped in the Turkish bazaars.

View of Brodum.

Ruins in Bodrum.

Here we were able to visit plenty of shops and buy cheap perfumes and souvenirs, Turkish delight, candies, and negotiate with the sellers.

Fruit stand in Bodrum.

Mosque in Bodrum.

Bazaars in Bodrum.

Wonderful cakes in Bodrun.

Peaceful beach in Bodrum.

In the last day before going back home to Bratislava we went to visit the city and port of the town Kos. It is small and beautiful, clean and nicely arranged with tall palm trees and flowers.

 

There is a mixture of the new buildings and the old ruins in the city. We took a stroll on the beach and port and we stopped there to drink an orange juice and eat a baklava.

Then we walked on the large streets and admired the beautiful white house and the palm trees.

The Cathedral of the city of Kos.

The Archeological Museum of Kos.

In the center of the city you can stop at the municipal market or how it is called Agora.The market is inside a large white building. There you can find fruits, souvenirs,wines, honey, traditional cakes and candies, sponges from the sea, hand made jewelries made of sea shells, wooden objects.

After visiting the present market you can go in the past and visit the ruins of the ancient Agora.

Also nearby is the Odeon, where musical competitions were taking place and it was also a place for the local authorities where they were honoring important personalities of ancient Kos.

Our last day we spend it walking on beach, swimming in the pool and waiting in the bar of the hotel for the airport shuttle.