Kos Island Travel Forum

Hi looking to going to Kos in Oct - either staying in Kos Town or Mastihari
would like to do daytrips from there. I know can got to Kalymnos and Nissiros but how about PAtmos, leors or Tendelos for day trips???

Hi Sandy,

Kos is an excellent base for doing daytrips to other islands in the Dodecanese.

I've visited all the islands that you mention, so I'll give you a brief overview of my impressions:

Kalymnos - just a short ferry ride from Mastihari. I loved the main port town of Pothia - it is built ampitheatrically around the harbour and the buildings are so colourful. You can get some great photos when arriving by ferry. Down by the waterside, you'll find small cafes where you can enjoy a coffee or a beer while watching the local fishermen and sponge divers returning with their day's work. Whatever you do, don't miss Kalymnos!

Telendos - it's a tiny island and I spent less than an hour there (that's how small it is!). It can easily be combined in a one day trip along with Kalymnos. Small boats leave from the seaside resort of Myrties on Kalymnos and make the crossing in a matter of minutes. As far as I know (and I may well be wrong!), there is no other way to get to Telendos other than using the boats from Myrties.

Nisyros - I visited this volcanic island as an organised tour on a boat that departed from Kardamena on Kos. The volcanic craters, which you can climb down into, are very impressive and the whitewashed main village of Mandraki is beautiful. You can get some great panoramic views of the island from a monastery that overlooks Mandraki.

Patmos - if I remember correctly, I visited Patmos as a daytrip from Samos. The highlight was the amazing views from the Monastery of St John (which dominates the island and offers 360 degree views of the entire coastline, as well as the harbour town below).

Leros - this is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Kos. Leros is almost untouched by tourism and offers some lovely seaside villages (such as Agia Marina and Pantelli, where you can find traditional seaside tavernas serving fresh seafood), as well as excellent mountainside walks up to the castle. I would definitely recommend a day trip to Leros.

As well as the above mentioned islands, it is also possible to visit Rhodes, Symi, Lipsi, Tilos and Bodrum in Turkey. I also noticed pleasure cruises that were offering 3-island day trips to Kalymnos, Pserimos and Plati - with a BBQ lunch on the beach included - but I'm not sure if they'll operate in October.

The hydrofoil that I caught to Leros operated along the following route:

Kos - Kalymnos - Leros - Lipsi - Patmos

..and was operated by Aegean Flying Dolphins.

Hope that helps in some way!

Jonathan

Just about a visit to Patmos:

A daytrip is only doable by a so called Flying Dolphin.

The Aegean Flying Dolphins are operating only in summer season (about 16/05 - 15/10) and due to wind and waves there are rather often cancellations. During our first visit to Patmos (from Kos) we had to wait two days before we could make our trip.
The website of OpenSeas has good information/schedules of these flying dolphins(www.openseas.gr). But always check these schedules with your host/accommodation.

Happy travels to the holy island of my wife's ancestors
Jaap

Thank you Jonathan and Jaap
Jaap how long did the dolphin take..and how many hours did you have in Patmos, was it enough?
we have booked from 2-17th Oct so hope we will be able to do this

Just looking to the website 'Openseas', I think it will be difficult (impossible) to make a daytrip. Flying dolphins will arrive early afternoon in Patmos and go back to Kos in the morning.
(The boat ride takes a couple of hours !!)

Hi Sandy!

We're going back to Patmos & Leros in early September, but when we went to Patmos in 2006 we flew out on 30 September and the delfini was certainly running throughout our stay (in fact it was running on our first day when it was very windy!). It leaves Kos at 08.30 (or there's a catamaran at 11.00 and another delfini at 14.30, there may be another catamaran at 17.30) and takes about 2-2.5 hours, so you'd arrive about 10.45, but I'm not sure what time the afternoon delfini leaves. The catamaran leaves at 13.30 so would just about give you time for a quick trip up to Hora. Personally, I'd spend a night on Patmos - but you may become addicted.

I've made myself a reminder to note down the times - we fly back on 24 September, so nag me on the 25th!

thank you Elenitsa!
I looked at he openseas schedule and only found the dolphin service which lft about 9.00pm arr. nearly midnight and the return from PAtmos was about 2.00 or 4.00am - not very civilised...but I guess they don't have any service on their list...I shall come nagging!

The dolphins leave Kos at 14:30 each day but seem to stop running after the 10th of October. The route is actually Patmos - Kos - Patmos, so the 14:30 out of Kos doesn't leave again until the next morning.
The later running boat is a Blue Star larger ferry. I don't think dolphins run in the dark and if they did you wouldn't get me on one!

thanks Steve

I once had a very memorable trip in the dark on a Dolphin....Rhodes to Tilos packed (as it was the Panagia festival)and with what appeared to be only one engine functioning fully. We wallowed our way along taking over 3 hours to do a 90 minute journey and by the time we had cleared the deer in Mandraki the sick bags were out! We had no band for the festival that night - they were still recovering from the trip!

Only 8 weeks to go until I can give you an "on the ground" report! If you want to check out the times just before you go, I found Aeolos Travel aeolos@kos.forthnet.gr very helpful. It does look like an overnight might be neede in Patmos though (you'll enjoy it, I promise!)

thank you too Elenitsa - I'm sure we stay over in Patmos - we got a good basic deal in Kos so we dion't mind at all if we skip a few nights away

Can I recommend that you drop Maria Daskalaki an e-mail or call her once you decide to head to Patmos. She is a lovely lady, who we'll be staying with again in September. In October, she may have a room available above her house in the Consolato district (see my tip!) It's right on the edge of Skala and at the start of the alternative path up to Hora. http://www.patmos-island.com/home.html

Feel free to mention "Eleni & Russell"!!!

I've been meaning to say many thanks for the tip and link for the accomodation, Have been away in Switzerland but Kos will be coming round soon so time to start planning. Not so long for you know!

3 weeks, 3 days...but who's counting...I've booked for 5 nights on Leros and 8 on Patmos which leves us a 3 day window in the middle to go to either Lipsi or Arki, or just continue on Leros or go to Patmos early!

Apparently the September/October Dodecanese Express timetables are due out at the end of August....

3 weeks, 3 days...but who's counting...I've booked for 5 nights on Leros and 8 on Patmos which leaves us a 3 day window in the middle to go to either Lipsi or Arki, or just continue on Leros or go to Patmos early!

Apparently the September/October Dodecanese Express timetables are due out at the end of August....

thanks again Helen

Sandy - I'm really sorry. We were caught out by booking with XL, so instead of checking out the ferries for you, I was trying to source a flight home for us! Got home yesterday after ferryong up from Patmos and Easyjetting from Athens.

Have a great time anyway.

Helen

hi Helen

oh no, well glad you got your holiday out anyway and that you had a good time...would have been more disappointing not to get away!
Thank goodness we are with Thomas Cook...a week and counting.....