Kos is the most compact of GotoBeach’s three Greek islands — approximately 45 kilometres from end to end — and that compactness is one of its most distinctive advantages. It is small enough to feel completely explored within a week, large enough to keep you genuinely interested throughout. The beaches are good, the ancient history is immediately accessible, the cycling is exceptional and the overall atmosphere is relaxed in a way that suits guests who want a proper holiday rather than a resort experience.
Kos Town, the island’s main settlement, sits around a well-preserved Byzantine and Ottoman harbour, with the Castle of the Knights of St John dominating the waterfront and the ancient ruins of the Asklepion — a Greek healing sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine, and the birthplace of Hippocrates — a short taxi ride inland. For guests who care about history, Kos delivers it with unusual immediacy: you can walk from your hotel to a Roman agora, cycle past ancient columns and visit the Asklepion in a single morning without leaving the main resort area. Eleni considers the Asklepion one of the most underrated ancient sites in all of Greece.
The beaches in Kos are genuinely varied. Tigaki and Mastichari on the north coast are long, flat sandy beaches with calm, shallow water — ideal for families with young children. Kardamena in the south is the island’s most developed resort area with a broader range of hotels and a livelier evening atmosphere. Kos Town itself has its own beach directly in front of the harbour and offers the best combination of resort facilities and local town atmosphere anywhere on the island. Kefalos in the far west has the island’s most dramatic beach scenery — long, unspoilt and relatively uncrowded even in August.
The all inclusive hotel offer in Kos is solid and continues to improve. It is not yet at the scale or luxury level of the best Crete or Rhodes properties, but the top Kos all inclusive hotels — particularly in the Tigaki and Mastichari areas — offer good value and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere that suits families and couples who want quality without the mass-resort feeling of the larger Greek island destinations.
Eleni’s tip for Kos: hire a bike on the first full day. The island is perfectly sized for cycling, the roads in the Kos Town area are flat and well-maintained, and cycling between the town, the Asklepion and the beach takes you through a landscape of ancient ruins, working farms and roadside fig trees that no transfer or taxi can replicate. It is the best single piece of advice for a first visit.
One honest point worth making: Kos is the windiest of GotoBeach’s three Greek islands. The meltemi wind, which blows from the north throughout July and August, can be strong enough to affect beach days on the north coast — particularly at Tigaki and Mastichari, which face directly into the prevailing wind. For guests who specifically want guaranteed flat calm sea for swimming, Crete or the sheltered south coast of Rhodes may be more reliable. That said, the same wind that cools Tigaki’s beach in August makes Kos considerably more comfortable than most Aegean destinations in peak summer heat.
Kos Airport (KGS) is served by direct charter and scheduled flights from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and other UK regional airports throughout the summer season. Flight time is approximately 3.5–4 hours from London.
For all inclusive holidays in Kos, cheap Kos holidays from the UK or family holidays in Kos — book through GotoBeach with full ATOL protection under licence #11211, low deposits from £30 per person and the honest advice of a team that knows the Greek islands properly.
