Porto Bello Royal

Mandraki Harbour

by Helga67

The harbour is a nice place to walk along the promenade, which will lead you from dolphin square to the castle and beyond. There are many colourful fishing boats and yachts for day trips. Along the promenade across the street you can have something to drink or eat in one of the many cafes and restaurants.

Boat trips

by sandysmith

Just as in Rhodes the harbour is full of boats offering excursions.The trip across to Turkey and various other small islands as a days trips with a BBQ lunch - a really enjoyble way to spend a day - seemed to be the most popular and frequent on offer. Just take some time looking at the boats and see which trip you'd like to make.

Hippocrates Plane Tree

by grayfo

In front of the Castle of Knights is a huge old plane tree, known as the ‘Hippocrates plane tree’. According to the people of Kos, the Hippocrates plane tree was planted by this famous Greek physician, who used its shade to teach his students in this place. As the tree is 500 years old, it is pretty obvious not the same tree that Hippocrates planted, since he lived around the 5th century BC, but it is claimed to be a descendant of that one.

June 1999

Town Hall

by steventilly

The town hall and tourist police HQ occupy this very splendid looking building that is on the waterfront just beyond the castle. From its architecture I'd guess it's from the Italian era. Behind this building is Hippocrates tree and the Loggia mosque.

Facts and history

by hellas_nici

"Some facts"

Where is Kos:
Kos lies at the south eastern point of the Aegean Sea, 3km away from the Turkish coast.

How many people live there:
About 25 000 inhabitants

Capital:
Kos Town

Climate:
Mediterranean
temprature in Summer can climb up to 40°,
most rain in January

Sources of income
Kos lives particularly from tourism

"Fighting for freedom"

Due to it's geographic position the island was continuously attacked.

In 1309 Kos was sold from the Venetians to the Knights of Saint John
In 1523 the island fell to the Turks
Turkish domination lasted until 1912 when the Italians took it over
In 1943 German troops took Kos on the 3rd of September
From 1945 to 1947 two years of British occupation
In 1948 finally unification with Greece

"Hippocrates"

Kos is known through out the world as the birthplace of Hippocrates.
He was born in 416BC and is known as the father of medincine
(Oath of Hippocrates)

The tree of Hippocrates:
The legend says that he gave lessons to his students under that tree.

"Asklepion"

One of the most remarkable archaeological sites of the island is the Asklepion, possibly the best and certainly the most renown hospital of its time.

Only foundations and some pillars have remained from the Temple of Asklepios.