Not only is Kos cheap, but extremely beautiful.
I spend my latest holiday in Greece, not because I have never been there before.
But as it seems to me going on vacation in the summer months is getting more expensive every year.
I can understand that travel agency's demand a higher price during the summer months because kids have their fixed holidays in that period and parents like to take their kids along enjoying a beautiful place or nice weather.
But paying three times the amount that they offer even a couple weeks before or after that summer period, I believe is becoming scandalous.
There are many people working a normal job without kids and are obligated to take their holidays when the factory closes annually, wich of course falls exactly into the summer period.
Now if you live in a country with mostly good weather and very little rain, u can stay in your country take your time to relax and enjoy .
But as people in northern Europe are not always privileged to have these nice weather conditions we like to go to some southerner Country and enjoying a nice time.
This time for me it became Kos, we where looking at so many different options to choose from but paying 700euros for a three star hotel while in oktober or September it is only worth 300 euro a week, I made my mind to not go on vacation this year, but at a last moment we found this hotel Aegean view at Kos 4 star at a price of 490 per person with flights included.
We were kinda amazed and took the opportunity and tought we won't have to look to much at the hotel but at the island. Not only amazed of the hotel wich was more a 4,5 star hotel in my eyes. But as they say in dutch "kos kost niet veel" :-)
Now not to promote the hotel I'm only going to talk about the island and it's beautiful places.
First we went to see Kos town itself, witch was near the hotel with Local busses and very cheap off course.
Imagine beneath is the policestation
In the daytime it is an extremely chill place to walk, visit or relax at the beach. The building structures and colors are very beautiful. While here and there u can see some old structures of Roman times still remaining .
The sea at Kos city is more with stones at the foot level and not so bright looking. If u want to see the beaches and sea u see on postcards, u need to go to the west of the island, no rocks and extremely beautiful and light blue.
I personally like the colors of the buildings, a lot of blue is used. Gives a relaxing mood.
In the city of Kos u can find the three of hippocrates, where he used to sit under while writing his thesesis. And an castle builded by the knights of Saint John.
Three of hippocrates.
The churches are also worth looking out to, with crosses lit up in the evening, there was also a mosk wich was also lit up at night time.
There are little markets witch Greek specialities witch are definitely worth trying.
In the evening, shopping is very nice with a lot of little streets with shop after shop and very interesting things to buy as there are also souvenirs and etc. Always some nice music playing and very nice to go out for a drink, I must say there are also very very beautiful women in Kos.
Now what i noticed in the city was there is also a lot of green. The streets are not big and houses neither but every couple steps there are trees, the houses decorated with plants sometimes not even giving you the feeling to be in a city.
Now notice that walking in the bar streets, as a tourist they will most certainly speak to you to get you to enter. "where are u from" etc. Sometimes a bit exaggerated.
Now for me to drive through the island, it was a pleasure. Not much traffic a lot of buggies riding around or scooters but as i had burned my shoulders we went with a car:-).
The island can be driven from east to west in an hour or 2 depends on how you're driving. But I liked to ride slow looking at the horizon and the mountains and the sea. No hurry, we're on vacation anyway. Taking stops at some places having a look around.
Suddenly driving we saw a little road with a sign of a castle, the road almost not to be seen luckily I saw the sign and took the road, doesn't really look like a road but anyway. This was the Antimachia castle. See pictures below.
This castle was build by the knights of saint john in the 14th century. A bit broken here and there but very nice and free entrance even tough a man sits at the entrance offering u information and couple of drinks for "free" but we all know nothing is for free and gave him some money as we left afterwards.
We continued our road further, we went to the village called Zia, it is in the mountains and u got to get high up, arriving it is a very small town with lots of little shops restaurants and bars very beautiful but not to stay long. It has a very beautiful church to.
We went to the west, went to the beach of Limionas. This was a haven for the fishing boats, with one restaurant that cook's the fish fresh from the fishermen , no fresher than this and a very beautiful place and sea. On the way u can see lots of little churches in white and blue and a windmill like the old days. I wad actually surprised to see so many on the island, guess this is the most popular building of the island.
Then we went to Kefalos. Nice town not to special but very very nice beaches, nice to chill relax not to much tourists. The very touristic beach is paradise beach with all entertainment needed but a lot of folks. These are the beaches u can see on postcards.
To end our island trip we went to the most east of the island where there is a warm water spring at Empros Thermi. This is very nice but very hot water. U really need to adapt but once u are in the small warm water area and comfortable u will not want to leave :-) very relaxing. Smells like sulfur but best to go in the evening then the smell is much reduced.
This is because there is a dorment volcano(u can visit but we did not) up in that mountain. The weird thing is that the warm water area is closed by rocks and behind the rocks is the cold sea. What a contrast.
Now some good drinks from Greece are Raki and Ouzo, definitely worth trying and not expensive sigarets. Weed best not try to find it or take it along, the police is very strict on this matter even for tourists. I guess second most harsh laws againt marijuana in Europe.
Hope you like the descriptions and I must say definitely worth going once in your lifetime. U will certainly not regret the beauty of the island with all it's features, the culture and the people are nice to:-). I said myseld couple years, I don't need to go on vacation but it really rejuvenates and real good not to be in the same issues of a busy everyday lifestyle.
