Long sandy beaches, a flat island you can genuinely cycle, and a harbour town with a Crusader castle. The easiest Greek island to get around, and one of the best for families.
Most Greek islands are mountains with beaches attached. Kos is a plain.
There are dedicated cycle paths along the north coast and around Kos Town, and thousands of hire bikes. That means you can reach beaches, tavernas and ruins without a car or a coach transfer, which is unusual in Greece and genuinely useful with children. The beaches are sandy rather than pebble — again unusual — and the island is small enough that nowhere is more than about forty minutes from the airport.
Sand, ruins, and Türkiye forty minutes away.
A Crusader fortress at the harbour mouth, Roman ruins in the middle of town, and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates. Walkable and quietly impressive.
The south-west beaches. Fine sand, calm water, and the ruined basilica at Agios Stefanos with an islet just offshore.
A hillside sanctuary and the ancient world's first medical school, where Hippocrates taught. Four kilometres from town and cyclable.
Dedicated paths from Kos Town to Tigaki and beyond. Flat, safe and the best way to see the island.
Forty minutes by ferry to Türkiye. A different country for lunch — take your passport, it's a border crossing.
A mountain village with the island's sunset view and a lot of coaches. Go early evening, before them.
The north coast for wind and cycling, the south for calm sand.
Harbour, castle, restaurants and the ferries. Walkable, with the airport 25 minutes away.
Long shallow sandy beaches, cycle paths, and windier afternoons. Good with young children.
South coast, a party strip and a long beach. Book it deliberately.
Small resorts, the best beaches, and the ferry to Kalymnos.
May to October, with June and September the sweet spots.
July and August reach 32°C and the resorts fill, particularly with families. May, June, September and early October give 25–29°C, warm sea from June, and much lower prices. The meltemi wind blows hardest in July and August on the north coast. Winter is very quiet with most hotels closed.
4 hours to Kos (KGS), seasonal from most UK airports between May and October.
10–45 minutes. It's a small island and the airport is central.
Euro. Cards widely accepted; small tavernas prefer cash.
Bicycles on the north coast, buses elsewhere, and car hire is cheap if you want the mountain villages.
We'll match the resort to your party, and price the neighbouring islands alongside. Payment plan written out in full.
Very — flat, sandy, cyclable, short transfers and shallow water at Tigaki and Marmari. One of the easier Greek islands with children.
Rhodes is bigger with a medieval old town and more to see. Kos is flatter, sandier and easier to get around. Rhodes for two weeks, Kos for one.
The north coast, in July and August. The south-west is sheltered, and the wind is why the windsurfing is good.
Bodrum is forty minutes by ferry. Passports required and it's straightforward — a very good day out.
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
10 nights · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,449pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
10 nights · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · from £849pp
11 nights · Apr, Oct · from £2,699pp
12 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £3,399pp
12 nights · Jul–Oct · from £3,099pp
11 nights · Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb · from £1,799pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
