Area:
290 sq. km
Distance from
Piraeus: 200 nautical miles
Population:
21.334
The island of Kos is the third largest
island in the Dodekanese, after Rhodes and Karpathos. It is located south
of Kalymnos and the distance from Piraeus is 200 n.miles. The island is
the birthplace of Hippocrates, father of medicine. South-East of the city
of Kos (capital of the island), one can see the Aesculapium or Asklepeio
(4th century BC). Among the ruins there are the Temple of Aesculapius (or
Asklepios) , the Stoa of Hippocrates' medical school and the altar.
During your city tour, you can rest
in the shade of a plane tree which is believed to be the same one that
was planted by Hippocrates in the area. This is the place, according to
tradition, that Hippocrates used to teach his students . You should also
visit the Knights' Castle, the Museum, the Doric Temple of Venus, the Castle
and the Roman School of Music.
In the whole island there are ancient
ruins of different periods such as, Neolithic, Mycenaean and Roman civilization
. The most important period for the island in the ancient times was the
classical period, during which the island experienced a significant growth,
mainly due to the Asklepeio and the famous fabric
production well known among the
ancient cities.
There are beautiful beaches and quiet
places all over the island . There are daily flights to and from Athens,
Rhodes, Leros and Myconos and frequent boat trips to and from Piraeus,
the Cyclades, the northen and southern Aegean islands, the Dodecanese,
Crete and Cyprus.
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