Holidays on Kos, Greece - Zia, Kos Town, Island Tour

Hello, nice to have you back, today we are going on a little trip to Kos. I was on Kos for the first time two years ago and I really liked it. A beautiful, relatively small island for a quiet and relaxing holiday, but there is also a lot to see.

I was in the south of the island, very close to Kardamena. Only about 10-15 minutes drive from the airport. A nice little and quiet hotel, right on the beach, with its own section of beach.

There was a small supermarket very close by and a larger hotel a little further away, but I didn't see much of it, but there isn't much else. So this area is really only for those who are looking for peace and quiet. It was a good half hour walk to Kardamena

I thought Kardamena itself was OK. There was a long street/alley with lots of small shops and there were lots of restaurants at the harbor, but it didn't really impress me.

But I did think Kos town was really nice, though. It's great to explore on foot. There is a small market hall where you can buy lots of spices and souvenirs, and of course I bought some spices and salt there. From the market hall you can either walk towards the harbor, where you'll also find nice cafes and restaurants.

Small archaeological sites can be found everywhere in Kos Town / Beautiful ship in the harbor

or you go left (if you are looking towards the harbor). There you can stroll through beautiful little alleys, browse through many small shops or take a break in the cafes and restaurants and watch people. I really liked it. However, I took the bus, which limited the time a bit, as there was only one bus going back.

beautiful colorful houses with many flowers

What I also like to do when I'm on holiday is rent a scooter or a car and explore the island on my own. But a scooter is particularly practical because it's much easier to stop or park somewhere and Kos in particular is great to explore on a scooter because the island is quite small. And it's great fun to have the warm air blowing in your face.

My main goal that day was the mountain village of Zia. Zia is very famous for its view of the sunset. However, the village is said to get extremely busy, so I decided to drive to Zia in the morning. Here I can only really recommend a scooter, the roads up the mountain to Zia are very narrow and if you come across a coach, it can get very tight. What I also saw a lot is that a lot of people rent quads, which might be an alternative to a car.

Just before the village I saw this beautiful church. I stopped briefly to take photos because I knew immediately that I wanted to paint this church.

According to Google this is the

Evangelismós tis Theotókou church.

There is a large parking lot right outside Zia, but I drove a little further on my scooter and found a good parking spot right at the entrance to the town. A big advantage when you're traveling on a scooter is that you can easily find a parking spot and you can stop anywhere to take a quick photo.

I then strolled leisurely through the village, which is really very small. There are a few shops, a few restaurants and a few houses. But it is definitely worth strolling through the small streets and alleys and just taking your time.

I was looking for the Watermill Cafe (a colorful cafe with a hippie vibe along the Zia Stairs, delicious homemade lemonade, wonderful sea view)

I thought I just wouldn't find it and ended up in a small cafe with a great view. Afterwards I realized that it was exactly the cafe I was looking for.

I drank a delicious iced tea here and simply enjoyed the view.

It must be really beautiful here at sunset, but it is definitely recommended to make a reservation in advance and you will probably have to be pushed through the alleys.

Even when I left again around 12 or 1 p.m., the first tour buses were already coming towards me. You just have to like that, or it is probably the better solution if you don't dare to drive up there by car.

For the rest of the afternoon I just continued driving around the island, just letting myself drift. I also picked the perfect day for such a trip, as it was so windy that you simply couldn't swim in the sea.

All in all, it was a very relaxing holiday for me. The food was always delicious too.

For anyone who wants a quiet and relaxing holiday with a little bit of sightseeing, I can definitely recommend Kos.

And for anyone who has already been there, please write to me if you have any tips. And if you are looking for a souvenir of Kos, you can find the art print here.

Thank you for stopping by,

lovely greetings,

Christina