Kalymnos (Greece)

...off badly the charm of Kalymnos soon hit us. Kalymnos is a small and sleepy island, with friendly inhabitants. The main tourist cities have a few trying salesmen, but as soon as you leave the main street everyone is friendly and not at all forcing things on you. Nature is astonishing, maybe not offering stunning views but winning on its calmness and strong feeling of being untouched. Even if you’re usually not a hiker I recommend you to try one of ...
...really about.

Kalymnos offers long, sandy beaches for those of you just wanting sun and bath. But that’s not for me and Fredrick, we rented a moped to be able to see more of the island. And I recommend anybody going to Kalymnos to do the same, it is worth every penny even though renting charges may seem high at first. At the top of the mountain next to the main city Pothia lays the monastery of Aggas Savvas. Worth a visit? Yes, but ... more

Me and my boyfriend went to Kalymnos, Greece, last year (May, 2003). Getting there (and out of there) is one of the downsides of holiday-ing at Kalymnos. No flights go directly to the small island; you have to fly to Kos and then go by bus to the port, then boat and then bus again to your hotel. At the end it takes a whole day to get there and a whole day to get home, leaving you with the feeling of have “lost” two days on your vacation. Another down-side that you will soon notice on your arrival is the quality of the hotels. We stayed at the best hotel on the island and it qualifies as one of the WORSE hotels I’ve stayed on ever. It was only cleaned twice on our whole week, at the first day and at the last day, leaving you with several days in the middle where you would have appreciated cleaning the most. Sheets and towels were not changed at all which you really want when you’re staying at a place much warmer than home and when you visit the pool often… Onto that our shower wasn’t working and even though we complained at the reception the first day it wasn’t repaired until the last day. Breakfast was horrible; all served was milk (not cooled), cornflakes, coffee or tea, butter, marmalade and toast-bread but no toaster. The milk was served in a jug with a brown, dried in milk edge at the pipe. This wasn’t cleaned within a whole week. Do you want some milk with your coffee? No thanks. And I stress again, we stayed at the highest rated hotel at the whole island.

All though our vacation started off badly the charm of Kalymnos soon hit us. Kalymnos is a small and sleepy island, with friendly inhabitants. The main tourist cities have a few trying salesmen, but as soon as you leave the main street everyone is friendly and not at all forcing things on you. Nature is astonishing, maybe not offering stunning views but winning on its calmness and strong feeling of being untouched. Even if you’re usually not a hiker I recommend you to try one of the many hiking paths available all over Kalymnos. Just be sure to bring enough water and then take your time and let nature show you what vacation is really about.

Kalymnos offers long, sandy beaches for those of you just wanting sun and bath. But that’s not for me and Fredrick, we rented a moped to be able to see more of the island. And I recommend anybody going to Kalymnos to do the same, it is worth every penny even though renting charges may seem high at first. At the top of the mountain next to the main city Pothia lays the monastery of Aggas Savvas. Worth a visit? Yes, but this should not be your top priority of sites at Kalymnos. But I recommend you to visit the small town of Vlichadia and to get there you have to pass the monastery so why not see it as well? I recommend you to go to Vlichadia because it is the sleepiest, calmest little town I’ve ever been to. It has a small but clean, white sandy beach and next to it a small restaurant. Just come here to relax, have drink and enjoy the sun. Another town offering the same calm and small beach is Emporios on the other side of the island. Do try the grilled fish at “Harry’s restaurant” right next to the beach, superb.

There is only one main road going round all of Kalymnos. So even though I don’t remember the exact name of the place, I must advice you to stop at the Apollo-temple just a few steps from the road between Pothia and Massouri. Of course it’s nothing compared to the Apollo-temple in Athens, but it is for sure a very spectacular, historical break from your modern lifestyle. If you have the legs for it, you also have to visit Pera Kastro just a few kilometres away, seated at the top of a mountain. Only way to get there is to climb the stairs, so don’t try it if you’re travelling with small children, old people or otherwise handicapped, because the climb will make an expression on even the averaged trained adult’s legs and knees. Another reason not to bring children here is that the castle has very few security arrangements. You’re basically on your own among the ruins and I don’t wish to think of might happened even a second of an unguarded seven-year-old.

Eating out was almost every time a success. I recommend you not to be afraid to try new, domestic dishes. The Greek makes their Souvlaki great every time. Other things you should try are the grilled sheep cheese and always order a Tzatziki with your main course. Just make sure your partner eats it too as it contains a lot of garlic. :-)
As for all Mediterranean countries prices are low compared to what we are used to. All though Pothia offers several fashion-stores I cannot recommend you to go to Kalymnos mainly for shopping, but I don’t think anyone thought so either. And unlike many other Mediterranean countries, Kalymnos has kept a natural touch, without too many salesmen or tourist shops. Kalymnos is a place I recommend warmly from my heart for those of you who wish to have a peaceful vacation, with your partner, your family and for those of you who travels single I can recommend it too, we met many single travellers. You should come here to hike, to bath, to eat good food and to relax.
 

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