Car Hire Kos - Mini guide to Kos
Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese cluster and the homeland of Hippocrate, the father of medicine. A long narrow island with two low mountains, Dikaio and Simpatro, that run along its southern coast. It mild climate year-round, its large beaches, its energetic nightlife and the enormous historical interest all attract plenty of tourists to this Greek island.
Kos town, the capital of the island, is a modern town but also home to many excellent archeological sites. One of the most famous is the Hippocrates Plant Tree, believed to have been planted by Hippocrate. It stands in front of the entrance to the Knights Castle and is considered to be the oldest tree in Europe. The Castle of the Knights of St. John, built in the 15th century on the right side of the harbour, is the most impressive monument of the Venetian period, in still in quite good condition.
Just outside the town is the Asklepieion, Infirmary of Antiquity, built in the 4th century BC after the death of Hippocrates. It was discovered in 1902 and among the ruins you can see the Temple of Aesculapius.
The Archaeological Museum, also in the town of Kos, contains findings from the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman eras including ancient ceramics, small statues of Aphrodite and Eros, intricate mosaics and the 4th century BC statue of Hippocrates.
Aside from history, Kos’s old town is a delightful tangle of pedestrian lanes, soaked in sun, with plenty of restaurants and bars to while away the day or night lazily.
