The island of Kos is the second largest in the Dodecanese, the most fertile of the archipelago, tucked into the Gulf of Kos between the Myndus peninsula to the north and the Dorian promontory to the south. The harbor at Kos Town is guarded by an imposing castle of the Knights of St. John and there’s a likable mixture of medieval Frankish and Turkish architecture with some elegant Italian-built public buildings. Kos was the birthplace of Hippocrates, the founder of scientific medicine, who is much celebrated on the island.

The site of his sanatorium – the Ascelepion – is made up of three terraces and medicinal springs lying on a limestone hill outside Kos Town that should not be missed.  Kos was once famous for its silk production, but these days, the islands produces vegetables, melons and grapes – the Kos variety of lettuce originated here, without which we would have no Caesar salad!

The development of tourism in recent years has meant an increase of eating establishments and nightclubs, but Kos – with its abundance of oleander, jasmine, hibiscus and bougainvillea spilling everywhere and its Hellenistic and Roman remains scattered around the town and used in new and unusual ways - still manages to retain much of its character and is a wonderful place to stop on a Kos Town Greece yacht charter. The coastline of the island is dotted with some terrific beaches.