Discovering Kos and the surrounding islands

Nera

2018-05-19T05:00:00.000+03:00

The island of Nera is situated close to Kalymnos just across from the village of Vlihadia. There is not much on the island: a little jetty, a building that used to be a taverna and the Church of the Holy Cross. the Church was part of n old monastery that has been abandoned for quite some time. The island is relatively small and can be visited in a few hours. There are a couple of small beaches that are quite remarkable with their clear blue inviting waters. There are plenty of seagulls on the island as they seem to gather there to breed and nest, and they tend to get all wired up when humans appear to disturb their peace. The abundance of trees and an olive grove near the church seem to indicate that there is some water on the island which would explain its name (Nera = waters in Greek).

Here are some pictures to wet your appetite...

Of Horses

2018-05-18T14:47:00.001+03:00

There are references to horses on the island of Kos from as far back as the Roman times. Today you will find them in the plains of the island mostly in the Tigaki-Marmari and the Kardamena areas. A very popular horse race is run every year on St George's name day in the village of Pyli and a number a locals keep horses just to participate in those races (this year -2018- there were 25 participants).

Remains of a German ship near Marmari

2018-05-05T15:17:00.000+03:00

Some 600 meters east of Marmari, near the Tigaki Salt Pan lie the remains of a German ship F131 Leiche MG (LMG) that was sunk on the 20th of October 1943 by the British battleship MTB 307. This was one of the landing boats that were initially built by the Germans for the transport of troops from Dunkirk and Pas de Calais to England during their planned assault of Britain "Sea Lion" which never went ahead. These types of boats were later used in smaller scale landings and were proved to be very efficient.

They were built in parts that could be transported by train, trucks or ships as they could be easily assembled, taken apart and reassembled. They could transport up to three tanks and a large number of troops and supplies. They were forty meters long and five meters wide.

On the third of October 1943 the F-131 was part of the flotilla that transferred (from the island of Crete) the German troops that took over the island of Kos and then went on to conquer Kalymnos and Leros. The British at the time were masters of the sea while the Germans were the masters of the air as they controlled the airport of Antimachia. Therefore, the British operated during the night and hid during the day while the Germans operated mostly during the day. The F-131 was used to channel supplies and ammunition from Kos to Kalymnos and Leros out of Marmari where it used to spend the night, in hiding, along with two other boats of the same type. On the 20th of October 1943 the Germans had amassed fuel and ammunition close to the shore in Marmari, ready to be transported the next morning. The night was clear and there was plenty of moonlight. At two o'clock in the morning three British torpedo boats appeared out of Kalymnos and discerned the shapes of the three boats on the Marmari coast. They came up close and fired a couple of torpedoes. The first one missed its target skidded on the shore and hit the ammunition dump and fuel, turning the night into day. The other torpedo hit the F-131 in the bow. Soon water filled the boat and it sank where it now lies as it was deemed unrecoverable. In the following years all useful parts were taken apart by the locals. All that is left has become rusty and weather worn.

Reference: Το Ναυαγιο στο Μαρμαρι by G. Androulakis

Kardamena's wild side

2018-05-05T11:25:00.000+03:00

Kardamena's raging seas have been on my focus list for quite some time now. This winter I was lucky enough to experience them on a number of photo shoots, so I decided to dedicate a post to them. A note for those who might worry about the weather conditions during their vacation: these are winter scenes. The South wind rarely blows in the summer and waters are always calm.

Aghios Georgios on the island of Telendos

2017-09-12T17:42:00.001+03:00

Avlaki on the island of Nisyros

2017-09-04T12:32:00.000+03:00

The litlle port village of Avlaki has been abandoned for quite some time. Until the 1950s it was an active port catering to the needs of Nikia. The road down to Avlaki can be found not far from the actual village of Nikia. It is a quiet place where you can take a dip in the beautiful clear refreshing waters of the Aegean Sea.

Aghios Nikolaos

2017-08-01T14:56:00.000+03:00

Aghios Theologos in the Dikaios Mountains

2017-07-18T10:47:00.003+03:00

The Aghios Theologos Church is situated on a hillside of the Dikaios Mountains facing Kardamena. You can check the route here: Hiking to Aghios Theologos

Hiking to Aghios Theologos in the Dikaios Mountains

2017-07-14T09:56:00.000+03:00

This is a rather difficult hike especially on the way back, as the hillside is quite steep. It starts off on the path to Christos but then veers off about 500 meters or so as you go along. At the crossroad the direction to take is clearly indicated in red letters on a stone "Aghios Theologos". After that the route is relatively clear but marks and indications get rarer as you get closer to the Church.

Going there in summer is not recommended unless you go there early in the morning thus avoiding the heat.

The Soulas Spring

2017-06-23T09:56:00.001+03:00

Situated next to the Zeioula river between the sixth and seventh watermill this somewhat hidden hot spring forms a pool that is warm enough to bathe in even in the dead of winter. Something for the brave to consider....

As with all the ancient Natural hot springs of the area that were obviously used by Hippocrates at the Asclepeion it is supposed to have some healing powers...

The Kermete Mosque

2017-05-19T10:17:00.000+03:00

The Kermete Mosque is situated in the Platani region near Kos Town. It is the only fully operational Mosque on the island of Kos. The surrounding village originally known as Kermetes was renamed Platani in 1964 in an effort to limit the appellations of Turkish origin. Most of the 1500 muslims living on the island actually live in this little village. The Mosque was built in 1778 by Hadji Hasan Pasa. There is a small building close to the Mosque which is used as a library and houses a number of old Turkish books. There are also a couple of taps used for ablutions. The remains of the original ablution area are situated opposite the Mosque on the other side of the street.

The Ambavris windpump

2017-04-28T11:51:00.000+03:00

This stunning windpump is situated on the road to Ambavri some 200 meters from the main road and has been highlighted as a monument in recent years. This is a relatively old system that has not been actually used for years due to its inefficiency compared to more modern means of pumping water.

The Hatziemmanouil Winery

2017-04-23T00:46:00.000+03:00

The Hatziemmanouil winery is situated on the main road just after the Tigkaki crossroad as you go towards Kefalos on your left hand side. The winery is open on a daily basis for wine tasting, and a visit of the facilities. For more details you cans visit the site at:

http://www.hatziemmanouil.gr/?page=home

The Mastichari Bay Hotel piers

2017-04-20T09:21:00.000+03:00

The two wooden piers in front of the Mastichari Bay Hotel in Mastichari are extremely popular amongst photographers and quite rightfully so. Here are a few of my shots:

Levitha

2017-04-18T11:34:00.000+03:00

The island of Levitha is a small island situated in the Dodecanese and belongs to the municipality of Leros. It is situated between the islands of Kos and Paros. It's total surface is 9.8 square kilometers but it has 34 kilometers of shoreline. A family lives there since 2009 and you can go and have a bite at the restaurant they run. There are plenty of protected coves where fishing boats and sailing yachts tend to find shelter from the meltemis (Northerns winds of summer).

Kardamena's wonders

2017-04-08T11:37:00.000+03:00

There are artful wonders to discover in Kardamens... here are a few samples and a more recent video which I posted above...

The Triantafyllopoulos Winery

2017-04-07T08:32:00.003+03:00

Situated in the Asfendiou area at the foot of the Dikaios Mountains this modern winery is bent on developping wines born of grapes that are cultivated in the area. You can always go for some winetasting in an idyllic environment with the amazing mountains in the background. You can find more details on the site: http://www.koswinery.gr/uk/Triantafillopoulos-Vineyards-at-Kos-Island-Dode canesa

The island of Kastri

2017-04-06T08:09:00.000+03:00

Situated in the Kefalos Bay this little island stands out with its picturesque little church. It is one of the most famous landmarks on the island and a must see for every visitor. One can easily swim across and visit the island and/or dive from its rocky shores into the deep blue waters of the Aegean.

Leros

2017-04-04T09:37:00.001+03:00

The picturesque little island of Leros is situated between Kalymnos and Patmos, and has a total population of around 8.000 people. The administrative center and largest town of the island is Aghia Marina. You can get to the island by boat or by plane from Athens. It remains relatively untarnished for the moment. What is particularly striking is the number of classic Italian era buildings of the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Zeioula river/stream

2017-03-29T09:41:00.000+03:00

A beautiful day at the end of March....

It's an ideal day to go for a hike along the little Zeioula river, right up to the Vourina spring.

The water is still flowing at a decent rate after the recent downpour...

It's the beginning of spring and there's quite a lot of green sprouting here and there. The sun is shinning brightly and at times it gets quite worm so the refreshing stream is quite a blessing.

Stunning views and images that might surprise you...

For those who might be interested here is a link where you can see the details of the hike I did: Garmin Connect

Spring flowers

2017-03-27T21:49:00.000+03:00

Spring came early this year after a week of continuous rain. During a hike in Antimachia I couldn't help but notice the myriad little flowers popping out everywhere. I thought I'd share a few pictures with you...

The watermill near Aghios Theologos

2017-01-14T12:10:00.000+02:00

This watermill embedded in the rock just beneath the church of Aghios Theologos is in relatively good condition. Finding it might be a little tricky if you do not know where to go...

Haihoutes

2017-01-11T09:49:00.000+02:00

The picturesque little village of Haihoutes or at least whatever remains of it is situated on the road from the Asclepeion towards Zia just before reaching Assomatos. The village is abandoned for the most part although a very popular taverna/mezedopoleio has managed to rekindle a certain interest in the area. The owners of the taverna have also created a little museum and you can also visit the church of Aghios Dimitrios.

Coal mine shafts in the Miniera area

2017-01-10T11:14:00.000+02:00

These are a couple of deserted coal mine shafts that remain relatively intact in the Miniera region in the Dikaios area on the island of Kos in Greece. They are situated in a field some 300-400 meters after the Triantafylopoulos winery on the road that links Lagoudi to the main road.

The Gournia Spring

2016-12-26T04:00:00.000+02:00

Nestled under a rock in a relatively remote part of Kefalos, just off a dirt road, lies the beautiful Gournia spring. It's quite an unexpected find in a place where you would least expect an abundance of fresh water...