Kos

Overview
This island of the Dodecanese group has been taken over almostcompletely by tourism, catering especially for family.Aside from the drawcard of beautiful beaches, Kos has an abundanceof interesting ruins to explore, and is easily reached from Rhodesor Bodrum (Turkey) by ferry. Kos was prominent in antiquity becauseof its healing temple of Asclepius, founded after the death of thefamed physician Hippocrates, who allegedly taught students on theisland. The island also features the remains of temples for otherhealing deities, including Isis and Sarapis, and appears to havehistorically been an island healing retreat. The island boasts atree that is reputedly the oldest in Europe and Hippocrates is saidto have held lecture sessions in its shade. The island also hasseveral archaeological remains of Persian, Turkish, Roman andByzantine conquerors that all added their bit during a longhistory. Kos has busy bars and an entertaining nightlife, and thereare some pleasant towns and beaches outside the capital, but thoselooking for empty beaches should head for quieter islands.

Money
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency, divided into 100 cents.Banks and bureaux de change are widely available and travellerscheques and major credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs arewidespread and are generally the cheapest and most convenientmethod of obtaining euros.

Time
Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 between the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October).

Language
Greek is the national language, but English is widely spoken.

Climate
Kos enjoys hot, dry summers and mild winters. Temperatures inJuly and August range from 82ºF (28ºC) during the day to72ºF (22ºC) at night. Rainfall is almost non-existent insummer but showers can be expected between October and March.