Monday, August 14, 2023

Getaway on a small Greek island

 

Just a few kilometres of the coast of Turkish resort town Kaş you will find a small Greek island named Kastellorizo.
 
For those looking do to something different this is a good and exiting opportunity, and everyday small ferry boats sail the 7 kilometres between Turkish Kaş and Greek Kastellorizo.
 
Once on the island there is not much to do, but definitely enough for keeping your entertained for a couple of days.
 
The sea is crystal clear, the marina is cosy with many fish restaurants and just wandering around the old town and beautifully painted houses is worthwhile.
 
For the more adventurous, there are great hiking trails on the upper plateau and a boat trip to a gloving and hidden cave.

 

So here are our best tips for visiting Kastellorizo.
 
Getting there
Several ferry companies sail between Kaş and Kastellorizo. We used Meis ferry boat and it worked quite well.
  
Accommodation
Accommodation on the island is limited and the price range is quite wide.
Try international booking web sites, Airbnb or contact the few hotels on the island directly.
Another option is to use a travel agency on the island, we had a good experience using Papoutsis Travel Agency  .
 

Eat
Most restaurants are located next to each other at the marina. Our favourite place though was located a 5 min. walk from the harbour and is named Ta Platania.

Generally speaking the food on Kastellorizo is nice and tasty without being fantastic.
 
Swim
The sea is clear and blue. There are no sand beaches on the island but instead you can swim from the western side of the harbour or the beach club located at the end of the eastern side of the harbour.
 
What to do
  • Stroll around the old town
  • Walk around the small castle area
  • Visit the local museum
  • Hike up to the top of the plateau.
  • Visit the island
  • Explore the cave by boat
  • Chill and relax
 
Good to know
Even it takes just 30 min. to sail between the mainland and the island, the journey in total takes longer.
Since you are traveling from Turkey to Greece there are custom procedures on both sides so in real life you will be at the harbour in Kaş around 8:30 and arrive onto Kastellorizo at around 11.00 o'clock.
 
So when going we definitely recommend staying a couple of nights on the island.
 
3 pro tips
- If possible, try to be among the first to disembark the ferry boat, since the custom officers on both sides work really slowly.
So before the boat reaches the harbour on either side, go down to the main deck and take the line for disembarking.
 
- Remember that you need to either be a EU citizen or to have a Schengen visa to travel to the island. There are no visas issued on arrival.
 
- From Kastellorizo there are frequent ferries to other Greek islands such as Rhodes and Kos. There is also an airport with flights to Athen and Kos.
 
Links
 
 
Saint George Beach












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