Tilos - Dodecanese

The small island which is situated between Nisiros and Khalki is not visited by many tourists. During medieval the island was used to signal the island of Rhodes of approaching enemies.

Tilos has been one of the best-kept secrets in the Dodecanese for some time, with good unspoiled beaches, friendly people and wonderful walking country: a tranquil antidote to Kos town. From a distance it looks arid but it shelters groves of figs, almonds, walnuts, pomegranates and olives, all watered by fresh springs.

One of the less visited islands of the Dodecanese, Tilos basically remains an inside tip: it is quiet, cheap and pleasant, complete with a full complement of beaches, hiking trails and charming displays of traditional island life. It also boasts some of the earliest traces of habitation, albeit not necessarily human. When the island broke off from the mainland some 10,000 years ago, there seem to have been mastodons lying on it; over time, these animals adapted to the size of their new habitat by growing smaller, reaching heights of only 1.3 meters. Their bones have been found in the Grotto of Harkadio (Spilia Harkadio), together with various Stone Age artifacts. In the 14th century the Knights of St. John arrived on Tilos and set about building no fewer than seven castles on the island, the ruins of which can still be seen.

The harbor of Livadia has a long beach and a modern and lively air, especially when Greek vacationers take over in summer. Following the island road north from Livadia, you pass by Mikro Horio, a village whose last residents left in the 1950s (many of them moved to Livadia, taking their tiled roofs with them). The inland capital, Megalo Horio, is dominated by the ruins of a Venetian castle. The town was built upon the site of the ancient city of Telos; over 3,000-year-old remains of the city wall can be seen between the houses. From Megalo Horio a road leads to the long beach of Eristos.

On the northwest coast of the island lie the beaches of tlgios Andonios and Plaka. The rock formations of the former are more gruesome than they seem at first: they are made up of the petrified human bones of the victims of a volcanic eruption that occurred around 600 B.C. The walled monastery of Agios Pandaleimon, from the 18th century, sits in idyllic green surroundings and offers stunning views down over the water.

Ormos Livadhi - Located on the East coast of Tilos the large bay has a small quay. During the meltemi there can be a swell into the bay. Water and provisioning are available and there are number of tavernas.