Kos
Kos is the easy Dodecanese island: flat enough to cycle, small enough to cross in an hour, with the airport in the middle so that no resort is far from the plane. The all-inclusives sit on the south coast, at Kardamena and around Kefalos bay, where the meltemi wind that scours the north shore in high summer arrives softened. Kos Town has Hippocrates, a Knights' castle and a ferry to Turkey; the rest of the island is beach.
- Airport
- Kos (KGS), in the centre of the island
- most resorts are 10–30 min away
- The coast
- South (Kardamena, Kefalos) for shelter
- north (Tigaki, Marmari) for wind and kites
- Best for
- A straightforward beach week, cycling, short transfers, a day in Turkey
- Season
- May–October
- June and September are the sweet spots
- Weather risk
- None tropical
- the meltemi wind July–August, strongest on the north coast
When to go to Kos
Climate normals for Kos, and our verdict on each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily high | 59 degrees Fahrenheit | 59 degrees Fahrenheit | 63 degrees Fahrenheit | 68 degrees Fahrenheit | 76 degrees Fahrenheit | 84 degrees Fahrenheit | 88 degrees Fahrenheit | 88 degrees Fahrenheit | 83 degrees Fahrenheit | 76 degrees Fahrenheit | 68 degrees Fahrenheit | 61 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Rainfall | 5″ | 3.4″ | 2.4″ | 0.9″ | 0.4″ | 0.1″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0.3″ | 2.1″ | 3.6″ | 5.8″ |
| Verdict | Off-peak | Shoulder | Shoulder | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Shoulder | Off-peak | Off-peak |
Sweet spot. June and September; July–August is hottest and windiest; rainy season runs November–March.
Storm risk. No tropical systems: dry Dodecanese summers with the meltemi wind, strongest in July and August on the north coast.
Figures are long-term climate normals for Kos, good for planning. They are not a forecast.
South coast or north
The island's spine runs east to west, and the wind decides which side you book. The north coast, from Tigaki through Marmari to Mastichari, takes the meltemi head on through July and August, which the kitesurfers love and the sunbathers do not. The south coast is the lee: Kardamena, a resort village with the airport ten minutes away, and Kefalos bay in the far west, a wide sweep of sand under the old village with Kastri islet and its chapel in the middle of it. Every all-inclusive in our catalog is on the south side.
Kos Town, at the eastern tip, is the base for the sights and the ferry, and the pebbly beaches on its edge at Psalidi and the thermal spring at Agios Fokas are the town's own swimming.
When to go
June and September, with warm sea, long days and less wind. July and August are hot and reliably sunny, and the meltemi runs hardest then, which is a cooling breeze in Kefalos bay and a gale at Marmari. The rain comes between November and March, and the summer months are close to dry.
Beyond the resort
The Asklepion, the healing sanctuary on a terraced hillside above Kos Town where Hippocrates is said to have taught, is the island's great site, and the ancient plane tree in the town square claims him too. The Castle of the Knights guards the harbour, from which ferries cross to Bodrum in Turkey in under an hour for a day of market and castle. Nisyros, the volcanic island to the south, is a boat trip from Kardamena to walk on the crater floor. Cycle lanes run the length of the town and along the north coast.
Where the Kos resorts are
2 resorts mapped stars are five-star properties
The best all-inclusive resorts in Kos
The Kos properties we would actually book.
Resort chains in Kos
The brands operating here. The ones we rank in full link through to the chain, what its plan really covers, and every resort of theirs we track.
Where these companies came from
Almost nobody in this category publishes it. Read oldest first and the list is a short history of how Kos came to look the way it does.
Kos, head to head
Price, flights, sand, food and safety, compared honestly.
Kos vs JamaicaMexicoDominican RepublicMaldivesSpainTurks & CaicosArubaBarbadosSt. LuciaItalyPortugalTurkeyAntiguaCuraçaoBrazilCosta RicaPhilippinesFrench PolynesiaMoroccoEgyptSouth AfricaMauritiusKenyaTanzaniaMozambiqueThailandIndonesiaMalaysiaPunta CanaCancúnRiviera MayaLos CabosPuerto VallartaMontego BayNegrilOcho RiosGuanacasteCreteBahiaBora BoraMalé AtollsRodney BayBarbados South CoastBarbados West CoastViti LevuVanua LevuCanary IslandsBalearic IslandsCosta del SolSharm el-SheikhHurghada & the Red Sea CoastBelekRhodesLara & AntalyaMaldives Outer AtollsCorfuHalkidikiSoufrière & South St. LuciaGrenadaFijiCroatiaU.S. Virgin IslandsSri LankaSeychellesBahamasChileArgentinaUnited States
Frequently asked questions
Kos or Rhodes for an all-inclusive?
Kos for a smaller, flatter, easier island with shorter transfers and a sheltered south coast; Rhodes for a bigger choice of resorts, a longer east-coast beach and a medieval city that is a full day out. The two share the same reliable Dodecanese sun. Our ranking below orders every Kos resort in our catalog by real guest data.
Can you visit Turkey from Kos?
Yes. Ferries run from Kos Town harbour to Bodrum in under an hour, and a day trip needs only a passport. Most resorts on the south coast can book it; allow for the drive to the town first.