Kos Family Holidays & Breaks
Overview
Though one of the most-visited of the Greek Dodecanese islands, Kos is still a wonderful destination for family holidays. The second-largest and greenest of the Dodecanese and birthplace of the father of medicine, it's packed with fascinating Hellenistic and Roman ruins that make it more than a fly-and-flop destination, though it can be that with ease.
The fact that it was one of the first islands to experience package tourism means Kos has an excellent tourist infrastructure, and though few people head here for independent travel, it's easy to leave the resorts and move from village to village or from golden beach to beach on special buses and ferries. All kinds of watersports are available, and there's plenty of family entertainment – both are often included in packages.
Things to do with kids in Kos
Go cycling, mountainbiking, horse-riding, go-karting or for a round or two of mini-golf.
Head for one of the many child-friendly beaches, long and sandy with shallow water – try Lampi or the beaches of the southern coast with anglicised names such as Banana, Paradise or Sunny. But do your research – some beaches are popular with Scandinavian nudists.
Get splash-tastic at one of the island's waterparks: Aquatic and Lido.
Discover the atmospheric ruins of Asklepion, birthplace of Hippocrates and home to an ancient sanatorium founded in 444BC.
Visit Kos Town, a mad mix of beach and party resort and ancient ruins, with beautiful street mosaics and elegant Roman columns interspersed with nightclubs.
Slide at Aquatica waterpark.
Eat
Kos is stress-free when it comes to food, with even the fussiest kids catered to in most resorts, where international favourites are readily available. But do try out a local taverna, where you'll find dishes familiar to many kids amidst the mezedes (small appetiser dishes), incuding tzatziki, taramasalata and dolmades. Also popular are moussaka, grilled fish, octopus and squid.
Harbour view, Kos.
When to go to Kos
Schedule family holidays on Kos any time from early May to mid October. The hottest and busiest Month is July, with temperatures in the mid-30°Cs; in April and May, temperatures nudge the mid-20°Cs. High humidity in late July and throughout August can cause storms, but they are normally short-lived.
View over Kos Town.
Cost
Family holidays on Kos start at around £300pppw for low- to mid-range packages, self-catering. Entertainment and activities are often included.
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Destination stats
Capital city
Flying time4.25hrs All flight times are based on flights from UK London airports, to the capital or nearest destination airport.
Carbon footprint2.34 CO2 Estimated tonnes of CO2 produced for return flights for a family of four.
TimezoneGMT +2
CurrencyEuro
Weather Today
11°C
52.4°F
Part of the ruins at Asklepion.
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