Find and Book cheap holidays to Kardamena in Greece
Kardamena is one of the most popular resorts in Greece, particularly with young Brits looking for a lively and entertaining holiday. Once a small fishing village, the town is now very commercialised with scores of English-style pubs and restaurants, and tightly packed apartment blocks. A wide variety of watersports can be organised from the long sandy beach and the Kardamena resort is well-placed for those who want to explore the island's fascinating interior.
Kardamena is packed with shops offering everything from designer clothes to tacky holiday souvenirs. Most are located around the main square. Good buys include the local jewellery and sponge (from the Nisyros volcano). For those in self-catering apartments, there are some good supermarkets offering most of the well-known brands. The two largest, both called Louis, are situated in the main square and by the bridge at the top of Main Bar Street. There are also some interesting local markets, including one on Bodrum, across the water in Turkey (Tuesdays).
There is a wide choice of restaurants in Kardamena to suit all tastes, from Indian and traditional Greek to fast food joints and cafes offering full English breakfasts and Premiership football. Even those with a penchant for good home food should try the local fare, at least once. Many of the best Greek restaurants are clustered on the seafront.
It's not quite Ibiza, but the nightlife in Kardamena is still fairly intense, with dozens of bars and clubs catering to all musical tastes, from indie classics to cheesy pop. The main nightclubs stay open until about 4am during the week, and 6am at weekends, during the warmer months. The nightlife is vibrant and fun and definitely dominated by tourists.
The main beach in Kardamena is ideal for both lazy days in the sun and for watersports - everything from pedalos to jet skiing and banana rides can be organised, as well as scuba diving and snorkelling. Other beaches with watersports are Banana Beach and Sovereign Beach. The aptly-named Bubble Beach is popular, and nearby Helona Beach has Blue Flag status.
There are fascinating historical sites scattered around the island to see while on holiday, particularly in the capital Kos Town, 40 minutes away. Further afield, boat tours can be arranged to the spectacular volcanic island of Nisyros and to Rhodes (though be aware the journey takes almost three hours).
When most people think of Kos, they envision sun drenched beaches and thousands of young tourists on package holidays, but there is more to Kos than meets the eye, with some wonderful sightseeing opportunities on offer.
History buffs will enjoy a day trip to the dramatic and beautiful Patmos, the island where the exiled St John the Evangelist wrote the Biblical Book of Revelations. Asclepieion, south of Kos Town, was the sacred healing temple where the physician Hippocrates is said to have taught students. The hot sulphur springs at Agia Irini or the hot sea water pools at Agios Fokos are also worth a visit to take a therapeutic dip.
Take a stroll around the old harbour area opposite Dolphins Square to view the sculptures by Alexandros Alwyn, and the huge Tree of Hippocrates, which is located in front of the entrance to Knights Castle, one of Kos Town's most famous attractions and a really exciting, and extensive, ruin to explore. The ruins of a Hellenistic Temple dedicated to Hercules and the Roman Odeon are also located here, and the Archaeological Museum in the Plateia Eleftherias will captivate visitor's imaginations.
On a less historical note, the warm Aegean Sea is perfect for watersports: waterskiing, jet skiing, and parasailing are ideal for adventurous adults, while pedalos and banana boats are popular with older children. Kos is known as having some of the best sandy, golden beaches in Greece, including Kefalos, Kardamena, and Lambi. For those looking for outdoor activities beyond the beach, hiking on the mountain of Dikaios is a must, while the more relaxed option of biking around the towns is a safe and scenic way to see Kos's local life.