Kastelorizo Kalymnos ferry

Kastelorizo Guide

Located in the south east Mediterranean Sea, the Greek island of Kastelorizo lies around 2 km off the south coast of Turkey, 570 km to the south east of Athens, midway between the islands of Rhodes and Antalya and 280 km from Cyprus which is to the south east. The small island, which measures around 9 sq. km., has three capes: Agios Stefanos to the north, Pounenti in the south west and Nifti in the east. Located on a wide bay, between the capes of Agios Stefanos and Nifti, is the island's main harbour and only town.

The island's terrain mainly consists of high mountains which lead to cliffs down to the sea. In the more fertile areas of the island you can see olives, grapes and beans growing. The houses in the island's town are of Anatolian style and tend to be slender with timber balconies. To the east of the entrance to the harbour there is are remnants of a single story, former Italian governate, erected in 1926. Close by, is the island's former Ottoman mosque which dates back to the second half of the 18th century. The building has since been restored and is now a museum.

Ferries from the port connect the island to Rhodes, Kos, Nisyros, Piraeus, Kalymnos, Symi and Astypalea.

Kalymnos Guide

The Greek island of Kalymnos lies in the south east Aegean Sea and is located between the islands of Kos and Leros, and is one of the Dodecanese group of islands. The island is quite small with a land area of just over 100 sq. km but despite this it is the fourth largest of all the Dodecanese islands. The island's name has changed over its history. It was first named Kalynda, then Kalymna and then finally, Kalymnos. The island's capital is Pothis, although the most of the island's residents live in Chora, and is the island's second largest town.

Kalymnos is known for its sponge divers and sponge fisheries and it's inland terrain is steep and rocky and is popular with climbers. There are over 1,300 different climbing routes on the island that range in difficulty and terrain. Some routes are on slabs, some on big walls or on overhangs. The landscape used to be a curse for the island's residents but as it attracts visitors to the island it is now a blessing, certainly in terms of tourism.

There is a frequent ferry service to Piraeus, Rhodes and to the other Dodecanese islands. There are also ferry routes operating to the Cyclades islands, Samos and, during the summer season, to Chios, Mytilini, and Thessaloniki.