Kalymnos, Greece: The Sponge Divers' Island
Kalymnos is the fourth largest island in the Dodecanese, in the Aegean Sea north-west of Kos and south-east of Leros. Its capital and main port is Pothia, a town of about 11,000 residents built against a hill in the shape of an amphitheatre. The island is dry and rocky on the surface, with green valleys hidden between the mountains. Kalymnos is known worldwide as the Sponge Divers' Island and as a rock-climbing destination, and it keeps most of its beaches on the west coast at Myrties and Massouri. Hire a car to reach the parts of Kalymnos the buses miss, covered in our Kalymnos car hire guide.
- Group
- Dodecanese
- Capital
- Pothia
- Rank
- 4th largest in the Dodecanese
- Known for
- Sponge diving & climbing
The island of Kalymnos
Kalymnos is a medium-sized island in the Aegean Sea and the fourth largest of the Dodecanese, lying north-west of Kos and south-east of Leros. The rocky mountains are mostly dry and barren, but two fertile green valleys sit between them, the best known being the valley of Vathy, where mandarins and other citrus trees grow. Oregano and thyme grow across the slopes, beehives dot the hillsides, and the island's own Kalymnos honey is sold everywhere. Kalymnos has not embraced mass tourism, so it keeps its own identity. The capital, Pothia, is one of the main ports of Greece.
Climbing and sponge diving
Kalymnos is a world destination for rock climbing and a centre of sponge diving. The island is rocky, the quality of the rock is superb, and most of the cliffs are easy to reach, so climbers come from all over the world all year round. Kalymnos is also known as the Sponge Divers' Island: sponge fishery, processing and trading were the main professions here for hundreds of years, and Kalymnos is the last Greek island with active sponge divers. The caves in the sea and the rocky seabed make it one of the best places in Greece for scuba diving and snorkelling, and the island holds the first underwater park and the first underwater archaeological park in Greece. Both themes are set out in the Kalymnos sights guide.
Getting to Kalymnos
Kalymnos is reached by ferry or by a short domestic flight. Until August 2006 the island was only accessible by boat, but since then it has had its own airport with domestic flights to Athens. A ferry crosses from the island of Kos in about 45 minutes, and a daily ferry runs from Athens (the port of Piraeus) in about 14 hours. From Pothia there are also connections to several other islands, among them Leros, Pserimos, Nisyros, Astypalaia and Rhodes, and a day trip to Bodrum in Turkey is possible.
Beaches of Kalymnos
The beaches of Kalymnos lie mostly on the west coast, around the resorts of Myrties and Massouri. Massouri is the biggest and most organised, Myrties has boats to the islet of Telendos, and Kandouni, Linaria and Platis Yialos cluster near the green village of Panormos. Quieter sandy and pebble beaches ring the north and east at Arginonta, Emporio, Akti and Rina, and sea temperatures run from about 23 to 27 degrees in summer. The full list is set out in the Kalymnos beaches guide.
Caves, castle and Telendos
The main sights of Kalymnos are its caves, its castle and the islet of Telendos. The island's speciality is its caves, from the easily reached Kefala cave in the south to the large and dramatic Skalia cave with its stalactites and stalagmites. Above Pothia stand the Chrysochera fortress and the old first capital of Chora with its recently renovated Big Castle and the archaeological site of the Temple of Apollo. Across the water off Myrties lies Telendos, once joined to Kalymnos before an earthquake split the two. These are gathered in the Kalymnos sights guide.
Villages of Kalymnos
Kalymnos keeps its life in a few villages, led by the port capital of Pothia on the south coast. The fertile valley of Vathy runs down to the small port of Rina on the east side, and Emborios sits at the quiet northern end of the island.
Pothia
Pothia is the capital of Kalymnos and one of the main ports of Greece, a town of about 11,000 residents. The city is built against a hill in the shape of an amphitheatre, and its houses carry different colours, so the waterfront makes an Italian impression. Pothia has a beach boulevard, the Nymfs cave, and the fortress of Chrysochera. All the island's ferries dock here, and it is the base for the trip to the old first capital of Chora just above the town.
Vathys
Vathys is a fertile green valley on the east coast of Kalymnos, one of the two green valleys hidden between the island's rocky mountains. Mandarins and other citrus trees grow here, and the valley is known as one of the most beautiful parts of the island. It runs down to the small port of Rina, where tavernas and rooms sit around a sheltered bay, and from where local boats reach the coves and the Daskalio caves nearby.
Emborios
Emborios is a quiet village at the northern end of Kalymnos, reached by the road north through Skalia. Its town beach and the small bays around it, including Sykati and Palionisos, make it one of the calmest parts of the island. The area suits travellers who want the far north, away from the west-coast resorts, and it keeps a few tavernas and rooms near the water.
Where to stay
Accommodation on Kalymnos concentrates on the west coast around Massouri, Myrties and the green village of Panormos, with the capital Pothia at the port. Massouri and Myrties put you near the best beaches and the boats to Telendos, Panormos sits close to the beaches and the climbing sectors, and Pothia keeps you by the harbour. Compare the options in the Kalymnos hotels & villas guide, which covers the island's hotels and self-catering apartments.
Where to eat
Kalymnos serves its best food at Pothia, Panormos and the west-coast resorts. The green village of Panormos holds the best restaurants, bars and ouzo tavernas on the island, the waterfront of Pothia lines the harbour with tavernas, and Myrties and Massouri feed the beach crowd. Local products include Kalymnos honey, oregano and thyme, and fresh fish and seafood. The dining areas are set out in the Kalymnos restaurants guide.
The Kalymnos guides
Four guides cover the island in detail. Pick a theme below.
