Tilos Island, Greece: Villages, Beaches and Sights
Tilos is a quiet island in the Greek Dodecanese, 65 kilometres north-west of Rhodes between Kos and Rhodes, covering 63 square kilometres with about 500 inhabitants. Even in high season Tilos stays sleepy, with castles on its hills, fertile green valleys and empty beaches; most people live in the port of Livadia and the small capital Megalo Chorio, linked by a good road with a bus service.
- Sea
- Dodecanese
- Size
- 63 km²
- Population
- ~500
- Port
- Livadia
The island of Tilos
Tilos is a sleepy Dodecanese island 65 kilometres north-west of Rhodes, between Kos and Rhodes, 63 square kilometres in size with about 500 inhabitants. First impressions on arrival can be deceiving, but the quiet is the point: fewer people step off the ferry, and the island keeps its castles, green valleys and empty beaches to itself. People live mainly in two settlements linked by road. Livadia, the port, is the livelier of the two, where the ferries call and most of the accommodation is found; it keeps the feel of a small island village, with a central square, a few harbour tavernas and shops and a pebble beach, most of the newer hotels set just behind the old waterfront. Megalo Chorio, the small capital, sits at the foot of a hill below an old castle, its whitewashed houses mixed with abandoned ones; the 19th-century Church of the Archangel Taxiarchis is worth a visit, and the village cemetery stands on an ancient burial ground. Smaller villages include Agios Andonios, with a few houses, a windmill and a beach, Eristos, with rooms to rent, a few tavernas and the island's best beach, and Micro Chorio, abandoned in the 1950s. The main road runs through fertile valleys and the bus stops at the beaches of Eristos and Agios Andonios; the island is well known for its honey. Its liberal, friendly character made it, in 2008, the first place in Greece to allow same-sex marriages.
The sights of Tilos
The main sight on Tilos is the fortified Monastery of Agios Panteleimon, plain outside but rich with paintings and decoration inside, dating from 1470–1480 and set on a hill in the north-west among old chestnut, cypress and oak trees; a very infrequent bus runs there only a few times a week in high season, and parts of it were probably built with stones from an earlier temple. The castle above Megalo Chorio, built by the Knights of Saint John, once held the whole village population within its walls until the 18th century; the steep walk up takes about 45 minutes and rewards you with spectacular views across Tilos to the volcanic island of Nisyros. Another 2.5 kilometres west of Megalo Chorio is the Agios Andonios Monastery. The town hall at Megalo Chorio houses a small museum with the fossilised bones of the dwarf elephants that lived on the island from about 50,000 years ago until roughly 4000 BC, discovered in the 1970s in the cave of Harkadio along with neolithic ceramics, stone tools and much older deer bones (about 140,000 BC); the museum opens daily 9:00 to 14:00 and is closed on Sundays. Walkers can find many small castles, including the medieval fortress of Misaria above the Harkadio cave near abandoned Micro Chorio, 3 kilometres from Livadia, founded in 1366 by the Knights of Saint John.
The beaches of Tilos
The main beach of Tilos is the town beach of Livadia, a long, narrow, clean pebble beach with facilities, parasols and sunbeds, backed by tavernas and accommodation, that rarely gets overcrowded even in high season. Eristos is the most famous beach, a 1,200-metre sandy beach where naturism is allowed, shaded by trees and considered the best on the island; the Livadia–Megalo Chorio bus stops here, and although a hotel and an apartment complex have been built, most of it stays unspoilt. Two kilometres east of Megalo Chorio is the small settlement and pleasant beach of Agios Andonios, named after a chapel whose frescoes were all but one destroyed by the Germans in the Second World War; petrified human remains here are thought to be sailors caught in the Nisyros eruption of 600 BC. Lethra Beach, a pebble beach on the north-east coast, is a 45- to 60-minute walk from Livadia. Agios Sergios in the south sits in a cove ringed by high mountains and is reached on foot or sometimes by traditional fishing boat from Livadia. Plaka in the north is quiet and unspoilt except in August, with a naturist area at its far end, reached on foot from Agios Andonios. Many other small beaches such as Red Beach, Skafi, Tholos and Stavros are reachable only on foot; maps and route details are available at the Little Island office in Livadia harbour.
The history of Tilos
Pottery and stone tools found in the Harkadio cave near Micro Chorio show that Tilos was inhabited in the Neolithic period (8000–7000 BC), and the dwarf-elephant bones from the same cave (7000–4000 BC) suggest people and elephants overlapped. In the later Bronze Age the island passed under the Minoans, the Mycenaeans and the Dorians, then flourished in antiquity, famous for its clothing and perfumes and minting its own coins. In the 5th century BC Tilos joined the Delian League and stayed independent until the end of the Peloponnesian War, after which it was ruled by various powers, including the Egyptians, until it was taken into the Rhodian Confederacy in 200 BC. Rome occupied the island in 43 BC and it prospered until a large earthquake in 512 AD. After the Byzantine period the Knights of Saint John ruled from 1309, strengthening the Byzantine fortresses and building new ones, until the Ottoman Turks took the island in 1470. Turkish rule lasted until 1912, when Tilos became part of Italy; the Germans invaded in 1943, and in 1948 the island was finally united with Greece along with the rest of the Dodecanese.
Where to stay on Tilos
Because tourism is low-key, Tilos has a limited choice of accommodation, mostly simple rooms and self-catering studios and apartments, the bulk of it in Livadia harbour with some in Megalo Chorio and at Eristos Beach. On arrival by ferry people often wait to offer rooms, and there is an information desk in the harbour, but for something special or for high season it is wise to book ahead.
Stefanakis Villas
Livadia
Stefanakis Villas stand a few metres from Livadia Beach and offer spacious, fully equipped villas with free Wi-Fi and a sun terrace overlooking the Aegean Sea and the garden, with free car rental throughout the stay. Each villa has a full kitchen with stove and microwave, a dining area, a seating area with a sofa, a work desk with a computer and a flat-screen TV with cable, and guests get a welcome pack of local products on arrival. Sun loungers and umbrellas are set in the garden, and there is a fitness centre and a library on site with free private parking. Bars and restaurants are within 100 metres, the dwarf-elephant museum 100 metres, Tilos Port 600 metres and Megalo Chorio 7 kilometres.
Check availability & bookHotel Apartments Ellibay
Livadia
The newly built Elli Bay Hotel sits by the sea very close to the main port of Tilos, about 150 metres away, with direct access to the water. The modern apartments each have a balcony with a sea view, a multi-cooker, a fridge, air conditioning, a TV and free wireless internet, and the two-room apartments sleep up to 4 people. A mini-market is nearby and two restaurants stand right next to the hotel; breakfast is available for 5 euro extra per person (2010).
Check availability & bookSea View Hotel
Livadia
Sea View Hotel in Livadia offers rooms with sea views, 150 metres from the beach and a short walk from the port with its boats to neighbouring islands. Each air-conditioned room has a balcony, satellite TV, a fridge and a hairdryer, and Wi-Fi is free. A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the hotel restaurant, which offers a range of Greek specialities for dinner.
Check availability & bookOlympus Apartments
Livadia
Olympus Apartments is a complex of 12 apartments with combined mountain and sea views, split across three buildings with big balconies front and back and built in a traditional style with built-in beds. Ground-floor apartments suit up to 4 people and the classic apartments suit 2; each has a bathroom with shower and hairdryer and a fully equipped kitchen with cooker, toaster and kettle. The complex sits in a quiet part of Livadia, 50 metres from the bus stop and 150 metres from the beach.
Enquire by e-mailLivadia Beach Apartments
Livadia
Livadia Beach Apartments is a set of 16 apartments right at the sea in three separate buildings, bright and spacious with balconies or a garden front and back. Ground-floor suites sleep 2 to 4 people (56 square metres) and first-floor classic apartments sleep 2 (38 and 28 square metres), all with sea views. There is an internet service in the reception area and a snack bar on site for snacks, drinks and refreshments.
Enquire by e-mailPanorama Apartments
Livadia
Panorama Apartments is a complex of 4 two-room apartments with a panoramic view, built in traditional Greek style with built-in beds and set on a hill overlooking Livadia amid green surroundings. Each has its own garden, a small living room, a separate bedroom, a bathroom with shower, a fan and a fully equipped kitchen with cooker. The apartments are 100 metres from the bus stop, 150 metres from the harbour and 300 metres from the beach.
Enquire by e-mailApollo Studios
Livadia
Apollo Studios is A-class accommodation in Livadia, the main port of Tilos, 50 metres from the harbour and 50 metres from the beach. The studios are single rooms furnished in a modern style with a separate bathroom and sleep 2 to 4 people.
Enquire by e-mailCafe Croma, Livadia
Cafe Croma in Livadia serves breakfast in the morning and evening meals, with a large range of beers, ciders, wines and spirits including Scottish malts and speciality cocktails, and free, unlimited Wi-Fi for customers. It is run by Rob and Annie, who swapped Manchester for Tilos; the bar sits next to the bakery in the harbour village.
Getting to Tilos
Tilos is reached by ferry, and the easiest way is to fly to Rhodes or Kos and take a boat from there, which also lets you combine a few days on one of those islands with Tilos. The Seastar is the local fast ferry from Rhodes and takes about one and a half hours; other lines, including Blue Star Ferries, also call. Tilos has connections with Symi, Rhodes, Halki, Nisyros, Kos, Kalymnos and other islands: ANES-Symi Lines runs the small car-ferry route Rhodes–Symi–Tilos–Nisyros–Kos and back, while Blue Star Ferries runs Rhodes–Tilos–Nisyros–Kos–Kalymnos–Astypalea–Piraeus and back. You can also fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus, though that trip is much longer. Ferry schedules change with the season and from year to year, so always check.
Getting around and excursions
Getting around Tilos is easy by bus, taxi or hire vehicle, though the network of roads you can drive is limited. A good bus service links all parts of the island and there is one taxi. Hire cars are few, mostly small Hyundai and Fiat models, so booking ahead is wise if you want to drive: Stefanakis Travel Service in Livadia keeps a small number of cars (tel +30 22460-44360 & 44310, in 2009 four air-conditioned Fiat Pandas), Iris Rent a Car also has cars, Rent a Moto Manos hires scooters, city bikes and mountain bikes (tel 0030 22460 44294), and Drive Rent a Car in Livadia is run by Kyriakos Sakellaris (tel 0030 22460 44173). Kyriakos also runs a twelve-metre glass-bottom boat on tours around the island, passing a shipwreck that lies 40 metres offshore at Livadia, and Captain Stelios offers half-day and full-day boat trips with a BBQ along the coast to beaches reachable only by boat.
Useful information
Tilos has a branch of the Dodecanese Bank in Livadia, open 8:30 to 13:30, and an ATM available at all times, though it is wise to bring some cash. Internet is available at Kosmos Giftshop (not free) from 9:30 to 13:30 and 19:00 to 23:30, and free unlimited Wi-Fi for guests at Cafe Croma next to the bakery. Seven castles are spread across the island: the one above Livadia harbour, Agriosikia, dates from the 15th century, and the best preserved is the castle above Megalo Chorio. Useful numbers: Tilos Port Authority 22410 44350, Tilos Police 22410 44222, First Aid 22410 44210, Airport Rhodes 22410 83200, Piraeus Port Authority 210 4511311.