Kalymnos, In The Dodecanese Islands

Kalymnos is about 300 kilometers south east of Athens, and 100 north west of Rhodes. It has 15,500 permanent inhabitants, most of which live in Pothia, the capital of the island. It is well known as the sponge fishers island. The sea has always been a focal element in the local life, which has preserved its traditional character, colour and style to a great extent. It is a mountainous island with impressive rocky crags, nude of trees, but with plentiful aromatic plants, such as thyme, sage, thrimbe and oregano to which the excellent Kalymnos honey owes its fragrance. It is surrounded by a number of small islands, only two of which are inhabited, Pserimos and Telendos. Pothia is a picturesque town built like an amphitheatre around the port. It has all the necessary facilities such as banks, a post office, a hospital etc, as well as an intense commercial life with shops selling all kinds of goods.

It is well known as the sponge divers' island. The sea has always been a focal element in the local life, which has preserved its traditional character colour and style to a great extent. The divers, who initially dived nude and the best of whom could remain under water for over three minutes, travelled in small boats to the beaches of Africa looking for sponges.

You can reach Kalymnos by air via the Kalymnos National Airport. Else an additional way to come to Kalymnos is the Kos Airport. There you get a bus to Mastichari on a route with a regular service. From there ferry lines which takes 20 to 45 minutes to reach Pothia. The journey takes 10 to 12 hours by boat from Piraeus. There are ships everyday which leave usually at 2 in the afternoon (Dane) and at 4.00pm (GA Ferries). On the return journey the ship leaves Kalymnos at 7.00pm (Dane) or 9.00pm (GA Ferries) and arrives at Piraeus at 7 the following morning.

Accommodation
You can find rooms to rent at very reasonable prices. Free camping is strictly forbidden on the island.
The distances you need to travel to get to the cliffs are short - usually only 4 or 5 km, and 15-20 km at the most. For getting about a good option is to hire a moped or a car from the tourist agents or the hire shops in Pothia, Myrties and Massouri. For more information and reservations, please check the relevant section of the site.

Sightseeing
The island is steeped in a history which stretches back to the beginning of the 11th century BC (the beginning of the Geometrical period) when the island was first inhabited by the Karres. Almost everywhere on the island there are traces of the ancient inhabitants. In Pothia you can visit the Archaeological and Folk Museum where there are displays of objects from the prehistoric (5,000 BC) to the Byzantine era.
The Nautical Museum in Pothia shows the life of the sponge divers and other related customs and habits of the people of Kalymnos. Don't forget to visit the "Valsamidi's Museum of Ocean Finds" at Vlychadia. Amongst the noteworthy exhibits are the remains of an ancient Greek boat together with the urns it was carrying. The castle area of the main town is a Byzantine settlement with a fantastic view over the port. A good number of old houses, churches and cisterns have been preserved.

Other Sports
If lounging on the beach doesn't grab you the alternatives to rock climbing on Kalymnos include windsurfing, mountain biking, trekking, yachting and diving. People windsurf usually in the region between Kalymnos and Telendos where the wind is often between 3 and 5 on the Beaufort scale and rarely exceeds this. Boards can be hired on the beaches that are also equipped for beach volley.
On the asphalt coastal road from Massouri to Emborio you can cycle enjoying the view of the sea and of the cliffs of Telendos. For a good dirt road continue on from Emborio towards the NW coast. Another good cycling route - for strong legs - begins in Pothia and heads for the Saint Catherine Monastery and the Kefala cave (with terrific stalactites - torch needed). Mountain bikes can be hired on the road leaving Massouri towards Emborio.
For trekking there are a fair number of old footpaths needing between one and three hours, all with incomparable views from high up across the Aegean.

Local dishes
Don't forget to try the delicious fresh fish of the island and the different octopus dishes, including octopus roasted over charcoal, marinated in ouzo or served as octopus balls. Unique in Greek cuisine are the "krithines kouloures" (a kind of rusk which was made for the sponge divers in the old days), the "Mermizeli" (salad with "krithines kouloures"), and "karkani (salad with mayonaise and devilfish meat). At Easter the islanders roast the "Mououri", goat meat cooked in a special earthenware pot. For another different taste try the "ouzo-mezedes" of the sponge divers, the "fouskes" and the "spinalo" (cuttlefish, sea urchin and devilfish preserved in sea water), and try the sea-dried lobster tail.

Useful telephone number: (22430)