02 Sep 7 things to do in Kastellorizo
Kastellorizo, also known by its old name, Megisti, is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary Greek Islands. We had the chance to discover it during our visit, and we are sharing here with you our 7 things to do in Kastellorizo. Keep in mind that while Kastellorizo seems like a small island, it has more things to do than you imagine. What do you think? Ready for your next vacation in Kastellorizo ?!
(Find at the end of the article useful info for your trip to Kastellorizo)
Travel to Kastellorizo Island! |
LOCATION
Climb to reach the church “Agios Georgios of the Mountain” and watch the sunset in Paleokastro.
One of the most beautiful parts of the island, which offers an incomparable view, is the ascent to the mountain until you reach the church St Georgeof the Mountain. One of the things worth doing in Kastellorizo is to put on your sportswear and climb the approximately 400 steps up there. We did this Mountain Walk with Eleni from Visit Kastellorizo! Throughout the climb, the view that reaches the shoreline of Turkey will compensate you more than you can imagine. You do not need to be in good physical condition to reach the top and, in any case, you can take short breaks to breathe and take photos. It was a wonderful experience, through which we had the opportunity to see Katellorizo from another point of view! Of course, our walk did not end there as we continued on towards the catacomb of Saint Charalambos and we ended up in Paleokastro, the oldest part of the island, where we enjoyed the sunset with the best company!
Visit the Blue Cave (Fokiali).
Perhaps the most iconic and famous part of the island is the Blue Cave. One of the things worth doing in Kastellorizo is visiting the cave and swimming in the blue waters! The sunlight on the water gives an impressive result, while the size of the cave is bigger than you imagine, when looking at photos. To go there, you need to rent a small boat with a captain, since the entrance to the cave is challenging. To begin with, the entrance is very small, so small that you will most likely pass by without seeing it. Secondly, when the weather is bad, entrance might even be prohibited. We suggest that you arrange your visit to the Blue Cave during your first days on the Island, to increase your chances of visiting it.
The tour of the island by boat.
Another must-do activity that we did with Nektarios and Visit Kastellorizo is the tour of the island by boat! And no, the interesting thing is not that we did the tour of the island, but the fact that we saw amazing places for swimming and we had a wonderful day. You do not expect it when you visit Kastellorizo, since, at first glance, it has no beaches in the classical sense of the word. However, you soon realize that it has incredible places with impressive rocks and waters that mentally take you to tropical places. At this point, it is worth saying that we went to another impressive cave, Kolones, where the waters have the same blue colors as the popular Blue Cave. In addition to exploring and diving, we enjoyed some relaxing time on the boat (without shame), but also some fresh shellfish that Nektarios (our captain) fished from the sea.
Visit the island of Ro.
One of the things you have to do in Kastellorizo is to go to the island of Ro! It is a small Greek island located just 5,600 meters from the Turkish coast. Ro has been associated with Ro’s famous lady, Despina Achladioti, who was a heroic figure of the Greek Resistance during the Nazi occupation. For decades, she raised the Greek flag every day and she was the only resident of the island until 1982, when she died. Today, her grave can be found on the island, right below the point where she used to raise the flag. In addition, today, there is a military installation in Ro and it is forbidden to take photos in some places. Visiting the island can be touchingand it is definitely worth going once in your life. We made our visit with Visit Kastellorizo and our captain Nektarios.
Find out more Greek Destinations from two locals 🙂
Taste from fresh seafood to stuffed onions and local sweets.
Every place has its own unique flavors. Thus, Kastellorizo is no exception. It may be small in size with relatively few dining options but, believe us, they are enough. Our favorite place for seafood was “Alexandras”, however, there are other good options as well, such as “Little Paris”, “Athena”, “Aiolis”, “Billi’s restaurant” & “Lazarakis”. For cooked and stuffed onions, we chose “Platania” restaurant, while for coffee, we visited our favorite hangout, “Meltemi” café. Must-try local sweets are “katoumari”, which is made of hand-made thin dough, fried in butter with sugar and a dash of cloves, as well as the “bride’s halva”, which is made with flour. It may be quite difficult to find halva since its recipe is nowadays known only to a few grandmothers of the island; However, if you are lucky enough to find it, you should definitely try it.
City tour.
The city or “the capital”, as it is called by locals, is the only settlement in Kastellorizo. The picturesque harbor with the colorful mansions and alleys that lead you to the highest points of the island; this is the city! We started our tour with Eleni from Visit Kastellorizo. She gave us a lot of information about the architecture and the way of life, which made our town walk even more enjoyable and interesting. As part of this tour, we visited both the museums of the island: the folklore (folk art) museum, which is housed in a former mosque, and the archeological museum. In fact, at the Museum of Folk Art, we had the opportunity to see a short film about the history of the island, which helped us understand what Kastellorizo truly is. The entrance fee was only 3 euros. Other places we “explored” were the school and the castle of the Knights, from where we enjoyed another unique sunset.
Useful info for your trip to Kastellorizo.
How to get to Kastellorizo: In the summer you have several options since there is a ferry to Kastellorizo from Rhodes Island 6 times a week. From Rhodes, the fast ferry takes about 2.5 hours while the conventional ones about 3-5 hours. There is also a direct ferry from Athens with Blue Star Ferries which takes about 22 hours. In winter things are more difficult as it has a ship twice a week. The island also has an airport (the smallest we have seen!). Olympic Air has a flight from Rhodes every day except Thursday. We took a flight from Athens to Rhodes and then a flight to Kastellorizo.
Where to stay in Kastellorizo: Kastellorizo is a small island, which means it has limited accommodation. That’s why it’s good to make your reservation on time. We stayed in Karnayo(photo from the balcony), which offers traditional rooms and apartments at good prices.
Where to swim? Does it have beaches in Kastellorizo? Kastellorizo has no beaches in the classical sense (long sandy or pebbles beach). It looks like Hydra Island, with docks in many places. We had no problem with it as the water was very nice. You can enjoy your swim either around the city or with a boat that you can rent (with or without a captain).
We want to say a big thank you to Visit Kastellorizo (Eleni, Nektarios, and their whole family) who showed us the beauties of the island and the wonderful hospitality of the locals. All the activities and experiences we did with them were great.
See more about our trip on Instagram (highlights stories #Kastellorizo)