The west end of Kos from Kardamena: the hill village of Kefalos, Kamari bay and Kastri islet, ancient Astypalaia and the sunset beach at Agios Theologos.
Kefalos is the village on the hill at the far western end of Kos, and in antiquity it was the island's first capital. The houses stand so close together that the lanes between them barely fit a scooter. There is a small folk museum in a traditional house, an old windmill next to it and the ruins of a castle above the village.
Below the village lies Kamari bay, with a small marina and the postcard view of the islet of Kastri and its white chapel of Agios Nikolaos, a few metres off the beach. On the sand at Kamari you can still walk among the remains of the Early Christian basilicas of Agios Stefanos, from the 5th century.
South of the village, at Palatia, are the ruins of ancient Astypalaia, a temple of Demeter and a small Hellenistic theatre. Further on, the road ends near Agios Theologos, a wild beach on the open sea with a small church and the best sunset on the island.
Before you head back, stop for the local honey and the sweets made with it. On the way from Kardamena you pass the big southern beaches, from Paradise to Exotic, so make a day of it.
