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Kardamena
The Kardamena holiday resort is highly popular, especially with the younger generation of holidaymakers from the UK and is located across the south coast of Kos. Originally a small fishing village, the town is now very commercialised with scores of English-style pubs and restaurants and tightly packed apartment blocks. A wide variety of water sports can be organised from the long sandy beach and the resort is well placed for those who want to explore the island's fascinating interior.
The majority of shops in Kardamena are situated around the main square, with a varied choice of souvenirs, designer clothes and tourist gifts available. Good buys include the local jewellery and sponge (from the Nisyros volcano). For those in self-catering apartments, there are some good supermarkets offering most of the well-known brands. The two largest, both called Louis, are situated in the main square and by the bridge at the top of Main Bar Street. There are also some interesting local markets, including one on Bodrum, across the water in Turkey (Tuesdays).
The restaurants in the Kos resort of Kardamena offer an excellent choice of culinary delights, from traditional Greek to Indian, English right down to small cafes and fast food restaurants. Even those with a penchant for good home food should try the local fare, at least once. Good Greek restaurants include Andreas, Scala and El Greco, all on the seafront.
The nightlife competes quite well with Ibiza, with a vast range of bars and clubs offering holiday adventures after dark and catering for all musical tastes, from the latest Garage tracks in the Jolly Sailor to Indie classics in the aptly named Stone Roses Bar and cheesy pop in Cheeky Monkeys. The main nightclubs are Status, Starlight, Zoom and Downtown, which all stay open until 4am, and 6am at weekends.
The beaches in Kardamena are ideal for luxuriating as the warm waters lap against the sandy shores, however for more active visitors everything from pedalos to jet skiing and banana rides can be organised. Other beaches with water sports are Banana Beach and Sovereign Beach. There are fascinating historical sites scattered around the island, particularly in the capital Kos Town, 40 minutes away. Further a field, boat tours can be arranged to the spectacular volcanic island of Nisyros and to Rhodes (though be aware the journey takes almost three hours).
