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Aerial view of Kos Town, with the Neratzia castle and the harbour quays in front, white houses spreading inland and Mount Dikeos behind

Where to stay in Kos

Photo: Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Kos

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About Kos

Kos airport sits at Antimachia, about 24 km by road from Kos Town. The resorts spread out from there in both directions, so the base decides whether the airport run takes ten minutes or forty.

Greece. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Kos Hippocrates (KGS) at Antimachia, about 24 km by road from Kos Town and about 7 km from Mastichari and Kardamena. Source
Climate resilience fee
Per night, April to October: short-term rentals EUR 8, or EUR 15 for a detached house over 80 m2; tourist residences EUR 8, or EUR 15 from 80 m2; tourist villas EUR 15; rented rooms EUR 2; hotels EUR 2 to 15 by stars. November to March: EUR 0.50 to 4. One national table, unchanged for 2026: Code of indirect taxes (Law 5177/2025), article 44. Source
Municipal visitor fee
0.5% of the rent on stays under six months under national law, borne by the guest; private hosts with one or two properties do not charge it. The Kos council set it at 0.75% for 2026 for hotels, rooms to let and short-term rentals (decision 173/2025). Source
Short-term rental rules
Every short-term rental must be in the AADE registry and show its 11-digit AMA number on every platform and advert; licensed properties show a 16-digit ΕΣΛ or a 7-digit ΜΑΓ number instead. Source
Rental safety rules
Since 1 October 2025 each short-term rental needs smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a first aid kit, a guide to emergency numbers and civil liability insurance (Law 5170/2025). Source
Parking with a rental car
The municipal tourism site lists a free parking area near the Roman Odeon in the heart of Kos Town, and others near Casa Romana and at the Asklepieion. No official source on paid street parking was found. Source
Monthly stays
Under 60 days per contract is a short-term rental in Greece, with the per-night fee; 60 days or more without extra services is an ordinary lease. Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay. Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Kos

Blue and white fishing boats moored in Kos Town harbour, with palm trees and white buildings along the waterfront behind
Photographed in 2021. Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kos Town

The island's capital, with the castle of Neratzia, Palm Tree Avenue, the Plane Tree of Hippocrates and the ancient sites on foot, and bike lanes along the coast to Lambi. It suits first visits, short breaks and a month outside summer.

Kos airport
about 24 km
Lambi beach
about 2 km

Car and parking

The municipal tourism site lists free parking near Casa Romana, within walking distance of the centre, and near the Roman Odeon in the heart of the town. We found no official source on paid street parking, so ask the host whether a space comes with the booking.

Psalidi and Lambi

The beach strips either side of Kos Town. Lambi, on the north-west side, continues the town, with sandy beaches and a flat road of beach bars and cafes. Psalidi, 4 to 5 km east, is a seaside settlement of hotels and seafood taverns, quieter in winter and livelier in summer. Both suit a beach hotel with the town a bike ride away.

Kos Town, from Psalidi
about 5 km
Kos Town, from Lambi
about 3 km
Kos airport, from Psalidi
about 28 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Psalidi or Lambi was found as of September 2026. Both connect to Kos Town by the bike lanes along the coast road, according to the municipal tourism site.

Sand dunes with beach grass above Marmari beach, striped umbrellas and sunbeds by a turquoise sea, and island mountains across the water
Photographed in 2013. Photo: Алексей Решетников, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tigaki and Marmari

The north coast, where Tigaki beach runs for about 10 km. Tigaki, 11 km from Kos Town, has boutique hotels, apart-hotels, guest houses and resorts along its side streets; Marmari, 15 km west of the town, has a mix of accommodation. Both suit families and a beach holiday.

Kos airport, from Marmari
about 12 km
Kos airport, from Tigaki
about 16 km
Kos Town, from Tigaki
about 11 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Tigaki or Marmari was found as of September 2026. Local buses run often, and a flat back road from Lambi to Tigaki suits bikes, according to the municipality.

The curving sand beach of Mastichari bay with sunshades along the shore, turquoise water and tamarisk trees in the foreground
Photographed in 2013. Photo: Robert Powell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mastichari

The harbour village north of Antimachia: 470 residents at the 2011 census, with tourist infrastructure and places to stay, and the port for daily boats to Kalymnos and Pserimos in under an hour. It suits a short airport run and day trips to Kalymnos, and the municipality lists it among the windiest spots on the island.

Kos airport
about 7 km
Kos Town
about 21 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Mastichari was found as of September 2026. Before taking the car to Kalymnos, check whether the rental agreement allows it on the ferry.

Kardamena harbour with small fishing boats and excursion boats at the quay, waterfront cafes under palm trees and mountains behind
Photographed in 2021. Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kardamena

A former fishing village on the south coast that has grown into a popular resort, with 6 km of sandy coast, taverns, bars and nightclubs, according to the municipality. It suits a beach holiday with nightlife and a short airport transfer.

Kos airport
about 7 km
Kos Town
about 26 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Kardamena was found as of September 2026. The airport is about 7 km away by road and Kos Town about 26 km.

View from the hillside above Kamari over the village and the long beach of Kefalos bay, with the rocky Kastri islet offshore
Photo: Rodw, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kefalos and Kamari

The south-western end of the island, in two parts: Kamari, the coastal settlement with the port of Kefalos, and the traditional village on the hill, with narrow alleys and houses close together. It suits a quiet beach stay, with sunset beaches such as Agios Theologos to the west.

Kos airport, from Kamari
about 15 km
Kos Town, from Kamari
about 38 km
Kefalos village, from Kamari
about 2 km

Car and parking

No official parking source for Kefalos or Kamari was found as of September 2026. The hill village has narrow alleys, so ask the host where the car goes. Kos Town is about 38 km away by road.

Guides

Questions

Where is Kos airport?

At Antimachia: about 24 km by road from Kos Town, about 7 km from Mastichari and Kardamena and about 15 km from Kamari below Kefalos. The terminal has limited free parking opposite.

Is there a tourist tax in Kos?

Greece charges a climate crisis resilience fee per night and per room or property. From April to October a short-term rental pays EUR 8, or EUR 15 for a detached house over 80 m2, and hotels EUR 2 to EUR 15 by stars; from November to March EUR 0.50 to EUR 4. Hotels and professional hosts also add the municipal visitor fee on the rent, which the Kos council set at 0.75% for 2026.

Where can a rental car park in Kos Town?

The municipal tourism site lists free parking near Casa Romana and near the Roman Odeon in the town, and a free car park at the Asklepieion about 3.4 km away. We found no official source on paid street parking.

How can a guest check a rental is registered?

Every short-term rental in Greece must show its 11-digit property registry number, the AMA, on every platform and advert. Licensed properties show a 16-digit ΕΣΛ or a 7-digit ΜΑΓ number instead.