Feature Image: Telendos jetty with a Kalymnos backdrop

Get to know Telendos

Telendos is a stress-free island off the western coast of Kalymnos. There’s no roads and no cars, and the only paved area is the promenade leading from the boat jetty. At one time these two islands were joined at the hip, but a devastating earthquake tore them apart in 535 AD, and now they’re separated by a 700 meter channel. Archaeological ruins suggest the existence of an affluent Christian culture in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.

Water Taxi to Telendos

At the southern end of Myrties Beach is a small T-shaped jetty where the water taxis depart from. There’s usually a couple of them docked, but only one leaves each half-hour. The captain will tell you which boat to board.

It takes about 10 minutes to get across to Telendos, depending on the tides, and costs 2.50 Euro one way. Well worth the effort and cost to explore this tranquil island.

When you’re laying on the beach on either side of this stretch of water it’s easy to tell when it’s on the hour or half hour because you see the boats leaving both jetties, and a few minutes later they cross paths with each other.

Walking the Promenade

The jetty leads directly onto a paved promenade and this is the only commercial hub on the island. You won’t find rooms to rent, places to eat and drink, or shops to browse, anywhere else on the island.

Turn right to walk along the paved promenade sandwiched between the sea and the barren craggy landscape, to explore the compact row of restaurants, bars and shops that all provide a view of Kalymnos.

This path leads to a shallow, sandy beach, fringed by trees. This family friendly beach is the longest one on the island, and the most accessible to day trippers. It’s an ideal place to sit in the shade and watch the occasional boat drift by.

All the tavernas are good. I guess when there’s not much choice, the competition to attract custom is fierce. But Kapsoulis is a favourite with the local fisherman to end their day with a glass of ouzo and nibble on freshly caught fish or octopus. The hosts speak great English and it’s a friendly atmosphere.

There’s a good selection of small and medium sized tavernas, and you can enjoy a shaded patio table or shaded table overlooking the water.

Visit Trip Advisor to find out more about the island’s selection of restaurants.

You could easily spend a week on Telendos and not get a chance to have dinner at every taverna on the island. Next time we go to Kalymnos, I’m planning on taking an evening water taxi over to Telendos to spend my evening eating seafood and drinking ouzo, while looking at the twinkling lights of Kalymnos in the distance.

When you follow the promenade along the shoreline, there’s a gap with no businesses, but as you reach the north end of the beach there’s another small cluster of tavernas and accommodation options.

The last cafe before you hit the dirt tracks is called On The Rocks, and it’s elevated vantage point gives you a hypnotic view of the sea, beach, Kalymnos, and passing boats.

I popped in there for a quick glass of a famous Greek-style frappes (eat your heart out Starbucks), and ended up ordering another, just because I didn’t want to move. Plus the elevated patio is ideally positioned to catch the occasional whisper of a breeze.

The owners of On the Rocks also offer cheap and fast access to the Irox, Miltiades and Lambda climbing routes, via their own boat. Call them on +30 693 297 8142 or send an email to OTR@telendos.com. They speak excellent English. Another climbing resource is Aris Theodoropoulos on +30 694-450-5279.

Also, if you come over from Kalymnos to have dinner at On the Rocks, and you miss that last water taxi across the great divide, the hosts offer a complimentary boat service back to Kalymnos. How’s that for service?

Separated from the main beach by a little jetty, is a little strip of beach managed by On the Rocks, where they offer sun beds, and waiter service to anyone looking for a place to chill. They also run a quirky little free library.

Carry along this dirt track and you’re about 10-15 minutes away from Paradise Beach, favored by nudists.

Walking to Potha and Paradise Beaches

There’s a narrow sandy path leading north from On The Rocks, and from here there’s no more shops, so make sure you’ve got water with you before you start exploring.

The coastal path was more or less deserted when I went in search of Potha and Paradise beaches. It’s a sand and gravel path, so you need to keep an eye on where you’re walking because it gets slippery in places.

It’s difficult to concentrate on where you’re placing your feet when you’re mesmerized by the patchwork shades of blue and the ragged Kalymnos landscape in the distance.

To your left, Telendos rises to the sky, and although there’s no established paths up the hill to the summit, I saw a three hikers gingerly making their way up the slope.

You’ll see arrows and makeshift signs pointing the way to the beaches, but there’s only one path so you can’t really get lost.

It was high tide when I arrived at Potha Beach, so there really wasn’t much comfortable landmass to sunbath on, but you could go for a paddle.

750 meters further along, is Paradise beach, and the water along this part of the coastline is even more electric.

Paradise Beach is a small cove, costing 10 Euros for the privilege of taking your clothes off! There was only a small strip (no pun intended) of sandy beach at high tide, and more when the tide goes out.

2km further past Paradise beach is a rugged and difficult path that leads to a small church. I didn’t explore that far because the heat of the day was starting to take it’s toll. But this would be a good early evening walk to watch the sunset.

Walking to Hohlaka Beach

As soon as we arrived on Telendos we were in the mood to explore a bit of the island, so instead of turning right along the promenade, we turned left to go in search of Hohlaka Beach.

Even if you’re not really in the beach mood, the walk to Hohlaka is a journey of discovery. The path takes you around the back of the houses and away from the water. Most of the buildings are private homes, but a few have turned their patios into alfresco dining areas, with Mama in the kitchen whipping up a selection of Greek meze, salads, and typical Greek belly-pleasers like moussaka and stuffed aubergines.

Part of the fun is following the hand painted signs that point the way to the beach, and it’s like going on a private treasure hunt, not knowing what’s around each corner.

Once out of the residential area, bright pink flowers parted like the red sea to bring us out onto a barren landscape. Where we were met with a sea of dried sunflowers, still defiantly pointing to the sun.

I’ve never seen so many dried sunflowers in one place before, and I would have loved to pick a bunch to decorate our balcony back in Turkey. They were beautifully preserved and would have made a stunning art project.

The steps leading down to Hohlaka beach were usable enough, but the climb back up was sweat-inducing.

If you’re looking for a quiet spot to sunbathe and swim, this is a good destination, but it’s more rugged than picturesque. There are sun beds and umbrellas, and during the peak months there’s an attendant taking 5 Euros for using them, but it was deserted when we arrived.

The water is rougher on this side of the island, and the beach is sharp, so you defiantly need sea shoes to swim in.

Telendos Souvenirs

We looped back to the promenade to explore the rest of the island, and along the way we were tempted by the souvenirs.

I loved that one of the ladies had a basket of shells by her back door. This just sums up the Greeks. They could charge for a bag of shells, but instead they’re spreading good vibes by offering them for free.

Telendos is known for its rock salt, and one of the Taverna Mamas had small bags of sea salt wrapped in white doilies, tied with string.

Another Greek Mama had bigger bags of rock salt for the same price (2 Euros) without the fancy wrapping. She also had beds of oregano, sea sponges and fancy shells.

We couldn’t leave the island without a bag of sea salt, which is sitting in my salt cellar on my kitchen island, and each time I use it to cook with, I’m reminded of wandering the back streets of this out-of-the-way Greek island.

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I can’t believe it took me until 2019 to tread on Greek soil, especially since it’s only a 15 minute ferry ride from our nearest Turkish ferry port! Well I’m making up for lost time, and here’s my blog posts about exploring Greece:

• Popping my Greek Cherry with Kalymnos
• Day trip to Vathy on the Greek Island of Kalymnos
• Catching the Mastichari Ferry from Kos to Kalymnos
• Getting to know Kalymnos Beaches
• Discover the Tranquility of Telendos
• Visiting Symi for their Famous Red Shrimp
• Exploring Leros on Two Wheels

And coming soon:

• Overnight Trip to Symi
• Afternoon in Rhodes

NOTE: This is a catchup post from last year. We visited Teleondos during the summer of 2019.