Feature Image: Myrties Beach
About Kalymnos
The Greek Island of Kalymnos island is part of the Dodecanese chain of islands just off the coast of Turkey. Most of the 12k population live in it’s main port town of Pothea.
The island was famous for sponge fishing, and although there are still sponge shops dotted around the island, the industry of the island was dramatically impacted by a viral disease that killed off the sea sponges population. Kalymnos had to find a way to boost its economy and reinvented itself as a rock climbing destination. During the summer it’s way to hot to climb, but the landscape and steep mountain ranges make it an ideal off-season destination for climbers. They even host a popular rock climbing competition each year.
Outside of Pothea, the most visited areas are the western beach towns of Masouri and Myrties. During the peak summer season, even these beach areas of the island aren’t overcrowded, so if you’re looking for an alternative to the hedonistic and tourist-centric Kos Town vibe, Kalymnos is just a short ferry ride and a world away.
Getting to Masouri and Myrties beaches by bus
So far in our day we’d taken two buses and two ferries to get to Kalymnos from our home in Turkey—but the journey wasn’t over yet. We had one more bus to get from the main port town of Pothea, to the island’s main beach towns of Masouri to Myrties.
The Kalymnos bus terminal is located at the entrance to the ferry pier, but blink and you’ll miss it, because it’s little more than a blue and white hut. Luckily there’s a little bench in the shade to wait for your bus, and just as well. On the day we traveled it was 40c – that’s about 104f, and it was humid as well. It was just over 10km to get from the ferry port to the beach town of Masouri.
The local bus timetable is displayed in the window, and all buses that navigate the island depart from here. You can also visit the main website to view the most updated bus timetable: www.kalymnos-isl.gr/en/information/bus-itineraries.
Good news is that the same bus goes to Masouri and Myrties. From Pothea the bus stops at Myrties, and then takes the top road up along to Masouri. It doesn’t take the coast road because that’s a one way (running north to south) street. Some of the buses only go as far north as Masouri, before heading south along the coast road, so you’ll be able to get dropped off close to your accommodation and the beach action. But other buses continue north past Masouri, and you’ll have to get off the bus at the Masouri turning, and walk into town (it’s a 5 minute walk into the heart of the beach community).
Check with the driver and he’ll let you off at the right spot, which is where the upper and lower roads meet.
The benefit of staying along this part of the coastline is that you get a picturesque view of the island of Telendos. Even from our hotel balcony we had a view of the island, only slightly obscured by a couple of trees.
The Beach Town of Masouri
Masouri has one of the longest sandiest beaches on the island, and is also the most popular tourist destination. I was worried that it would be overrun with tourist and too built up or touristy for us, but even though it was the peak season, the area had a laid back and chilled vibe.
Yes the beaches were busy during the day, with rows of beach loungers lining the beach set out in front of beach-front cafes and tavernas, but I have no idea where all these people disappeared to each evening, because the streets and restaurants were semi-deserted.
Most of the tavernas on Masouri offer free sun beds if you order food and drink, but if you only want to rent the bed the price ranges between 5 and 10 Euros. So for that price, you may as order a couple of beers and a plate of chips and be done with it!
Both evenings at sunset we wandered along Masouri beach expecting it to be alive with revelers enjoying the sunset view, but no, the beach bunnies had done a mass-exedus back to their hotels and guest houses.
Why wouldn’t you stick around for a sunset view of Telendos Island? There’s a myth about a Telendos princess called Pothea. She asked a prince to prove he loved her, by swimming to Telendos with a lit candle held in the air. Of course the flame went out and the Princess thought he’d drowned, and ran into the sea and drowned from sadness. They myth has overtones of Romeo and Juliette, but the mystery doesn’t end there. According to the ancient stories, the profile of the Princess was immortalized in the island’s profile.
I’m confused … all I see is a gorilla head. How about you?
The beach town of Myrties
There’s a continuous sting of shops selling clothes and climbing gear along the main road that connects Masouri to it’s neighbor, Myrties – interspersed with Greek bakeries, bars, restaurants and rental apartments.
The walk between these Masouri and Myrties is about 1.5km, and along the route you’re continually rewarded with a view of Telendos.
The most extensive sponge diving shops are back in the main port town of Pothea, but along the beach road there’s also a couple of sponge diving operations and shops. And if you time it right you’ll catch them trimming the sponges, and you can stop for a chat about the method for curating and drying the sponges.
Most of the explanation is done through pidgin English and mime, but they’re a friendly bunch, and seem genuinely happy to share the story of their craft with passer’s by.
At the far end of Masouri is the Aegean Tavern, a classic Greek taverna with an unobstructed view of Telendos from their outside patio. Continuing along past here is a lot of nothing until you start to research the beginning and end of Myrties – literally it’s a hub of activity around the beach and not much else.
We stayed in a small hotel/motel in Masouri for three nights, and there’s not much to do besides go out to dinner or a drink, so each evening we took a sunset stroll along this road as far as this Taverna. Each night it was the only place we encountered that was packed to the rafters with people. All other places are sparsely frequented.
We didn’t plan our days well, so didn’t get organized enough to make a reservation, so we didn’t have the pleasure of eating here. Instead we wandered back into the centre of Masouri to eat in the generous selection of restaurants available.
Myrties Beach
Although you can see the sea from specific points along the road, this part of the island has expanses of crags and cliffs, and there’s only a few places where you can walk between the houses to reach an area of beach. The first place you can do this is when you reach Myrties beach.
Myrties beach is completely different from Masouri beach. Masouri is sandy and full of tourists, and Myrties beach is smooth small pebbles, and attracts locals and a few tourists willing to wander off the beaten path.
Myrties was our type of beach, with plenty of places available to lay down your towel, and only only little cafe. But it still offered panoramic views of Telendos.
There were a few sun beds set back from the water’s edge, and they were free to use as long as you bought a drink and some food from the Silver Dollar cafe that provided them. We chatted to the owner. He’s been here all his life, and his is the only cafe on the beach. “Why would I live anywhere else?” he asked. Too true!
You’d think that being the only cafe on the beach that he’d charge a premium for his food, drinks and beds, but no, he’s just happy living life, and wants others to be happy too. Ah! the simplicity of the Greek life! What’s not to love.
The water was crystal clear, calm, and warm as bath water, and we knew we’d end up spending most of our time at this part of the island. There’s a bit of a ledge that drop-offs along the water’s edge. Not a problem for adults, but I’d be wary letting a little kid swim here.
Also there’s a pretty laid back approach to nudity along here. I wouldn’t mind some eye candy of a Greek Adonis getting tanned in the sun, slathered in locally produced olive oil. Unfortunately, all we got an eyeful of was a wrinkled Greek raisin who wouldn’t see this side of seventy any time soon—some things just can’t be unseen!
Come and discover the #GreekIsland beaches of Kalymnos, overlooking the gorilla profile of Telendos island. #Greece Click To TweetJust south of this beach is the jetty where you catch the sea taxi to Telendos, but more about that in another post.
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I also blogged about a day trip to Vathy on the east coast of Kalymnos, for a day at the beach:
NOTE: This is a catchup post from last year. We visited Kalymnos during the summer of 2019.
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
You have lots of patience to travel like this. It seems like such a lot of effort to get to one place (I read you post about getting from Kos to Kalymnos) You must really have wanted to visit here.
Yes it took a bit of getting too, but it was well worth the effort. There is a direct ferry here, but we can an indirect route because we wanted to stay a few days rather than take a day trip from Turkey.
Roving Jay recently posted..Catching the Mastichari Ferry from Kos to Kalymnos
Oh wow! This is so beautiful! I love how you went somewhere a little off-the-beaten path–I think it’s so easy to get caught up in going to the popular places in Greece and miss some of the beautiful islands. Will definitely use this when I go back!
I’m glad that the popular places get traction from an influx of tourists … it means that there’s quiet islands still left for me to explore, that don’t get as much attention. Usually because they’re more difficult to get too.
We were scheduled to be in Athens today as per our original plan but it was not to be and probably next year. Kalymnos was not part of our plan though. But now reading about it makes me feel we should include because it seems to have a different charm. Masouri beach is so attractive with the mountain backdrop. I was transported to Greece and it’s beautiful island and beach.
I’d like to take a ferry via Crete, and then head to the mainland to explore Athens. I know it’d be a completely different experience than the little Greek islands we’re already familiar with, and I’m not sure that I’d like it as much, but it’s one of those cities that you have to see just once.
This is just gorgeous destination. Greece has so many hidden beaches and towns, that it would be difficult to visit them all in one lifetime. Glad to read your detailed guide about Kalymnos. It sounded like an epic journey to get there.
You’re right … it’d take a couple of lifetimes to explore every Greek Island … but I’d definitely like to get a few more under my belt. The Greek ferry system is prolific, so it’s not too difficult to navigate the different chains.
I love off the beaten path adventures especially when it comes to areas like beaches that are always so crowded. Greece is on my bucket list for sure.
As we get older, we find that we’re trying to avoid the crowded destinations more and more. Which is still possible, even in big cities, you just have to explore some of the lessor known areas.
Roving Jay recently posted..Getting to know Kalymnos Beaches
I love the simplicity of the Greeks too and their approach to life and I definitely see a Gorilla too not a princess at Telendos sunset rock profile.
Thanks for highlighting these secluded beaches and looking at the pictures makes it all so inviting. I’ll love that at Masouri Beach, for 10 Euros, you’ll get a free sun bed, food and drink. That’s just amazing!
The Greeks that we met seem to have an ease and acceptance of life, and want to life it to the full, with family at the heart.
I feel Myrties would be my pick too, just for the fact that I can roll out my beach towel on the soft sand. But nonetheless do love the smooth varied coloured pebbles on the Masouri beach. This was such a descriptive and informative blog.
Harshita recently posted..Trot From Home – Travel Experiences without leaving your nest
We were lucky that we had a pick of two completely different beaches within close proximity to each other.
I’ve never visited Greece – the research i’ve done makes it hard for me to decide which islands to visit/not visit with my time there. I’m glad you wrote about the small logistical details. Those come in handy when you’re a first timer. Thanks for sharing!
There’s so many islands. Some really touristy and others laid back where the local culture is thriving. I much prefer the laid back ones.
I’ve been traveling around these islands for years. I haven’t made it here yet, but it’s on my list. I love how they are popular but not overcrowded and the culture hasn’t been watered down for the tourists.
I’m glad in this era of travel and exploration, that there are still small Greek islands that haven’t been changed and corrupted by mass tourism.
Love Greece. I’m definitely more of a sea sponge kind of girl than a rock climber though. Kalymnos looks quite charming, I love the quieter Greek islands. Hoping to get to Greece this year. My flights were cancelled due to the C word but I have vouchers for Aegean Airlines so have to use them, don’t I?
Absolutely! We’re hoping to go back to a few islands we’ve already been to, and to explore some new one’s too. We missed out on a trip to Patmos last year, so hoping to make it there this year.
Good to know about Kalymnos island. I never knew that it is so near to Turkey. The view of Telendos from Kalymnos really looks incredible and worth capturing. Greek taverns are my favorite place to eat. Thanks for all useful tips.
I could quite happily spend a few hours each day at a taverna, shielding from the sun, people-watching, and nibbling on a Greek Salad washed down by a Mythos beer.
I have never heard of Kalymnos before, but it’s interesting to know that it is a popular rock climbing destination. I liked how the beaches offer free beds when you order something, and I liked the clean water of Myrties beach more than the other one.
The rocks provide a dramatic back drop, but I wouldn’t like to try climbing one of them, especially not in the heat of summer.
I had not heard about Kalymnos before and the beaches Masouri and Myrties was all new as well. Loved the virtual trip with you. It was good to learn about the sponge making history. The simple Greek way of living is heartwarming.
Glad you enjoyed the virtual trip Manju … we’re all having to do a lot of virtual traveling at the moment aren’t we? I can’t wait to get back on a plane, boat, or train.
I have heard of Kalymnos before but didn’t realise it was so famous for sponges & climbing. It’s very sad to hear about how the sponge industry was devastated but great that they have found another source of income…& that a few sponge divers who are still in business. I love the laid back attitude of the cafe owner too. Fascinated to find out where the beach lovers went to & why they would miss that beautiful sunset!
Each night was the same, a more or less deserted beach, and nobody to watch the sunset with us. Maybe they were on their hotel balcony’s with a cocktail. But much better to watch the sunset when the sand it between your toes.
Kalymnos looks like a dream destination. But I am really sad to know about the death of the sea sponge population. Did the locality not try to revive it, or was it not possible? The story of the princess is quite interesting. To be honest I do not see the profile of a princess on the island! I wonder what happened to the prince who swam to prove his love! Loved the pictures of the beach and I would have definitely stayed back on the beach till sunset. I love sunsets and it would have been a great experience to see the setting sun in an almost empty beach!
I’m not sure what happened to the Prince. But when I read about the story it sounded very similar to Romeo and Juliette. So maybe they both died. 😉
Looks like an amazing Greek Island … but one I haven’t heard of before. But there are so many of them, it’d take years to visit them all wouldn’t it!?
We’re working our way through a few of them, but can’t wait to visit more…
Thanks for sharing your trip to Kalymnos! I didn’t know about this island! I’d love to visit there, I’ve fallen in Love with Greece back in 2017 when I visited Crete.