🪪 The island at a glance
📍 Where it is
Pserimos lies in the Dodecanese, in the strait between Kos and Kalymnos, and belongs administratively to Kalymnos. It has no airport and no large port: you arrive by caique from Mastichari, on the north coast of Kos, in about twenty minutes, from Kos town on the excursion boats, or from Pothia, the port of Kalymnos. From Athens, you fly to Kos in an hour or take the ferry from Piraeus.
📍 Where Pserimos is
Pserimos is a small island in the Dodecanese, between Kos and Kalymnos. In red is the island, and in green Athens airport, Piraeus and Kos, where you arrive from.
🗺️ The map of the island
Pserimos is about fifteen square kilometres, with low dry hills, thyme and stones. The only village, Pserimos, or Avlakia, is built around a large sheltered bay on the west coast, with a sandy beach in front of the tavernas. From there the footpaths set off: north to Marathounda beach, east to the monastery of Panagia Grafiotissa, and along the coast to small coves with nobody there.
🗺️ The map of Pserimos
Pserimos is hilly and dry, with its only village on the large bay of the west coast. To the north, Marathounda beach. To the south, opposite, the coast of Kos with Mastichari, and to the west Kalymnos with Pothia, where the caiques leave from. Tap each number to see what it is.
Map: U.S. Army Map Service (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
⚖️ Is it worth it? The pros and cons
Pserimos is worth a day trip from Kos or Kalymnos, and even more for anyone who wants to spend a night on an island without cars or noise. It has no sights, and at midday in August the beach fills up. Here is an honest picture.
📊 At a glance, from 1 to 5
👍 The pros
- An easy day trip from Kos or Kalymnos.
- A sandy beach with shallow water in the village.
- Fish tavernas on the water, with fresh fish.
- In the afternoon, when the caiques leave, total quiet.
- Footpaths without cars, to Grafiotissa and hidden beaches.
👎 The cons
- At midday in summer the village beach fills up with the excursion boats.
- Few rooms, you must book early to stay the night.
- A dry landscape, with little shade outside the village.
- In winter almost everything closes.
🏘️ The village and the bay
The village of Pserimos is as simple as it gets: a row of houses and tavernas around a bay with shallow, calm water, a small church, a few caiques moored in the little harbour, stalls with sponges and shells. The beach is right in front of the tables, and children play in the shallows a few metres from their parents. At the entrance to the bay, a rock with a painted Greek flag welcomes the caiques.
On summer days, from eleven to four, the excursion boats from Kos bring hundreds of visitors, and the village fills with voices. As soon as they leave, Pserimos changes: the fishermen prepare their nets, the tavernas set tables for a few, and the sun sets behind Kalymnos.
Calm water, in the middle of the island.
Houses and tavernas around the beach.
Souvenirs from the sea.
Arriving from Kos.
At the entrance to the bay.
Photos: kallerna (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
The real Pserimos begins when the last caique leaves. In the village there are a few rooms, which get booked up early for the summer. Ask at the tavernas, which usually rent rooms too.
🏖️ The beaches and the footpaths
The village beach is the easiest and the busiest: shallow, clean water, ideal for children. For quiet, take the footpaths. To the north, about half an hour on foot, Marathounda is a cove with pebbles and sand, often empty. To the east, a longer path leads to the monastery of Panagia Grafiotissa, which celebrates the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August with a festival, and to the small beaches near it. The paths are dry and without shade: set off in the morning or late in the afternoon.
- The village beach: shallow water, tavernas on the water.
- Marathounda: to the north, half an hour on foot, quiet.
- Grafiotissa: a monastery and quiet coves to the east.
Pserimos with Platy in front.
From the mountains of Kos.
And Pserimos opposite.
Pserimos and Kalymnos.
On the mountain of Kos.
Pserimos opposite Kos.
Photos: Egmontaz (CC BY-SA 3.0), Kognos (CC BY-SA 4.0), kallerna (CC BY-SA 3.0), Alexios Emmanuel Panagiotopoulos (CC BY-SA 4.0), Rikki Mitterer (CC BY-SA 4.0), Алексей Решетников (CC BY 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Water, a hat and sunscreen, above all for the footpaths. There is no ATM on the island and the shops are few: carry cash with you.
🍽️ What to eat
The tavernas of Pserimos are few and simple, and that is what is good about them: fresh fish from the island’s fishermen, octopus on the charcoal, small squid, Greek salad and local thyme honey. Try the spoon sweets and whatever home-cooked dish the day has. In the evening, with few customers, they will treat you to an ouzo and a chat.
📅 When to go
May, June and September are the best months: warm sea, fewer excursion boats and a gentle sun for the footpaths. In July and August the village fills up at midday, but the mornings and evenings stay quiet. From October to April the caiques become rare and the tavernas close.
✈️ How to get there from Athens
| How | Duration | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | About 1 hour | Athens Airport → Kos | Kos airport is close to Mastichari. |
| Ferry | About 10–12 hours | Piraeus → Kos or Kalymnos | Often overnight, with a cabin. |
| Caique | About 20 minutes | Mastichari → Pserimos | And excursion boats from Kos town and Pothia. |
From Ioulianou 50 go to the airport on Line 1 to Monastiraki and change to Line 3, or straight to Piraeus on Line 1 for the ferry. From Kos airport, Mastichari is a few minutes by taxi or bus. For the neighbouring islands, see our guide to Kos.
🗓️ A day on Pserimos
The caique and the beach
A caique from Mastichari or Kos in the morning. A swim on the village beach before the big excursion boats arrive, and coffee at a taverna on the water.
The footpath and Marathounda
When the beach fills up, take the path to Marathounda or to the small beaches along the coast, for a swim almost alone. Take water and a hat.
Fish and sunset
Go back to the village for fish and an ouzo. If you stay the night, you will see Pserimos after the caiques leave: a few tavernas, fishermen and quiet.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Pserimos from Kos?
By caique from Mastichari, in about twenty minutes, or on an excursion boat from Kos town, which usually goes to other islets the same day.
Can I stay on the island?
Yes, there are a few rooms in the village, often above the tavernas. Book early for the summer, because there are few.
Do I need a car?
No, and you cannot bring one either. On the island you get around on foot, on the footpaths, or by caique to the more distant beaches.
Is it worth it for a day?
Yes, for swimming, fish and quiet. If you want to know the island as it really is, stay a night, when the excursion boats leave.
— Kathy
