Kalymnos (accent on the first syllable), like the nearby Kos, is part of the Dodecanese archipelago and is located near the very coast of Turkey . Kos is separated from it 12 km, and from Leros - only 2 . Kalymnos is small, about 20 km in length , and has a torn and uneven coastline . In addition, despite the more than modest size of the island, there are quite full mountains: it's Kira Psili and Mount Elijah the Prophet, both 700 m high . These and some other features landscape makes Kalymnos especially attractive for a separate category of travels Vennikov .

How to get to Kalymnos

The most common option is by ferry (half an hour drive) or even faster catamaran from Kos or Rhodes. Also ferries to Kalymnos go from Athens, from Leros and Patmos. The second option is by airplane with a transfer (Kalymnos has an airport that accepts local flights).

A bit of history

Once upon a time Kalymnos and Kos were considered to be, as it were, two parts of the same whole. Here lived the Carians, Hellenes, Byzantines, and later the Venetians. Of course, the Turks could not but lay their eyes on the territory so close to their mainland and conquered Kalymnos in the first half of the 16th century. During the war of Turkey and Italy, Kalymnos was captured by Italian sailors, who controlled it until 1947, after which the island merged with Greece in the archipelago.

The way of life in Kalymnos is more traditional than many others Greek islands . For example, it is still accepted to have a lot of children, therefore, with an area of ​​100 square kilometers and a population of 15,000 people, the island is considered one of the most densely populated in the country . When sources of wealth The local inhabitants are more than scanty: historically they were fishing for sea sponges, men were hired in the fleet . After the war an artificial sponge was invented, there were restrictions for catching natural resources, and the inhabitants of the island started moving to America, in particular, . In Kalymnos there is practically no pasture and there is not even a source of fresh water . It would seem that there is no way for tourists to profit here . Nevertheless, since the beginning of the new millennium and annually, Kalymnos has received thousands of them .

Thanks to geological features Kalymnos has become almost a cult place for modern climbers. Every second year there are international competitions in this sport. Officially no titles are assigned to them, but one way or another almost 10,000 guests visit the island every year for mountaineering.

But this is not enough: every year in summer Kalymnos hosts a diving festival.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Kalymnos

Port of Kalimnosa Potya is not very special, and the city of Kalymnos does not leave a tourist impression at all. Someone might just like it: if you go deeper into the city, you will find yourself in a completely "real" Greek settlement. In addition, there is a sponge collection museum in the port itself, where you can see the sponges themselves, ancient diving suits, photos of famous fishermen, awesome details of their working arsenal - heavy heavy stones with holes for the rope.

Another Kalymnos museum is located in Vlyhad, that in the bay in the north of the island. It is a museum of objects found in the sea. Here are collected and amphoras, and coins, and utensils from sunken centuries ago ships, and all sorts of sea stars and shells. The most interesting thing is that the whole collection was made by one local resident only.

On the road between Potya and the monastery near the town of Votinj there is a small museum of traditions and culture of the island with a collection of household items, costumes and decorative and applied products. To the west of Votinya there is the convent of St. Catherine and the cave of Kefal, one of the largest on the island, the former sanctuary of Zeus. In Mile, which is located about a kilometer from Potya, you can see the ancient Chrysoeryas Castle. Near Vathi, on the east coast, are the ruins of the Church of All Saints with remains of a mosaic of the 6th century

The most tourist places in Kalymnos are in the south. This is the vicinity of the main city of the island, Vlyhadja with a couple of small beaches, small and safe for children, as well as Miresti and Masuri with the officially best beaches of the island (such as the sandy Plati Yialos) and the beautiful slopes for rock climbers (such as the cult cave of Grande Grota in Masuri). Near the town of Kalymnos there is a pebble beach Farm with a diving center. By the way, the state diving school in Kalymnos is the only one in the country

Since Kalymnos itself is small, those who are not keen on mountaineering or diving can diversify their vacation here by sea walks . The shortest route - a trip to the island of Telendos . The islet is located west of Kalymnos, opposite the bustling Miresti . In good weather, you can swim to Telendoz without any boat, and sometimes such swimmers are arranged in an organized way, under the supervision of rescuers and maritime police . Constant of the population living here is so small that there are enough fingers for three or four hands to recalculate. . But in the season on the island several cafes, a hotel, and you can rent a room with a kitchen . There are several beaches on Telendos, among them - the famous Hohlakas, perhaps the best in the country, according to the Greeks themselves . In addition, many early Christian buildings: Basilica of St. Basil, the ruins of the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Church of St. Constantine on the Hill, built in the 6th century and still operating .