Kalymnos is more or less the perfect Greek island for a walking holiday. Small enough to be cosy, still it has absolutely everything needed. You can walk as short or as long as you like (if you are happy with day hikes at all), and you can make it as tough or as easy as you want. Excellent also for climbing if that is your cup of tea. Throw into the package a good public bus system and the main course is served.

Many nice places to stay, I decided to stay “in town”, and rented an entire roof at the Pension Greek House.

For great Greek food I can recommend the Xefteris Taverna and Pandelis Restaurant (try their spagetti with “shrimps” in white sauce).

Selected walks: For walks on Kalymnos take a look in Walks in Kalymnos by Lance Chilton (referred to below as “/Chilton/”) and Samos Patmos Northern Dodecanese by Dieter Graf (referred to below as “/Graf/”).

•1 PÓTHIA – RÍNA (my total time 3h34, includes stops for photography and drinking; +328m -383m, 1 lap): This is walk 7 in /Chilton/, 34 in /Graf/. My timing starts where the kalderimi starts and does not include the time for actually finding it!

The only slight difficulties on this walk, when it comes to navigation, is where to start it and how to finish it. The kalderimi itself is easy to follow, but requires the ultimate in footwear, as it has large amounts of big loose stones for the most part. Only short stretches are good underfoot.

The “trick” in both /Chilton/ and /Graf/ to find your way to the kalderimi by walking via the Archaeological Museum to Agía Triáda will probably not be very fruitful, especially not early in the morning, as the church courtyard may be closed and locked and you will not be able to pass through. Instead walking two more cross-roads further (north-west) after PASSING the final turn-off right up to the museum did the trick. Taking to the right here, and walking upwards to the north and then starting to curve back right finally brought me to a steep concrete lane diagonally upwards to where you know (and can see) that the kalderimi is starting.

When you eventually are going to cross the Vathí valley read /Chilton/’s instructions carefully (/Graf/ really has none). Just before the main church there is a staggered cross-roads not mentioned in the book where you go slightly left then right, following the big road sign for the church. The road you just cross here is the one used by the bus, not the one /Chilton/ is talking about. After the church you can refer to the map in /Graf/ to confirm directions.

Also observe, for the trip back, that the bus now turned around by the supermarket, not in the harbour.

•2 KANDOÚNI – AGÍA FOTINÍ – KANDOÚNI (my total time 2h13, includes short stops for photography and drinking; +-190m, 1 lap): This is most of walk 3 in /Chilton/. I did not go up to the Stavrós Monastery, so add extra time here if you want.

A beautiful short walk.

•3 TÉLENDOS (my total time 2h49, includes short stops for photography and drinking, and even a couple of dips in the ocean; +-175m, 1 lap): This is walk 4 in /Chilton/ + part of walk 5 (or part of walk 37 in /Graf/, if you want).

A varied walk with many swimming options along the way.

First do /Chilton/’s walk 4, then continue with walk 5 as long as you want before turning back. I just walked so far that I could actually see the chapel at Ágios Konstantínos, after passing some difficult terrain. The beach was calling…

•4 MYRTIÉS – KANDOÚNI (my total time 1h01, includes stops for photography and drinking; +123m -130m, 1 lap): This is walk 2 in /Chilton/.

A small idyllic stroll that should not be missed.

• Good starting points: • Póthia (Kalymnos Town) • Kandoúni-Platí Yialós area • Melitsáhas-Arméos area

• How to get there: • By ferry from some other Dodecanese islands • By ferry from the mainland • By hydrofoil from some other Dodecanese islands

• More info: Sorry, none yet