Walks in Kalymnos/Walks in Western Kos

Books and map set.

It is possible to combine Kalymnos island with nearby Western Kos for an interesting, contrasting, twin-centre holiday. We therefore also offer the two walk books and map as a package.

WALKS IN KALYMNOS describes walks on the East Aegean Greek island of Kalymnos - based on the Melitsahas-Myrties-Massouri resort - and the small neighbouring island, Telendos.

The rugged and magnificent limestone landscape makes Kalymnos a paradise for both walkers and serious rock climbers. The scenery is a combination of high, parallel mountain ridges and deep valleys, with numerous limestone cliffs, bare rock, and very few trees. Views are often panoramic, to nearby islands, but often hazy in the distance.

The fifteen walks on Kalymnos include routes from Myrties across to the next bay at Linaria-Kandouni and to the spectacularly sited little monastery churches at Stavrou and Agia Fotini; inland to Agios Pandelimon monastery and the Panormos area; from central Hora town to the 679m limestone summit of Mt Profitis Ilias, the island's highest point; two routes into the deep Vathy valley, including the paved kalderimi (donkey path) from Pothia which is one of Greece's finest; from Vathy onward to the fjord-like harbour at Rina, or to the remote and hidden Kyra Psili monastery, and to Arginonda in the north; around the southcoast, high above another hidden monastery, Pithari. The walks on Telendos are a circuit of the island's interesting southern promontory, passing early Christian barrel tombs, a ruined basilica and tiny beaches; and a more challenging route to the Agios Konstandinos ruins in the high interior.

Because of the nature of the scenery, the longer walks in this book involve considerable ascents and descents, often on quite stony paths and in remote areas. Because of the absence of trees, there is very little shade on the upland and remoter walks. Humidity is usually low. The area is extremely popular with rock climbers, but it is only beginning to be discovered by walkers who enjoy some more challenging routes away from busy tourism.

Most walks are possible from Pothia (Kalymnos Town), or Panormos-Elies (Kandouni) using the local buses.

Large-scale sketch maps of the Melitsahas-Myrties-Massouri-Armeos area, Panormos-Kandouni, Hora, Argos, the central Vathy valley, and eastern Telendos island are included within the text.

The 40-page book is A5 size, with a card cover.

Book first published 2002, updated 2006, slightly updated 2008.

WALKS IN WESTERN KOS describes walks, based on the small town of Kefalos and the adjacent resort of Kamari, at the volcanic western end of Kos, an area very different from the island's much busier resorts of Kos Town and Kardamena.

The ten walks in the book include routes to the Neolithic Aspri Petra cave; to the Classical site of Astipalia, the ancient capital; to the ruined Byzantine chapel of Panagia Palatiani; to the castle of the Knights of St John at Kefalos; through pine woodland to the Panagia Ziniotissa church viewpoint on Mt Zini; south along the island's spine to the Agios Ioannis Thymianos monastery, and thence to Agios Mamas church at the isolated southern tip of the Kefalos peninsula; or to tiny Agios Theologos monastery and its beach, via the northwest coast.

Coastal scenery includes long beaches. Inland, the scenery is mostly open, stony hillside, with scattered small trees, occasional small areas of pine trees, and large flocks of goats. The area east from Kefalos town has a lot of scattered buildings, but head west and southwest and there is remoter countryside. On the peninsula there are a variety of volcanic rock formations, including small caves with sulfur exudations, and there are lovely views northeast along the island to its highest point, Mt Dikeos, or seaward to its even more volcanic neighbour, Nisyros.

Although some of the walks are quite long they are mostly straightforward, with ascents and descents but very few steep sections. There are no café facilities, other than at Kefalos and Kamari.

The book also includes suggestions for interesting visits further east, such as to the ruined Byzantine capital at Paleo Pyli.

Large-scale sketch maps of Kefalos and Kamari are included within the text.

The 32-page book is A5 size, with a card cover. It is accompanied by an A3 double-sided colour walkers' map of Western Kos and Kalymnos, at a scale of (Kos) 3.1cm:1km and (Kalymnos) 2.5cm:1km. Book and map are supplied in a tough A5 plastic sleeve.

Book first published 1999, updated 2006, slightly updated 2010.

The two books are accompanied by an A3 double-sided COLOUR WALKERS' MAP of Kalymnos and Western Kos, at a scale of (Kalymnos) 2.5cm: 1km and (Kos) 3.1cm: 1km. Map first published 2002; extensively updated map published 2008.

ISBN 978-1-900802-64-2

UK ONLY Kalymnos and Kos books and map
Royal Mail 2ndClass Standard KSBKYBM-UK-2nd Ł9.00
Royal Mail 1stClass Standard KSBKYBM-UK-1st Ł9.50
Royal Mail 2ndClass Recorded Signed For KSBKYBM-UK-RSF2 Ł10.00
Royal Mail 1stClass Recorded Signed For KSBKYBM-UK-RSF1 Ł10.50
Royal Mail Special Delivery Next Day KSBKYBM-UK-SDND Ł15.50 (not Saturday delivery)

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Lance Chilton and Marengo 2012

Marengo, 17 Bernard Crescent, Hunstanton PE36 6ER, England