Kalymnos history

Kalymnos is an island in the Aegean Sea . It is part of the prefecture of the 12 islands. It is located at 27° north and 37° east, it is 110.5 km2 big and has a coastal line of 104.588 km. There are about 15000 people living on the island. The name appears, when Homer mentions it in his writings as Kalydna, when the island provides soldiers and many boats to the Trojan War. During the ages, the name changes many times. The first residents known, where people from different areas like Dorian’s, Karres and Pelasgoi. They started to live here about 800 b.c.  There were many occupations of the island, Persians, Spartan, Roman, Arab, of course the Turks since 1523. Since 1920 they freed themselves from the Turks and then the Italian came followed by the Germans. Just only in 1948 they where united to Greece together with the rest of the 12 islands.

Kalymnos is hit two times hard by an earthquake. The first one splitted the island and gave it the shape we know now. The vibrations lasted for 14 days. In this period the old capital of Kalymnos sank under water and Telendos moved away from Kalymnos. It is the one of 554 ad. The other big one is the earthquake of Santorini, around 1958. That one created a tidal wave which came into Pothia until the taxi station. In the port, it came about one meter high on the boulevard. Just before it came, the water totally disappeared out of the port for a while. The people of Kalymnos lived from the sea and goats. Also from agricultural activities. But best known of Kalymnos are the sponges. The divers used to go naked to a depth of more than 100 meters to collect them. Also the Kalymnians where people which knew how to do business. First they went all over Greece and later all over the world to do their business. Nowadays you find Kalymnians villages and communities for example in Darwin , Australia and in Tampa Springs , Florida . Many of the Kalymnians from there are visiting Kalymnos once during festivities on Kalymnos, like Easter or around 15 of august. Also they still own properties on the island which they try to keep in good condition.

Kalymnos climate is a real south mediterian one. Dry and hot summers and mild wet winters. Climate averages shows that the winter temperature will not hit the zero degrees Celsius, the rain average is about 100mm and the sun shines about 180 hours in January. But it feels colder in winter, there is less rain and sometimes you can have a nice beach day. From end of May till end of September there is no rain and a hot temperature.

Kalymnos in a nutshell.

Here we try to explain something about the island Kalymnos and her villages and site seeing.

It’s all written on sheets, which you can take from our office, for free!

The best way to take a tour around the island is against the direction of a clock.

We describe the following sites;

Pothia            sheet 1

Vothini          sheet 2

Vlichadia       sheet 3

Argos             sheet 4

Chora             sheet 5

Walking/hiking/trekking

There are many routes for this purpose on the island.

Many are marked or described on maps or in books.

Info about routes on the map will follow on separate papers.

Some other routes can also be interesting. Because of their length, distance or spectacular view.

Grades in a scale from 1 to 5

1 Is the easiest and 5 very difficult.

Here are some of them:

Sheet 1 behind Emborios

Sheet 2 around Kefala

Sheet 3 Skalia/ Palionissos

Sheet 4 around Telendos

Beaches

All the mentioned beaches are very easy to reach with a bike.

A little grip out of the sheets.

Pothia

Gefira:

        A small beach behind the port heading to therma. It has a small cantina. Sandy and clean beach. Visitors are namely the locals from Pothia.

Therma:

Here are two beaches. The first one is in the curve of the road and you enter passing under that road. It has a cantina. It is a small beach with pebbles. The visitors are namely locals. There are sun beds. The water goes to extreme deep but is crystal clear and very nice for snorkeling.

        The second one is further at the end of the road at a tavern.

From the tavern you walk 50 meters and there is a small strip with rocks. Mainly locals go to there and older people.

Vlichadia:

A little bay you find when you visited agias Savas.

It’s a small village with a small port. There are two beaches. One opposite the sponge diver museum and this is a sandy beach, very nice for young children.

The other beach is a beach on the left side of the bay. It has pebbles but the water is very clear. Both beaches are visited by locals. Around the beaches are some taverns.

And much more information about all the other beaches………………….