Tilos, Dodecanese
Tilos, Greece - panoramio (2).jpg · Максим Улитин · CC BY 3.0

Dodecanese

Tilos: 63 square kilometres that people return to every year

For such a small island (63 sq km) Tilos has a lot to offer and over the years has established a loyal clientele that returns year after year.

For such a small island (63 sq km) Tilos has a lot to offer and over the years has established a loyal clientele that returns year after year. The population of just 300 zealously protects the island’s environment resulting in a great variety of bird (102 species), plant and insect life. The rather wild and mountainous scenery is ideal for walkers and there are two official walking guides on the island though many will opt to venture out on their own making use of the excellent local walking guide pamphlet which includes 9 walks. With the scent of wild herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil in the air, wonderful views and maybe a break in the journey on one of the island’s beaches, these walks will not disappoint.

Almost all of the island’s rooms are in the port area of Livadia, which has a sweeping, pedestrianised waterfront, home to a healthy selection of tavernas, cafes and small shops where a warm welcome awaits. Tamarisk trees shade the pebble beach which laces much of this horseshoe bay. The sleepy village of Megalo Chorio is linked to Livadia by the island bus which then continues on to sandy Eristos beach. On a Sunday, this same bus normally makes the journey to the beautiful Byzantine monastery of Agios Pandeleimonas. Concealed just below one of the highest locations on the island amidst tall cypress and plane trees, the monastery was constructed in 1470 in honour of Saint Pandeleimonas. Car hire can be booked locally as well as local boat trips. It may also be possible to visit the neighbouring islands of Chalki, Nissyros and Symi subject to schedules.

Getting there

Travel between Rhodes and Tilos is by ferry (1 hr. 20 mins.).

Getting to Tilos
LegByRoughly
London Gatwick → Rhodesflight—
Rhodes → Tilosferry1 hr 20 min

Crossing times are the scheduled durations of the route, not a timetable. Sailings vary by season and operator.

Islands that pair with Tilos

1 route

Tilos: the practical questions

How do you get to Tilos?
By ferry from Rhodes, about an hour and twenty minutes. There is no airport, which is part of why a population of three hundred still has the island largely to itself.

Why do walkers rate Tilos so highly?
Sixty-three square kilometres of wild, mountainous ground with rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil underfoot, and a local walking pamphlet covering nine routes. Two official guides work on the island for anyone who prefers company.

Is the wildlife claim real?
The island records 102 bird species, and the community protects the environment deliberately rather than incidentally. For an island of this size the variety of plant and insect life is genuinely unusual.

Where do you stay, and how do you get about?
Almost all the rooms are at Livadia, the port, which has a sweeping pedestrianised waterfront and a tamarisk-shaded pebble beach around the horseshoe bay. The island bus links it to the sleepy village of Megalo Chorio and on to the sand at Eristos, and car hire is available locally.

What is the one thing to see?
The Byzantine monastery of Agios Pandeleimonas, built in 1470 and hidden below one of the island's highest points among cypress and plane trees. The bus normally makes the trip on Sundays.

More of the Dodecanese