How Many Days Should I Spend on Telendos?

Telendos covers well over a rushed day trip from Kalymnos, but two to three days let the island's small settlement and quiet beaches settle into a real, unhurried stay.

Telendos fills a first day easily around its single settlement, home to around 50 permanent residents, six tavernas, and one well known local donkey. Potha, right at the edge of the village, gives an easy first swim, and the ruins of ancient Pothaia, the sunken city visible in the channel between Telendos and Kalymnos, give divers and snorkelers real reason to spend time in the water.

A second day belongs to the island's other beaches, Plaka near the port for a quick dip, Hohlakas and Paradise further out for a wilder, more secluded stretch of coast, all reachable on foot along narrow paths since Telendos has no roads or cars.

A third day suits the hike to the chapel of Agios Georgios, timed for sunset, along with the ruins of a fortified settlement and Byzantine basilicas dating to the 7th century that trace the island's earlier Christian history. Telendos's steep terrain has also made it an established climbing destination, with routes bolted into the limestone drawing climbers over from Kalymnos.

Telendos connects to Kalymnos by a ten minute water taxi from the port of Myrties, running roughly every half hour and making the crossing simple in either direction.

A single day covers the village and a first swim for anyone visiting from Kalymnos, two nights add the island's other beaches and the hike to the chapel, and three let climbing or a slower pace of reading and swimming take over fully. Even a few hours here leave an impression of the quiet, but travelers who stay overnight are the ones who consistently describe Telendos as a place worth returning to again and again.