Kardamena Holidays

Kardamena, on the southeast coast of Kos, makes no apology for its party-hard attitude. It used to be a simple fishing village but now this town is the liveliest holiday spot you’ll get outside of Kos Town – which by the way is only about half-an-hour away. These days it’s all about Brits abroad enjoying the full line-up of bars and discos, then recharging their batteries on the local beach.

You’ve got a 3-kilometre sweep of silvery sand to kick back on in Kardamena. There are sunloungers, a full back-up of bars and restaurants, plus a huge choice of watersports. Some people like to go fishing off the jetty – one of the seafront restaurants will cook your catch if you book in for a meal. This main beach gets busy but there are quieter spots at either end – neighbouring Banana Beach comes with sand dunes and windswept junipers.

About an hour by boat takes you to Nisyros Island. The capital, Mandraki, has pretty whitewashed houses and a 15th-century monastery above it. There’s also the mountain village of Nikia, perched on the rim of a volcanic crater, where the houses have brightly coloured doors and the square is paved with black pebbles. From here you can walk to the bubbling volcano floor. Another option takes you 40 minutes away to Kos Town, for the waterfront Castle of Neratzia, built by the Knights Templar.