Things To Do in Psalidi

This family-run restaurant has bagged a top spot – the tables almost spill out onto the beach and have mountain-side views. The menu gets plenty of attention, too. The fried codfish in garlic kicks off the starters, with pork souvlaka – skewered with tomatoes and peppers – bringing up the mains. Try to leave room for the baklava – it’s made by the owner’s daughter, Koni.

If calamari, swordfish or melt-in-your-mouth stifado sounds tempting, you’ve got plenty of authentic Greek restaurants to choose from along Psalidi’s promenade. Prices vary, so check the menu to get a feel for the different places. Some have live entertainment during dinner, which could mean anything from a magician to Greek dancing and plate smashing. Others have tables set out on the sand – the perfect setting for a romantic tete-a-tete.

Psalidi only has a few kiosks and a supermarket to its name, so the real shopping spoils are in Kos Town. Its old town is crammed with dozens of souvenir shops where you can buy locally-distilled ouzo, hand-pressed olive oil and painted ceramics, as well as t-shirts and baseball caps. There’s also an indoor market in Eleftherias Square that specialises in food. Shops generally stay open until 10pm so you can squeeze in some shopping after dinner.

Owners Nestoras and Stefanos have a special deal with local fisherman to supply the restaurant with only the freshest sea bass, swordfish, squid and octopus. If you grab a pew on the terrace lawn, you’ll get grandstand views of the Aegean Sea and the Turkish mainland in the distance. And because this place is the real Greek deal, locals usually outnumber tourists.

Most visitors to Psalidi spend at least one evening in Kos Town – it’s only a 25-minute walk away. Along the harbour-front is a string of relaxed bars where you can kick back with a cocktail. Or for something a bit livelier, try Bar Street where back-to-back bars serve up a musical smorgasbord of anything from smooth jazz to Euro trance. And if you’re only getting warmed up at midnight, there’s a handful of nightclubs on this street you can move on to.

This summer-long festival in Kos Town, a 25-minute walk from Psalidi, is held in honour of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, who hailed from these parts. Concerts take place at the Castle of the Knights, film screenings at the open-air Orpheus Cinema, and children are looked after, too, with face-painting and puppet shows.

Mother Nature made her own Jacuzzi^® at Therma Beach – or Bubble Beach as it’s also known – just a 20-minute walk from Psalidi. The hot volcanic springs bubble up through the earth into a small pool that’s ringed by boulders. They’re thought to have therapeutic qualities, especially when it comes to aches and pains. Locals like to go in the evening – it’s especially magical under the glow of the full moon.

Giannis and his English wife, Sam, run this family-friendly, beach-side pub and restaurant. If you’re here during the day you can have a drink while relaxing on one of the free sunloungers, or you can retreat to the shaded terrace with a cold beer. At night, the fun-loving couple keep things lively with quiz and bingo. The place is so popular, it’s usually a full house.

Windsurfing is a really popular pursuit on Psalidi Beach thanks to the Meltemi wind which blows from left to right throughout the summer. There are several log cabins along the beach where you can hire state-of-the-art gear or get a few refresher lessons. And if you’ve got a head for heights, you can give kite-surfing a whirl – it’s what all the cool kids are doing these days.

Thirty minutes’ drive away in Antimachia, there’s a bit of a buzz about this festival – it’s in honour of the local beekeepers. And for you, that means lots of honey-flavoured goodies to sample. Try the loukoumades – doughnuts drenched in the syrupy stuff – or the halvas, a sort of sticky semolina pudding. It all comes with plenty of local wine and traditional Greek dancing.

Thirty minutes’ drive gets you to the waterpark at Mastichari. High-speed fans can tackle the Black Hole and Kamikaze, while the less energetic can float down the Lazy River or relax in the hot tub. There’s a separate children’s pool, and 4 bars to keep you in drinks and snacks.

Eating is a relaxed affair on Psalidi’s seafront – there’s a real no-rush feel to the restaurants along here. Seafood takes centre stage on the menus, with calamari, octopus and squid putting in regular appearances. You’ll also get Greek classics like moussaka, and most places do a mean steak, too.

The ace up Psalidi’s sleeve is that its shingle beach rarely gets busy. If you fancy some sand, though, Kos Town has a 1-kilometre stretch of the stuff – and you can walk there in about 20 minutes. For something completely different, take a 20-minute drive to Therma – aka Bubble Beach. Famous for its hot springs, you can bathe in the natural whirlpool of warm water.

If you like to kick back with a quiet cocktail or a cold beer, Psalidi’s seafront tavernas do the job nicely. For a more dusk-’til-dawn nightlife, though, head for Kos Town. The capital’s Bar Street pretty much does what it says on the tin – the strip has back-to-back disco bars. Expect tequila slammers and apple shots along with the tunes.

Over in Kos Town, the streets of the old town are filled with souvenir and gift shops where you can pick up hand-painted ceramics and jewellery. There’s also a small indoor market in Eleftherias Square. It’s a top spot for picking up locally made honey and olive oil. And back in Psalidi, the supermarkets will keep you in foodie bits for holiday picnics.