Holidays in Greece have become more expensive this summer, but you should look at the full "cos" half
This summer is going to be expensive for Israelis abroad, even with close neighbors. The price of flights to Greece rises to almost 800 euros (!) Per person in August, which is even before a hotel. Direct flights from Israel
Ziv Reinstein
16/06/2022
Thursday, 16 June 2022, 17:16
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Vacation on the island of Kos, Greece (Photo: Ziv Reinstein, Editing: Nir Chen)
The good news: there are direct flights from Israel to Kos Island in Greece of the Greek company Blue Bird.
The less good news: it's going to be really expensive this summer, and you'll be surrounded by hundreds of thousands of Europeans.
We returned this week from Kos Aegean, an island that is not as popular as Rhodes or Crete, and already at the beginning of June thousands of pink Britons, combined with sun-burnt Germans and Scandinavians, were on it.
Some hotels and tourists report one hundred percent occupancy already now, and July and August are still ahead of us.
Two years after Europeans were banned from reaching the Mediterranean basin because of the Corona - the area probably their favorite for summer holidays - the region is experiencing a tens of percent increase in tourists from the continent.
A survey published this week by the Europ Assistance Group (a French insurance and tourism company) indicates that more than 70 percent of Europeans will spend the summer abroad. , This airport was renovated during the Corona period and reopened about a year ago, and certainly does not look like another old airport with a poor duty-free shop, so Israelis expect an upgraded experience, especially in return.
More on Walla!
Best value for money: 5 lucrative Greek islands for this coming summer
To the full article
In normal summer, about 120,000 tourists come to the island.
Alley on Kos Island (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
Crazy sunsets in Kos (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
Ships set out for a daily cruise between the islands.
The marina on the island (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
"Bicycle Island"
45,000 inhabitants live on the small island measuring 40x8 km, all Orthodox Christians, as befits Greek Christianity, but it is important to note that in Kos there has been a Jewish community since the Second Temple period, according to historian Josephus Flavius, and there is even a synagogue that does not function as such. According to the tourist development plans, the synagogue will be used as a hall for small concerts or musical performances.
In a normal summer, about 120,000 tourists come to the island, with the annual number of tourists standing at about one million people due to the airport that serves as the father from which they fly to all of Europe.
"Corona Kos has managed to maintain the restrictions well and now tourism in the summer season is flourishing and we expect the tourism situation to be good from 2019 (the peak year for tourists to Greece with 34 million visitors - ZR)," she told Walla!
Deputy Tourism Governor Kos Chawi and his god.
By the way, in 2019, 50,000 Israelis visited the island.
Kos also has a port and a modern marina for yachts and mega-yachts moored there on their way to such and other destinations in the Mediterranean, so that many tourists also come from the sea.
Kos crowns itself as the "bike island", and as such has about 6,000 pairs of bikes for rent.
In the island's tourism development program, the first bicycle park on the island in Greece is going to open there.
Bicycles will also be seen throughout "Kos Town", the more "urban" part of the island, where the Greek restaurants, bars and Pitchforks shops that every Greek island must have.
Tourists ride and move on the island with the help of two-wheelers, also for reasons of convenience, savings and awareness of riding on vacations that exist more in Europe.
Beyond that, there is a great shortage of taxis around the island, so it is very difficult to move between your resort, the beach, a cruise or a restaurant in the evening.
Hence cycling is a very appropriate solution, and for that there are also good bike paths.
Tens of thousands of Israelis visited the corona studios.
Blue Bird in Kos (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
A renovated field is named after him. A statue of Hippocrates teaches his students medicine in Kos Town (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
A huge bougainvillea bush in the agora (market) of the island (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
The island has more hotel rooms than residents
In terms of hotels, Kos has about 60,000 rooms.
In fact, the island has more hotel rooms than residents !.
On the island you can rent holiday homes on Airbnb and also hotel rooms or a holiday in all-inclusive resorts - a phenomenon better known to neighbors on the Turkish Riviera - but following the competition in recent years began to offer vacationers vacation packages that include not only three full meals but also water slides, free alcohol And choppers until midnight.
Two all-inclusive resorts that you will probably see Israelis in Kos this year belong to the Blue Lagoon chain, which offers the Blue Lagoon Resort located in the northeast of the island, not far from Kos Town, and the Blue Lagoon Village. ) Located in the southwest of the island, 10 km from the town of Kefalos. The physical distance between them is the same as the distance in the experience between the two. His.
We visited both, and while in Blue Lagoon Village (hereafter Belo) there are many pools, an adjacent beach, eight different restaurants (including Asian, Italian and others), new rooms (some with an exit to a terrace with a pool), a pampering spa and many pools, Including children with shading and water slides - in Belar the rooms are old, the food in restaurants is reasonable minus, the alcohol is locally made, without vodka, gin and other quality drinks and the huge pool at the resort does not provide shading for children during the many hours of Greek sunshine.
Beyond that, (again) it is very difficult to catch taxis from the hotel to Kos Town, and although booking from the reception you will sometimes have to wait even an hour or more.
However, there is a bus (No. 2) that stops near Balar but at a frequency of about once an hour.
Reasonable hotel, no more.
Blue Lagoon Resort (Photo: Walla !, Almadar website)
A little more expensive but better.
Blue Lagoon Village Hotel (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
The tree of Hippocrates
When you are tired of the pool, the regular meals or standing in line for a chocolate crepe at the resort, you are welcome to go to Kos Town, when you can get a taxi, and definitely spend a day or two there.
Beyond the shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors and other things that adorn any resort town wherever it is, probably Greek, Kos Town offers some points of interest.
For example, a 14th-century Nerantzia castle, which was a stronghold of Crusader knights from the Order of St. John.
There is not too much to see in it, especially fallen pillars and some beautiful windows in the wall to the blue sea, but definitely worth a visit and free entry.
Right near the entrance to the castle, has been for about 2500-500 years (not exactly known) "the tree of Hippocrates", who was born on the island and taught his students the medicine near the tree.
It is a huge plane tree with a hollow trunk and a deathbed, which needed support and pillars to hold its tired branches.
Still impressive to see, and next to it is a steel cannon from the Ottoman period that the children will enjoy getting on.
It was built almost on the seafront.
Nerencia Fortress (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
The stem is hollow and old, maybe need a doctor?
The Tree of Hippocrates (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
Half the world has been singing Greece
It is also recommended to ascend at sunset to the village of Zia, which is located on Mount Dikeos which is the highest on the island and rises to a height of 846 meters above sea level.
The village has some beautiful white-and-blue Orthodox churches, as well as Greek shops, alleys and taverns with everything you know: Greek food, music and dancing.
But mostly come to Zia for the spectacular sunsets, which are considered the most beautiful in Kos.
Greece is proud not only of their good olive oil, but also of wine.
Greek and other varieties are grown in vineyards in their uncultivated agricultural lands, which has also led to the establishment of wineries offering wine tastings combined with light meals, cheeses and snacks.
On the way to the village of Zia you will find the "Ktima Akrani" winery (Ktima Akrani), which offers a tour of the wine winery and a production process, but mostly nice to eat and drink in front of the view of the vineyards from the terrace.
Please note prices:
Winery tour and explanations - 3 euros per person (excluding tastings).
Price per bottle
- 4.5 euros to the most expensive - 8 euros.
When with us ?!
Arrive in the evening with something long against the wind.
The village of Zia (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
Taverns are part of the experience, there is nothing to do.
Greek dances in the village of Zia (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
You can also make good and inexpensive wine.
The vineyards of Katima Akrani Winery (Photo: Walla !, Ziv Reinstein)
It costs us, how much does it cost us?
A vacation in Kos is not a cheap affair.
True, everything today is expensive, probably because of fuel prices and the high demand of Europeans for summer vacation.
However, the alternative to a similar family vacation in the country is immeasurably expensive.
Still, flights to Greece that we used to pay $ 400-350 for in the hot season will cost more than $ 600 (!) Per person in July, and that does not include plane luggage.
In August you will already pay almost 800 euros (!) Per direction.
Just crazy.
There is no doubt that the price is also due to the exclusivity of Blue Bird, which is operated by a vacation line company in Israel, but the prices to Greece have simply become very expensive.
Add to that a few nights at the hotel, shopping and more - and you have a very precious summer for the family.
But after two years of not being in Greece, we may still have to look at the half-full cos.
The writer was a guest of Holiday Lines and Blue Beard in Kos.
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