Over the years, we have received emails from visitors to Kos who had read in other guidebooks to the island that Hippocrates’ Plane Tree is the tree under which the famous ancient physician taught, asking if this is correct?

We are sorry to say that the general consensus is that the tree is around 500 years of age, although some speculate that it could be as old as 2,000 years. However, it may be a descendant of the original tree which allegedly stood there 2,400 years ago in Hippocrates’ time.

What is accepted is that it is not the original tree under which he is said to have taught and although this is an attractive tourist story, it continues to be reported by most poorly researched guidebooks as fact.

Hippocrates’ tree is situated on the “Platía Platanou” (the “Square of the Platane”), in front of the Castle of Knights and next to the Gazi Hassan Mosque in the centre of Kos town.