Kos News

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Philoxenia

One of the most endearing and ancient Greek traditions and explicitly a way of life is ‘philoxenia’, which to this day sets Greece apart as a very special country to visit. Philoxenia is the value of hospitality, literally meaning ‘friend to a stranger’. There is much more to philoxenia than mere hospitality. Over the millennia […]

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Spring Equinox

As daylight continues to get longer, with dawn earlier and sunset later, this Friday, March 20, marks the Spring Equinox which officially welcomes in the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. An equinox occurs when the sun passes directly over the Earth’s equator, resulting in a day and night that are equal in length. […]

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Wintery Conditions Returning

Saturday, March 14 – The recent spring-like weather is forecast to continue over the weekend for most of Greece. However, next week will see the weather revert to more wintry conditions as a low-pressure system moves into the country from the West. Its early feature will be strong to gale-force easterly and southeasterly winds in […]

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All Inclusive Holidays?

In recent years, the Greek islands have seen an ever-increasing number of ‘all-inclusive holidays’ being offered by the major tour operators. Whilst I understand the attraction of this format of holiday for some, such as families with young children, or those on a tight budget, they are sadly having a detrimental and irreversible effect on […]

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Holidays Affected by the Middle East Conflict

As holiday companies endeavour to repatriate their customers caught up in the Middle East conflict, they are also cancelling March departures to Dubai, Qatar, Egypt (including Nile cruises) and Jordan, with summer flights dependent on the future situation in the Middle East. Concerning cruise companies such as MSC Cruises, Celestyal and TUI, they are also […]

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Ancient Custom Lives On

The first signs of spring are in the air in Greece, and Greeks will soon prepare to welcome the new season by celebrating an ancient annual custom. The tradition of ‘Martis’ requires that everyone, regardless of age or gender, wear bracelets of red and white thread, called a ‘Kroki’, from March 1 until the last […]

Tips & advice

Aviation Passenger Charter

The UK government has published an easy-to-read guide to the rights of UK air passengers. The Aviation Passenger Charter sets out what you, as a passenger, need to know about your rights and responsibilities when flying. The charter breaks down your journey into stages, to help give you the information you need to: plan and […]

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Fees for Cruise Ship Passengers

The Greek government has confirmed the disembarkation fees at Greek ports for 2026. At the major cruise ship destination islands of Mykonos and Santorini, for the period from June 1 to September 30, passengers going ashore will be charged a fee of 20 euros per person. For the months of April, May and October, the […]

Tips & advice

ATM’s

During your stay in Greece, if you intend to draw cash from an ATM, we strongly advise that you do not use independent ATM services, as these can carry hefty commission rates. We suggest that you use ATM’s located at branches of the main national Greek banks. These include Eurobank, Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank and […]