A Kos 3 island cruise leaves Kos Town marina in the morning and runs the strait to Pserimos, Kalymnos and the uninhabited islet of Plati, giving a sandy bay, a harbour town and an anchored swim before returning to the same quay in the late afternoon. Plan the rest of the island with Greece Tours.
This guide covers the whole day: where the boats leave from and when, what the fare covers, what happens at each of the three stops, the wooden caiques against the modern cruisers, the lunch and the water slide, what to carry, how the meltemi changes the running order, and when to book.
What is the Kos 3 island cruise and which islands does it visit?
A full-day boat trip out of Kos Town that calls at Pserimos, Kalymnos and the uninhabited islet of Plati, giving a beach stop, a harbour town and an anchored swim in open water between eight and nine hours from the quay.
The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The three points sit in the strait north-east of Kos. Pserimos lies about 10 km out with a single village on a sandy bay. Kalymnos lies about 20 km out and puts a working harbour town at the far end of the day. Plati is a bare islet between them, used as a swim stop rather than a landing. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop.
Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. The order changes with the operator and the wind. Boats that run Kalymnos first take the long leg while everyone is fresh and finish with the beach; boats that run Pserimos first put lunch in the middle of the day at Avlakia. Both versions cover the same three points and return to the same quay. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings.
Where does the cruise depart from and when?
From the town quay at Kos Town marina between nine and half past nine in the morning, returning between five and half past five in the afternoon. Boarding opens thirty minutes before departure and hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet.
Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. The boats line the eastern arm of the harbour below the castle, each with a board naming its route and price. Tickets are sold at the gangway and online, and the boats fill from the front, so a party wanting shade or a table together boards early rather than at the last call. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos.
Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. A second, smaller departure runs from Mastichari on the north coast, which is closer to Kalymnos and shortens the first crossing. Kardamena and Kefalos send their passengers to Kos Town by coach rather than sailing the south coast, which adds an hour to each end of the day. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce.
What does the Kos 3 island cruise cost?
From about 35 to 60 euros per adult with lunch included, and from about 17 to 30 euros for children. The wooden caique boats sit at the lower end and the modern cruisers with a water slide and open bar at the upper end.
Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. The fare covers the sailing, the three stops and a cooked lunch aboard on most boats. Drinks beyond a first soft drink are charged at the bar, and the Kalymnos landing is free to walk. Hotel transfer is included on part of the fleet and charged at five to ten euros on the rest. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise.
Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. A private charter of the same route for a family or a group runs from about 600 euros for the boat and puts the timings and the stops in your hands. That is the version to hold when a party of eight wants the swim stops long and the harbour stop short. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes.
What happens at Pserimos?
The boat anchors or ties up at Avlakia, the island’s only village, and gives ninety minutes to two hours ashore on a shallow sandy bay lined with tavernas, with a chapel above and a permanent population of about eighty.
Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Avlakia is the reason the island is on the route. The bay shelves gently, the sand runs the length of the village, and the water stays calm on the days the strait is rough. Sunbeds are set out along the front and the tavernas cook the same day’s fish. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August.
A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. The village is small enough to walk in ten minutes, and a track climbs to the chapel above the bay for the view across to Kalymnos. Full detail on the island and the alternative of going independently sits in Pserimos day trip from Kos. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October.
What happens at Kalymnos?
The boat berths at Pothia, the island’s port town, for an hour and a half to two hours: sponge workshops on the waterfront, the neoclassical houses behind the quay, and the shops selling the harvest the town was built on.
Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Pothia is a working town rather than a resort. The waterfront runs colour-washed houses in ochre and blue, the sponge shops sit at the near end of the quay, and the museum and the cathedral are a short walk in. Lunch ashore is possible here on the boats that serve their meal at Pserimos. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs.
The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. Two hours covers the harbour and no more. Vathys, Telendos and the climbing crags need a day of their own, covered in Kalymnos day trip from Kos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings.
What is Plati islet and why do the boats stop there?
An uninhabited rock between Pserimos and Kalymnos with no village, no jetty and no shade, used as an anchored swim stop in water that runs clear to the bottom at four or five metres.
The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. The boat drops anchor off the islet and the ladder goes over the side for thirty to forty-five minutes. Goats graze the slope above the waterline and there is nothing else on it. It is the part of the day that sells the trip in the photographs. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce.
Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for this stop. The bottom is rock and weed with fish over it, the visibility runs long, and the boats that carry a slide put it into the water here rather than at the village bays. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning.
What kind of boats run the route?
Two classes: traditional wooden caiques of eighty to a hundred and twenty passengers with an open upper deck, and modern steel cruisers of two hundred or more with a bar, a water slide and cabins below.
Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The wooden boats are slower and quieter, and they sit lower to the water. The pirate-themed and family boats carry the slide, the sound system and the larger bar, and they fill with groups. Neither is better; they run the same three points at different volumes. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop.
Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Shade is the practical difference. The caiques carry a canvas over part of the deck and the cruisers have an indoor saloon. On a July crossing with the sun overhead, that decides where a family with small children sits for eight hours. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait.
What is included in the day?
The sailing, the three stops, a cooked lunch aboard on most boats, and the use of the deck, ladders and slide where fitted. Drinks at the bar, sunbeds ashore and hotel transfer on part of the fleet are charged separately.
Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Lunch is grilled chicken or fish with rice, salad and bread on the standard boats, served on deck at the Pserimos stop or under way. The BBQ boats cook on the stern and serve buffet style. Vegetarian plates are prepared when the booking states it. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia.
The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Water and soft drinks are sold aboard, and the bar opens after the first swim stop. Bringing a refillable bottle is normal and welcome. The audio commentary on the guided boats runs in English and German through the crossings. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay.
What do you bring aboard?
Swimwear worn under clothes, a towel, high-factor sun cream, a hat, a light layer for the wind on the return leg, cash for the bar and the village, and a dry bag for phones on the swim stops.
The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. The decks are hot and open and the crossings are breezy, which hides the burn until the evening. Cover-up and cream matter more here than on a beach day. Deck shoes or sandals with grip are worth wearing, because the ladders and the gangways are wet all day. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros.
Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Cash matters at Avlakia. The tavernas and the sunbed hands take euros in note form, and card acceptance thins out on an island of eighty people. Twenty to forty euros per person covers a drink ashore, a sunbed and a souvenir at Pothia. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out.
How does the wind affect the day?
The meltemi blows from the north through July and August and the strait between Kos and Kalymnos is exposed to it. On the strongest days the boats change the order of the stops or shorten the Plati swim rather than cancel.
Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. The crossing to Kalymnos takes the swell on the beam and the return runs with it. Passengers prone to seasickness sit low and midships and take a tablet before boarding rather than after. Mornings are calmer than afternoons through the summer. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos.
The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. Cancellations are rare and refunds are given when they happen. The captain decides at the quay by eight in the morning, and the operator calls or messages the booking rather than leaving passengers to walk down. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop.
Who does the Kos 3 island cruise suit?
Families with children old enough to swim from a ladder, couples who want a beach and a town in one day, and groups who want a boat with a bar. It suits a first full day on the island better than a last one.
Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to Avlakia and the slide and lose interest at Pothia. Couples take to Plati and the harbour town and find the family boats loud. Choosing the boat class at booking settles most of that before anyone steps aboard. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet.
Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. The day is long and open. Travellers who burn quickly, who find eight hours on a deck hard, or who want a quiet swim are better served by the half-day Pserimos boat or by a private charter with fewer people on it. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay.
How does it compare with the single-island trips?
The cruise trades depth for breadth. A dedicated Pserimos boat gives four hours on the beach, a Kalymnos ferry gives a full day on the island, and the three-island version gives a taste of each with the sailing as the point.
The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. Travellers with one free day and no plan take the cruise. Travellers who want the Kalymnos climbing crags, Telendos or the Vathys fjord take the ferry from Mastichari and stay ashore. Travellers who want the beach take the direct Pserimos boat and skip the harbour. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October. Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes.
Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. The other boat days out of Kos run to different ends: the sunset sailings covered in Kos sunset cruise and the self-drive option in Kos boat rental without license. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck. Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route.
When does the season run, and how far ahead do you book?
Daily from late April to the end of October, with the fullest programme from June to September. Book two to three days ahead in July and August and on the morning in the shoulder months.
Boarding opens thirty minutes before the Kos 3 island cruise departs. August fills the popular boats by the evening before, and the hotel desks take the last seats. Booking online holds a place and a hotel pickup where it is offered, and it fixes the price against the quayside rate. A private charter of the Kos 3 island cruise starts near six hundred euros. Booking ahead holds a place on the busiest August sailings. Plati is an uninhabited islet used as a swim stop. Sponge shops line the waterfront at Pothia on Kalymnos. Snorkelling gear is worth carrying for the Plati stop. Hotel pickup is bundled into part of the fleet. Pserimos lies about ten kilometres out in the strait. Wooden caiques and modern cruisers both work the route. The meltemi blows from the north through July and August. The Kos 3 island cruise season runs from late April to October.
Kalymnos and its harbour town of Pothia sit twenty kilometres out. Out of season the fleet thins to a few boats running two or three days a week, and the swim stops shorten as the water cools. April and October sailings are calmer, cheaper and better for photographs than the August crossings. The island as a whole is covered at Kos. The water slide goes into the sea at the anchored stop. Cash matters ashore at Avlakia where cards are scarce. The chapel above Avlakia looks across to Kalymnos. The Kos 3 island cruise leaves the town marina in the morning. The Kos 3 island cruise runs eight to nine hours from the quay. Mastichari sends a second departure on the same Kos 3 island cruise. Children take to the slide and the shallow bay at Avlakia. Shade on deck is the practical difference between the boat classes. Avlakia is the only village on Pserimos and it faces a sandy bay. Lunch is cooked aboard on most boats and served on deck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which islands does the Kos 3 island cruise visit?
Pserimos for the beach at Avlakia, Kalymnos for the harbour town of Pothia, and the uninhabited islet of Plati for an anchored swim stop in open water.
How long is the Kos 3 island cruise?
Eight to nine hours, leaving Kos Town marina between nine and half past nine in the morning and returning between five and half past five in the afternoon.
What does the Kos 3 island cruise cost?
From about 35 to 60 euros per adult with lunch included and 17 to 30 euros per child. A private charter of the same route runs from about 600 euros for the boat.