Kos Marina is the most modern marina on theisland of Coo (Kos in Greek), near the island’s capital city of the same name. Coo is the second largest island in the Dodecanese-after Rhodes-in terms of tourist flow, it is certainly a highly visited place that especially in high season sees the number of people on its land double if not triple.
Just a stone’s throw from Turkey-only 4 kilometers separate Coo from the Turkish coast where Bodrum is located-Coo is an excellent starting point for visiting both Turkey and the Dodecanese archipelago. And thanks to the generous supply of berths (in addition to the marina, in fact, there is also the old port, which has now come under the direct management of the marina), the town is also an excellent starting point for visiting the island itself.
Coo as a town offers numerous attractions; unfortunately, one must take into account that in the summer season it is literally targeted by tourists, so it loses some of its poetry and becomes a rather chaotic and noisy town. That said, it is worthwhile, however, to pay a visit at least to the temple of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, which is only 5 km from the town, and to visit the castle of Neratzia, the medieval fortress located right at the entrance to the town’s old ports.
Coo-which is also the island that is said to be the birthplace of the father of medicine Hippocrates-is then full of beautiful beaches, and the sea is one of the clearest and most crystal-clear you could wish for; since there is no shortage of car and scooter rental services both at the ports and in town, you can concretely plan a day of relaxation and sunbathing.
Kos Marina is located about a quarter of an hour’s walk from the city center on its immediate eastern outskirts; it is a relatively modern facility (it opened in 2001), offers 250 berths, and the maximum overall length allowed is 50 meters. The facility is entirely artificial; a long breakwater shelters four floating piers, other berths are located along the short pier marking the entrance and within the breakwater itself.
Arriving at Kos Marina is not difficult, the only danger is if you are coming from the northwest, the passage around Cape Kum: there are shoals and shallows, be careful and turn rather wide. You can enter the ports without any particular problems, however, always have the foresight to call the marina staff first on vhf, channel 77: they will wait for you at the entrance and direct you to your assigned berth.
All berths duispose of 220/380 V water and electricity, and wi-fi is free throughout the ports; there is also a fueling station inside the marina. There is no shortage of a maintenance and repair area, with about 150 dry berths; it has a 100-ton travel lift, a slipway to the sea, and trained technical staff who can assist if needed.
In the marina there is, of course, no shortage of restrooms with showers, laundry, ATM counter, car and motorcycle rental services, bar, cafรฉ, restaurant, supermarket, souvenir stores, and nautical accessory stores. In short, there is everything, even two small apartments on the ground floor of the building housing the administration offices, rentable by marina guests who wish to enjoy some relaxation and get their feet on the ground.
The marina is manned 24 hours a day and has a reserved parking lot; connection to the city is also provided by buses that run regularly. Numerous other services (luggage storage, private transfers, boat surveillance, etc.) can be requested at the reception desk.