Telendos
3.3/5A car-free pyramid off Kalymnos — climbing, sunsets and waterfront tavernas
3.3on its own→3.9with the Kalymnos satellitesThe car-free waterfront, Hochlakas beach and the sunset over Kalymnos.
Part of the Kalymnos satellites
Both are short boat rides from Kalymnos and neither fills a day on its own. Paired with a Kalymnos base they turn into two excellent half-days.
Base3.5Kalymnos3 daysWhy 3.3: serious walking country and nothing you need a car for — but the beaches are ordinary and there is no nightlife at all.
Telendos is the dramatic pyramid of rock that rises straight out of the sea off Myrties on Kalymnos — split from its parent island by an earthquake in AD 554. A ten-minute caïque crosses the channel to a single tiny settlement strung along the waterfront, entirely car-free. It is beloved by rock climbers and divers, dotted with early-Christian and Byzantine ruins, and famous for the sunset light on the Kalymnos mountains opposite. Days here are simple: a swim off the rocks, a walk to a quiet cove, a long dinner by the water.
Good for
- Rock climbers — the season here runs from March to November, when it is too hot to climb elsewhere
- Anyone who wants no cars at all — one lane of tavernas along the water, and a caïque from Myrties every 30–60 minutes
- Travellers who stay the night — the early-Christian ruins above the village catch the sunset light on Kalymnos opposite
Maybe skip if
- If you want sand — Hochlakas is pebble and shingle, and it is the island's only real beach
- If you want anything after dinner — there is no nightlife on Telendos at all
Getting there
No airport. A small caïque shuttles across from Myrties on Kalymnos every 30–60 minutes from morning to late evening, all year — a ten-minute crossing. Reach Kalymnos itself by ferry from Kos, Rhodes or Piraeus.
Tip: Stay over — Telendos empties of day-trippers by evening and the sunset is the whole point.
Best time to visit Telendos
Tavernas and rooms run from spring to autumn; climbers come as early as March and as late as November when it is too hot to climb elsewhere. Midsummer is warm and lively; May, June, September and October are ideal for walking and climbing.
Top beaches of Telendos
Hochlakas
Telendos's main swim — clear, deep water off pebbles, excellent for snorkelling, with a taverna at the back and the best sunset seat on the island.
- Type
- Pebble & shingle
- Length
- 120 m
- Depth
- Deep — clear
- Wind
- Avoid visiting when the wind blows from the southwest to northwest at over 4 Bft. West-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm most summer days, sometimes choppy on rare westerly winds
- Facilities
- Taverna behind; some shade.
1-day itinerary for Telendos
Read the day-by-day plan on its own page →
Day 1: Waterfront, a Cove & the Sunset
- 10:00 · Telendos village
A single lane of tavernas, rooms and cats along the water, facing Kalymnos across the strait. No cars, no traffic — just the caïque coming and going every half hour. - 11:30 · Hochlakas beach
A pebble-and-shingle beach a short walk from the quay on the west side, with clear deep water good for snorkelling and a taverna behind. The best spot to watch the day soften into sunset. - 🍴 Stop for lunch · Telendos waterfront — see Eat & Drink below
- 17:00 · Early-Christian ruins & Ave Maria
Scattered ruins of a Byzantine monastery and early-Christian basilica sit above the village, an easy walk up. From here the light on Kalymnos at sunset is the island's signature view.