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 daysTelendos 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.
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.
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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.
1-day itinerary for Telendos
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.
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 protection
- 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.