Tilos Villa

Tilos is a small island in the Dodecanese, situated midway between Rhodes and Kos, in the southern Aegean Sea. It enjoys more than 300 sunny days per year, offering blue skies and breathtaking colors of the sea and coast throughout all seasons. The sea water is comfortable for swimming from June to November (or May to December... the concept of comfortable water is somewhat subjective!), but winter and early spring are also great periods for visiting the island, especially if walking or trekking is your passion.

Tilos remains an unspoiled island, even from a touristic point of view. Its coastline is winding, featuring numerous bays and so many beautiful beaches that it is difficult to see all of them in a single vacation, partly because not all are easily accessible. The complexity of the coast—with its rocks, beaches, caves, and cliffs—continues underwater, making swimming and snorkeling highly interesting. If you are lucky, you might even encounter the rare monk seal, as Tilos is one of the last islands in the world to host a monk seal colony. Tilos is also ideal for kayaking, offering several beaches that can only be reached by sea.

The interior shares the same complexity due to its mountainous landscape, rocky hills, and many breathtaking panoramic views that make Tilos unique for walking and trekking; the view changes completely every few minutes. The main paths are safe and well-marked, but others are barely indicated and are suitable only for the more adventurous.

The island is currently inhabited by four hundred people, spread across three villages: the old traditional elevated chora, Megálo Chorió; the port village, Livadia; and the small coastal village, Agios Antonios. In the past, however, there were 7 villages and thousands of people. The ruins of the old villages are another attraction for trekkers, but the ruins of Gherá and Mikró Chorió, which are easily accessible, should not be missed by any visitor for their unique atmosphere and their view over the Aegean Sea. Other attractions include the castle of Megálo Chorió, the castle of Mesarià, and the Monastery of Ágios Panteleímon.

The whole island is a natural reserve protected by law, meaning it is almost completely wild. However, some small cultivations remain, enough to guarantee healthy food for locals and visitors. Tilos is fertile and has many springs; the spontaneous vegetation is mainly composed of bushes or small trees, but almost 700 species of spontaneous plants have been counted—an impressive variety for such a small island. Tilos is, in fact, also famous for its medicinal herbs, which are even mentioned in its mythology.

Tilos is the last place in Europe where wild elephants lived, dating back to the late Neolithic age. A local museum hosts a large assembly of the bones of dwarf elephants. The Kharkhadió cave, where the elephants were found, can also be visited near the museum.

It is also worth noting that, being an entirely protected natural reserve with hunting banned for decades, Tilos is a critical stopover for migratory birds, making spring and autumn ideal seasons for birdwatchers. May is said to be the month when the greatest variety can be seen, with more than 150 species of resident and migratory birds.

The island is about 14.5 km long, running north-west to south-east, with an average width of approximately 3 km. Therefore, it is not so big that a car or motorcycle is necessary, but also not so small that it can be completely visited only by walking. Nonetheless, cars for rent are available on the island, and there is also a bus service connecting the villages and Eristos beach.

Tilos is known as "the green island" because in 2019 it became the first Mediterranean island to be completely self-sufficient with fully renewable electricity generated by solar power and wind turbines.