Travel Guide to Tilos Island – Visit the Remote Island of Hiking and Relaxation
Visit Tilos, where do we start with the Greek island of Tilos?
A small, remote, beautiful island situated between the bigger and well known Kos and Rhodes.
A visit to Tilos is a brilliant addition to any Dodecanese Island itinerary. This is especially the case if you are a big fan of relaxing AND exploring in the form of walking/hiking/running. Don’t go there expecting a party island however.
There’s a good chance you have never even heard of this island, neither had I until the day before going, researching where to go after Kos. Spontaneous travel is my forté and as usual did not disappoint. So here’s to inspiring you to take a short visit to Tilos, the stunning little island you maybe haven’t heard much (if anything) about.
Jump to:
- Why visit Tilos?
- How long to visit Tilos for?
- When to visit Tilos?
- How to get to Tilos?
- Where to stay on Tilos?
- How to get around Tilos?
- What to do on a visit to Tilos?
Flights ✈️: For the most extensive, cheapest flight options to Greece, check out Skyscanner, or for flights with cashback, WayAway.
Ferry ⛴️: Ferryscanner is a super useful platform for island hopping in Greece. Check out the options available and book your travel to/from Tilos and beyond.
Accommodation 🛌: Booking.com and Agoda have a range of accommodation options in Tilos.
Activities: For activities and tours in Greece, GetYourGuide and Viator have many options available.
eSIM: Avoid roaming fees in Greece with an eSIM – check out Airlo, Yesim or Drimsim to see which suits your needs. Set up your eSIM before your trip and stay connected from arrival.
(This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission for any purchases made through an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you).
Why visit Tilos?
The charm of Tilos lies in the fact it’s not as touristic as some of the other Greek islands, yet the natural beauty is striking. As a remote island, it takes a little extra time and effort to get there, which is undoubtedly why it may initially seem a ‘less popular’ island. The key point is that it’s not less beautiful than other islands, just more remote. That is a very good thing.
Tilos is a natural beauty where there is not a lot to do in a typical sense, yet there is a lot to explore despite its small size. It simply is what you decide to make of it. This island can be the ultimate place of tranquility and relaxation, while also an active haven thanks to the quiet roads, trails and never-ending views you won’t want to miss. The best of both worlds – my kind of place. I love the beach, I like to chill out but I’m also a runner and lover of hikes, at least when the views are as good as those on Tilos. I’ll delve a little deeper into some of the walking opportunities further down this post, as, for me, they are the highlight. You need to go out and see how beautiful it is out there.
Tilos was the kind of place that my soul needed when I visited. I feel like it has part of my heart and maybe, just maybe, it will be what you need too.
How long to visit Tilos for?
Being a very small island a short trip is perfect. On my visit to Tilos I spent 2 nights, 3 days there, which worked out super well. I wouldn’t have said no to an extra day or two to be honest! But all in all, a short trip is perfect in providing a lovely retreat from the bigger islands you will be coming from/heading to.
When to visit to Tilos?
My visit to Tilos took place in mid June and I would very much recommend going around this time. The weather was perfect, just before it got overly hot. A visit at this time also provided the true tranquil essence of the island, the way it is the majority of the year. That’s to say I don’t doubt more people visit the island during the peak of July and August, but even then I don’t *think* it is ever busy busy. For being able to enjoy the walks peak summer would be too hot though. Try to go a little off season if you can – May, June or September, October.
How to get to Tilos?
So, how to get to a remote Greek Island? A visit to Tilos is easily done, it’s just a little more time consuming to reach than other islands. This is because there is no airport on the island. Therefore, you have to live the Greek island dream of island hopping to get there – fly then ferry. The closest ‘main’ islands from where you can access Tilos are Kos and Rhodes. International flights are available from many countries to either of these, less so during the winter months but spring/summer/beginning of autumn flights are readily available.
I flew into Kos where I spent 4 nights before heading to Tilos for 2 nights, then continuing on to Rhodes for 3 nights, flying out from there. That makes for a pretty good explore of the Dodecanese Islands.
You can check for flights to Kos/Rhodes below:
So, you have reached Kos or Rhodes, the next step to get to Tilos is to take a ferry.
You can search for and book the ferry online here. Ferryscanner is essentially the ferry version or the more well known Skyscanner (I didn’t know there was such a site before travelling to Greece and it came in handy!).
It is super easy to find the cheapest, fastest, best options for your island hopping experience. If you are a spontaneous traveler like me, don’t worry you can book the ferry the night before/day of. In peak season the fast ferry could sell out a little in advance however. Off season, no stress!
That being said about being spontaneous, direct ferries to Tilos from either Kos or Rhodes do not run daily. Bare that in mind – you might need to check in advance that you can go on your desired day. They do run most days but not EVERY day.
There exist smaller, faster ferries, and larger, slower ones. The journey time between the islands is not too long on a direct ferry whether the fast or slow:
- From Kos to Tilos the journey ranges from 1h35min to 3h10min depending on the ferry booked
- From Rhodes the journey ranges from 1h55min to 4h10min depending on the ferry booked
How much does the ferry to Tilos cost from Kos/Rhodes?
- Good news, the ferry can very much be included in even a budget trip. It is not expensive at all, that is coming from a budget traveler.
- I paid €11 for my trip from Kos to Tilos, and €29 from Tilos to Rhodes. The latter was more expensive for me as it was the fast ferry. You can also reach Rhodes for as little as €13. So affordable and very worth it.
Note: the fast ferry is of course (significantly) smaller than the slower one. Having experienced both, I can say the big ferry is much more comfortable. The one I took to Tilos was super big and therefore smooth sailing. There was so much space to walk around and lounge about. The fast ferry I took to Rhodes however was the opposite. You could feel every wave and essentially had to sit more crammed in. There was not much space for leg stretching. Of course the faster the better when on a limited time scale, just a warning it won’t be as ‘comfortable’.
Below you can see the big ‘Blue Star Ferries’ docked at Tilos port.
Where to stay on Tilos?
The ferry will take you to the main town on the island, Livadia. To make it simple, this is where you will want to base yourself.
Most accommodation in Livadia is in the form of apartments, which is lovely. They all seem to be somewhat in competition with each other – all pretty decent and very reasonably priced. Greece can in fact be surprisingly affordable, that’s got to be an incentive to visit! Have a search and see for yourself..
A super nice touch on your arrival is that most, if not all, the accommodations do a pick up and drop off service at the ferry port. For someone who usually walks everywhere possible when travelling, this seemed crazy to me – there is no need for them to do this – the accommodations are all so close-by. So lovely though! The accommodation will arrange with you in advance to see what ferry you will be arriving on and await your arrival at the port (even if you book while ON the ferry there – yes I know that from experience!).
On this trip I traveled with a friend, so being two of us we were able to half the cost. This made it very affordable. So much so, that we booked an extra night so as to have the apartment during the day before taking a later ferry to Rhodes. Staying in an apartment in Livadia is literally as cheap, if not cheaper (split between two) than in a hostel bed in a ‘main city’ elsewhere. Even is travelling solo, you would get that extra luxury of your own space for still a ‘reasonable’ price – honestly cheaper than some hostels during peak season. Travel slightly more off season – for example March/April and you can easily be paying the same as hostel prices but for an apartment!
We simply searched on booking.com and easily got accommodation organised about an hour before reaching the port. There were still a good few options available (maybe don’t leave it this late if travelling in peak season). Our choice ended up being Nikos Studios. Inside out apartment itself wasn’t too exciting, I feel we got a slightly out-dated one? Anyway, the over-sized balcony overlooking Livadia, the sea and mountains was a big highlight!
Each accommodation in Livadia will have their own little charm, see which suits or go for the cheapest! Most of them do have sea views so I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed!
How to get around Tilos?
The island is a little slice of walking/hiking/trail running heaven. With main roads so quiet they are safe to walk on (of course stick in to the side and be ‘sensible’), and walking trails found in all areas of the island, the best way to get around is without a doubt on foot. For such a small island there are more trails than you will manage to cover in your time there, and some you will just want to keep going on but won’t have the time. The walking trails are a big big draw to Tilos. Amazing for the trail runners out there too.
So be sure to have some comfortable shoes packed – trainers are all good, no need for hiking boots.
Alternatively, or better, additionally, there is a public bus which traverses the island. The bus timetable is posted at the bus stop in the village square, however is not the most informative. It tells what time it leaves Livadia but not at what time it arrives/leaves from elsewhere. If you have extra time taking the bus to a different point on the island and exploring around there – on the walking paths of course! – is an excellent idea.
There is also the option to rent a car or motorbike to explore the island at a faster pace and on wheels. This can be done from the port in Livadia.
What to do on a visit to Tilos?
Livadia
On the approach to the island by ferry, you get an overall view of the hub of the island – Livadia.
From that initial look, you already know it is going to be a wonderful little place. You will cast your eyes over the beachfront, lined by a flat promenade home to restaurants overlooking the Aegean Sea. Just a stone’s throw away, situated among the main amenities of the town from supermarkets to pubs, restaurants, a bank, the bus stop and more, is the village square. You will be surprised by the buzz that little square holds even later at night.
A little note on the supermarkets: there are surprisingly a few supermarkets/mini markets. There’s not much difference between the these to be honest. Of course, they are not your mainstream big supermarkets. This is remote island living! That’s to say prices are augmented and products somewhat limited. So little tip: anything you KNOW you are going to want/need, bring from a ‘main’ supermarket on Kos/Rhodes if you can. Especially the budget travelers out there, I wished I had thought to do that.
But what to DO in Livadia?
Relax, stroll, dine out, eat a picnic on the beach, view the ferries coming and going, simply watch the world go by…. in other words, not a whole lot, but in the best kind of way. Don’t worry there is a plenty to do (see) from Livadia… we’ll get to that.
The most accessible place to relax on the island itself is no doubt the long stretch of pebble beach in the bay of Livadia. Don’t want to sit on the beach? There are several benches along the promenade from where you can gaze out to sea and watch the world go by.
The beach itself stretches for around 1.4km – quite significant for such a bay on a small island. You don’t have to just ‘relax’ though – the Aegean Sea from Livadia beach is very inviting, and great for some ‘proper’ swimming. The generally calm water of the long bay is prefect to swim back and forth in. So, pack your goggles!
Want to go for a stroll? You can take a nice easy walk is to simply walk along the waterfront. This will also be your flattest running route on the island for the runners out there – around 1.5km of flat promenade (then the uphill begins).
Now what to do FROM Livadia….
With Livadia as your base you are in a great spot from where to explore other areas of the island. I made the most of my time and would highly recommend the walks, and therefore places, I got to experience.
Visit Mikro Chorio
Take a walk from Livadia to Mikro Chorio, an abandoned village on the island. This is a ‘must do’ on Tilos. The deserted village, now lying in ruins, makes for an interesting explore you can’t get just anywhere. The church still stands and is therefore the focal point of Mikro Chorio, while the views on offer are a sight to feast your eyes on. There is also a functioning bar which you wouldn’t expect to find, however it is not open all year – just peak season.
Since Tilos is so quiet in general, the abandoned village really does feel abandoned – it is not swarming with tourists. This gives a more authentic feel. There were a few, as in literally a few, people also exploring when I was there.
How to get to Mikro Chorio?
A couple of cars pulled up when I was there – you can drive all the way up. If planning to hire a car you can of course add this to your driving itinerary. The best and most adventurous way to get there however, is of course to walk from Livadia:
- Around a 40-50 minute (uphill) walk from Livadia, shorter on the way back thanks to the downhill.
- Although it is uphill all the way, it isn’t super steep. The route is a gradual climb of around 200m. I found it pretty enjoyable!
- No designated walking path from the town – follow the main road that goes up from the bus stop in the square. When you are a little uphill there is actually a trail which I only found on the way back. The trail essentially follows the road, so whether you find it or follow the road up as I did it’s much the same. Honestly it’s easier to just follow the road on the way up (the trail only goes a certain distance), you will however come across a couple a trail paths further up the road which you can kind of ‘cut through’ instead of on the road. Mikro Chorio is sign-posted at one point as you can see in an image below. I just used Google Maps and it got me there perfectly fine – yes you are going the correct way just following the road. No, there will not be many others out walking there too!
I put Mikro Chorio at the top of my list for places to visit, drawn to the fact there is actually something to see/explore. As in, more than beautiful views (but there is that too!) and beaches. Therefore I headed there my first morning (I spent the first day when we arrived in Livadia at the main beach, walking was for the next two days!). As it’s not too long a walk it’s a super nice way to start the day and introduce yourself to walking on Tilos. I spent more time at Mikro Chorio than expected – I just kept wandering through the ruins and also came to one of my favorite little viewpoints. It’s just stunning up there, looking over the island below.
I will leave a little map here of my Strava so you can take a closer look (you can zoom in if you log in on the app). The next walk I am about to talk about is on there too!
Livadia to Paralia Lethra
This was my first proper WOW walk on Tilos. Proper trails and unreal views.
After I’d been to Mikro Chorio I was heading back down to Livadia. As I said I found a trail, and the trail then led me to a road with a beautiful view over Livadia itself. Continuing along the road I again reached a trail – the start of the Paralia Lethra walk.
- Starts just up from the ferry port.
- Short route from the port
- reach the trail quickly thanks to a questionable ‘path’ just next to the port. Takes you directly up to the road which leads to the trial. Easier found on the way back – I came back down that way but did have to be careful underfoot. Doable though!
- Longer ‘sensible’ way from the port
- Follow the main road up past the bus stop, take one of the roads on your right and go up from there. Depends on where your accommodation is as to the easiest way! Whichever way you take to get the the trailhead you will be quickly rewarded with beautiful Livadia views before you reach the official walk. Even just walking through the streets is pretty, as pictured below.
- Short route from the port
- Out-and-back trail
- Don’t worry, you won’t be tired of the views and will be happy it’s out-and-back. On the way out you get the vast expanse of the Aegean Sea, the way back you get to see Livadia coming into view – a treat in both directions.
- Around 1h45-2 hours return walk
- If you don’t have 2 hours for whatever reason, don’t fret! It is 100% worth just walking as far as time allows. I speak from experience here – I (accidentally because it was too beautiful out) continued onto this trail from Mikro Chorio. Living remote work life I had to get back to the accommodation to work. Covering less than half of the walk still gave me heart eyes at the sights on offer. Had I had another day I would have gone back and done the whole walk – go do it for me!
- Remote beach access
- Reaching Paralia Lethra will give you a very tranquil beach experience – as it’s so remote and only reachable on the trail it will be very quiet. Take any supplies you might need.
- Stop and enjoy the scenery
- Make sure to have some stops to take time to truly admire the scenery, and snap some photos of it. You won’t want to (actually you just won’t!) forget those views.
The crazy thing is despite the beauty of this trail, there was no one out there. I passed only a local man outside his home on the road to the trail. He seemed surprised/happy to see me out exploring and had a little chat.
If you go back to the Strava map from Mikro Chorio, you can see how I extended my walk from there onto this one, and have a little look again at the road/trail location. I took the sneaky little dodgy path on the way back which took my down to near the ferry port, so you can do that and end up right back down in Livadia.
Livadia towards Gera
My favourite route!! PLEASE do this one – awesome trails with breathtaking views.
I ran this route and claim it as the ‘coolest run of my life’ as the title on the map below shows. If you are a runner – run the trails for an even better thrill than walking. I am a road runner not a trail runner, but I sure would be tempted to become a trail runner if all trails were like this one. Road shoes are fine!
- Head along the bay in the opposite direction of the port, past the long stretch of beach. At the end of the promenade you will begin the climb. The view over Livadia from here is beautiful, remember to turn around and admire it. Of course it’s even better on the way back, when it’s directly in your sight.
- Continue up and soon you will reach the little chapel, Agios Ioannis
- Many people will perhaps only walk this far. It’s a great little uphill walk to there with lovely views so that’s okay. BUT the best part comes after the church…
- Image below shows the chapel (white building) overlooking the bay (photo taken looking back towards Livadia direction).
- Take the trail which is just past the chapel – as you can see below the roads are no more and the trail begins (second picture is the direction you are heading on the way out).
- I actually intended to only go about as far as the church BUT there was no way I was stopping there when I saw the beginning of a trail. NO REGRETS.
- The trail continues to climb. Including the uphill from the end of Livadia promenade, you essentially climb for 2kms flat out. After that you are finally treated to a descent.
- The uphill is made easier by your mind being focused on the neverending views (and keeping your feet on the trails – be careful, you are essentially on a cliff edge).
- The trail just keeps going, mixing uphill and downhill always with stunning scenes alongside.
- Continue on to Gera, another abandoned village on the island, if you want an ‘end’ (turn around) point, or you can simply go as far as you wish. Even better go further than Gera, I know I wish I had had time to!
- Return the same way you came.
The views are just unreal, stunning, beautiful, causing you to say ‘wow’ on repeat. Or maybe that was just me. I had no idea I was going to embark on a trial at all never-mind one like this, but I am pretty sure you will agree the natural beauty is just wow. The pictures give a good sense but still don’t quite do it justice. Take time to enjoy the scenes on offer!
Whether you choose to walk or run this trail, you will not be disappointed. I was injured and had barely ran for some months, but there was nothing stopping me when I got going on this route. No injury, no lack of fitness, no hills my legs were definitely not used to at that point.. Running it allowed me to get further and experience more since again, I was on a time limit. I turned around just short of Gera without even knowing at the time where I was. Had I had more time I would have kept going!
Livadia to/towards Paralia Tholos
Paralia Tholos is a secluded beach located on the opposite side of the island. It is around a 9km return walk from Livadia. This walk is a lovely addition to a Tilos itinerary, however I recommend the other three walks in this post before this one. If you have time add this on for sure, but prioritize the others. You can view the route below and I will give you a little more information on it:
- Paralia Tholos is located essentially opposite Livadia – up the mountain and down the other side.
- Walk begins on road from Livadia. Facing towards the water, take the road on the right before the bus stop in the main square (if coming from the waterfront, take the second road on the left after the bus stop). Alternatively you can walk along the promenade before taking one of the roads to your right (heading away from the port), which joins on to the uphill road you want to walk. Soon after leaving Livadia you already get to see the town from yet another perspective.
- Follow the road and keep going up. There is one bit you do a little zig-zag – come back slightly on yourself onto the dirt track road. I’ve pictured it below so you can see. You also get a nice little view from here of course!
- A bit further up there is a lovely ‘view point’, well I’d call it that anyway. Stop there and snap some pictures just as I did like the below images show – remember to take in the scenes around you.
- Not too long after this point you will reach the top of the road. Here you want to cross the road you now encounter and you will find the beginning of the trail to Paralia Tholos.
- The trail is very easy to begin with – continue straight along it (the first picture below).
- The final part of the walk then comes when the straightforward trails turns into a rocky descent to Paralia Tholos (second picture was taken on this part). Take CARE on this part, especially if you are alone. Don’t descend all the way if you don’t feel up for it – remember you will have to come back up the same way.
Note: I did NOT descend the whole way to the beach. I decided to be sensible – I was losing daylight (it doesn’t look like it in the pictures but it was evening), I was completely and utterly alone out there besides for some goats. That last bit really is rocky and quite steep. It wasn’t worth risking something happening out there. Remember you still need to return back to Livadia and there are no streetlights (or people) out there either. So just a note, enjoy the journey, you don’t NEED to make it to the ‘destination’. It’s about seeing and appreciating as much of the island as possible – which I did on the walk.
- Return to Livadia the same way. The way back will be more of a breeze and quicker as when you get back to the road it’s all downhill.
I did this walk on the same day as visiting Mikro Chorio and walking part of the Paralia Lethra trail. I finished work after my morning explore and needed to see more of this amazing island. On a whim I decided I would head to the Paralia Tholos trail. I almost didn’t head out, thinking it was getting a bit late, but I am SO glad I did. It’s amazing how much you can discover if you just get out there.
It was a bit eeries at times. Eerie, but pretty awesome. It was evening, I was out there alone. There was no one other person out walking here, just me, the goats and a few passing cars. One car actually stopped to ask if I wanted a ride, definitely out of kindness but just be careful out there. Sometimes you have to be the person who is crazy enough to just KEEP exploring. I always just want to see as much as possible when travelling!
A visit to Tilos does not end there…
There are more walks out there than those that I mentioned so go and discover them too should time permit. You can also hop on the bus and do some exploring in other areas that are a bit further from Livadia.
I am highly satisfied with how much I did manage to see in my 2.5 day visit to Tilos. Another day would have been another hike and I would have welcomed that, but it was time to move on. I hope you visit this beautiful island and appreciate the beauty of it as much as I did. Please walk walk walk if you can, that is the best way to discover Tilos!