Photos from Pserimo

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A very small seaside settlement, 3 beautiful beaches, 2-3 cafes on the beach, 2 tavernas and a mini market. In Pserimos you don’t need more to decide whether to stay for 2 days or 2 months!

How do we get to Pserimos?

Pserimos is located in the Dodecanese, just above Kos. Specifically, the port that connects Pserimos with Kos is Mastichari from which Pserimos is half an hour away by the Zephyr of SAOS. We took the plane to Kos, stayed one night in Antimachia, took a taxi in the morning to Mastichari and from there the boat to the small island of Pserimos.

find it quickly:

Accommodation
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Map

It’s not the cheapest way but if you book your flights well in advance and get an early morning flight to avoid an overnight stay, then you pay a bit more but save a lot of time.

On the Zephyr boat. Leaving Mastichari on Kos for Pserimos

On the SAOS website you will find the PDF containing the detailed programme for Pserimos and other islands such as Patmos or Agathonisi. Perhaps more useful is the site of VRISKO.gr (ferry schedules). We found it very useful since it shows not only SAOS but also other ferry companies that come to Pserimos less frequently but can serve you at any given time.

The second way of access to Pserimos is through the other nearby islands of the Dodecanese that are connected by ferry. Islands such as Kalymnos, Leros , even the more distant Lipsi or Patmos are connected to Pserimos, if not daily, often during the week.

Part of the beautiful beach at the port and the small settlement of Pserimos

Of course there is also the connection with the town of Kos but we will tell you more about that in a moment as it is one of the strange scenes of the island.

What do I have to do in Pserimos?

What else but swimming and diving in the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Aegean and the Dodecanese. As I mentioned above, the small harbour settlement is very small with 15-20 houses and the walk in it is mainly limited to the long beach. Everyone passes through there so you don’t have much choice.

Spotted diving from the fishing boat in the port of Pserimos

Buy local products from the stalls of the grandfathers of Pserimos such as local oregano, thyme, onions, olives and of course honey. You will also find amazing honey at the mini-market at the end of the beach, at Mr Pantelis. We tried and bought a kilo and even though we still had a 10 day journey ahead of us.

From the mini market of Mr Pantelis, climb the rock with the Greek flag and see Pserimos from a different perspective. From above, the coastline with its crystal clear waters looks even more attractive!

Ooh, it’s going down.

And yet, it is not our imagination. There are landing ships, even “pirate ships”, which unleash the hordes of tourists from Kos, filling the beach of Pserimos twice a day and specifically, in July 2022, at 11 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, for about an hour and a half.

The “landing” of tourists from Kos begins

Really, this change of scenery in Pserimos is unique. Just when you think you are on a deserted island in the middle of the Aegean Sea, hundreds of tourists from Kos, even huge pirate ships with a“Pirates of the Caribbean” theme, come and fill the cafes and taverns in no time. We had laid out a towel on one end of the beach and within 10 minutes we were surrounded by families and couples who were literally spreading out our besties!

However, if you know the arrival times, you can either avoid it or hang out somewhere on the beach and enjoy it (we saw people ordering calamari with …ketchup! ). Besides, the rest of the day it was just us and 5-6 other couples who had booked a room in Pserimos. And especially in the evening is a treat as you enjoy the solitude and quiet of the beach and the starry sky.

Grandfather 98 years old! (July 2022)
On the counter with the oregano and thyme we bought

Therefore, the “landing” from Kos is a welcome change and the main source of income for the few locals. Perhaps this is also responsible for the low prices of everything we bought or ate in the 3 tavernas on the island (the excellent thyme honey, however, had an excellent price).

Are there any other beaches in Pserimos?

Yes, two more worth visiting. One is Vathi and the other is that of Panagia of Grafiotisa. See below the map for their exact location. For both of them you will need a good shoe. Not necessarily a mountaineering boot but anything with a good sole for rocks and a path with lots of rocks. We went with Teva sandals and didn’t regret it. If you go with an open shoe you might scratch yourself a bit but ok, that’s what summer outings are all about. Now if your shoe is a plain sole or flip flop you better not attempt the two beaches outside the settlement.

Pserimos, the beach and the bay of Vathi

Vathi beach is located in a small bay on the northeastern side of the island at the edge of a sheltered bay where several sailing or speedboats are moored. The sandy beach is nothing special but the waters and the bottom are amazing. The hike from the port of Pserimos to there is also beautiful.

In Pserimos and Vathi beach

Panagia Grafiotisha beach is on the other side of the island where the wind (north wind) catches it. That’s why you won’t find any sailboats or any other bathers most likely. The beach is quite beautiful and the route overlooking the Aegean Sea and Kalymnos is just perfect. It’s further away than Vathi and in some places we lost the path and walked through even more cattails. You don’t get lost, you just might “melt” your soles a bit more.

Arriving after half an hour of walking to the beach of Panagia Grafiotisa with the homonymous chapel

Accommodation and rooms in Pserimo

We stayed at Nammos sunset, in the building built on the sand of the beach and we were not very satisfied. We had booked the back room which was boiling hot (although it was cool on the days we went), had no window and very little space next to the bed, not even for a second bedside table with a doorstop…

Night shot from the deserted beach and port of Pserimos

If you go there, go for the front rooms, although we thought the prices were pretty cheap for early July! Their balcony, however, should have a perfect view of the beach at all times of the day. However, from what we understood afterwards after talking to locals, we could have booked another room on arrival on the island at a much lower price.

Mr. Sakelaris, 75 years old, with his sponges on the beach of Pserimos

On the other hand, we are used to booking accommodation online so I didn’t try it. If we go again next year in early July, I will book accommodation either by phone or on the spot. Now if you guys are going later in July or mid-August you better arrange it in advance. Look at the accommodation suggestions and decide.

hotels in Pserimos

Food in Pserimos

On such a small island your choices are counted on the fingers of one hand. Specifically, on the beach there are 2 cafeterias that can offer you some sandwiches/snacks, while you will find regular tavernas to satisfy your hunger: “Aphrodite” with Hercules that offers a nice breakfast with honey, the tavern of Manolas, a little further up the alley that leads to the church and the path to Vathi beach, and the tavern of Pikou, 10 meters further up.

At Manolas’ you will find more traditional flavours and stews while at Pikou you will go for fish and not only, of course. We ate twice at Piku because we wanted fish and we were very satisfied. We would definitely recommend you to try the kakavia, the kalonomas (like mussels) and the sweet baba!

One of the grandfathers at Pserimou beach, returning from the stall with his merchandise.

Although the island is not that well known or as we say tourist, the fact that hundreds of tourists come from Kos twice a day has somehow raised the prices of food. In addition, it has also brought some other European habits such as not bringing water with food or coffee./ Otherwise, the people have remained authentic and friendly with foreigners.

What to buy from Pserimos

As you will see if you walk along the paths to the beaches of Vathi and Panagia Grafiotisha, the island is overgrown with thyme, sage and other aromatic herbs. In addition, it also has a few thousand olive trees that produce excellent olive oil. Therefore, don’t miss to taste and buy honey from Mr Pantelis, at the end of the seaside, the tourist shop and the mini market under the rock with the Greek flag.

And of course thyme, oregano and other aromatic herbs like sage that you will find from the grandfathers who set up stalls and sell their wares while waiting for the tourists. From the stall on the beach you can also get authentic dark sponges from Mr. Sakelaris. (See also photos of the grandfathers at work!)