It is 290 sq. km., and the coastline is 112 km. Kos can be reached by air from Athens and Rhodes or by ferry from Piraeus, Rafina, the Cyclades islands, the islands of northern and eastern Aegean, Kavala, Crete, Rhodes and the other islands of Dodecanese.In 460 BC, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine was born in Kos. His name is known around the world, since he was the founder of the first school of medicine. After his death (357 BC), the people of Kos built the famous Asklepeion, in honour of the god Asklepios, which operated as a hospital, admitting thousands of patients from all over the Mediterranean and applying the methods of therapy taught by Hippocrates. The climate which is mild most of the year taken together with the long hours of sunshine, the vast beaches, the enormous historical interest and the attractiveness of the city of Kos have gradually raised the island to the level of an international tourist centre.
