Where to stay in Kos: the best resorts and areas

Psalidi is the coast just east of Kos Town, and it's where many of the island's best beachfront resorts gather. A flat cycle path runs all the way into town, so you can spend the morning on a sunbed and the afternoon wandering among the Roman ruins, the castle of the Knights of St John by the harbour and the famous plane tree under which Hippocrates is said to have taught.

Hotels are big, polished and mostly five-star: an all-inclusive on a Blue Flag beach about 3.5 km from town, an all-suite hotel on the coast with views across to Turkey, a design-led resort about 6.5 km from the centre, and an eco-minded holiday village in green gardens. The natural hot springs at Therma are just down the coast.

Tigaki, on the north coast about 10 km from Kos Town, is a relaxed little resort beside one of the island's finest beaches: a long stretch of soft sand and dunes, lapped by shallow water. Behind it lies the Alykes salt lake, where flamingos stop by in spring and winter, and the whole area is so flat that cycling is the best way to get around.

Evenings are gentle: a few tavernas, bars and shops rather than a nightlife scene. Choose a beachfront spa hotel, a hotel a few minutes' walk from the village, a boutique hotel close to Flamingo Beach, or a good-value hotel steps from the sand.

Marmari, west of Tigaki on the same stretch of north coast, is little more than a scattering of resorts and a small village behind a long, wide sandy beach. The water is shallow and calm in the mornings, and the afternoon breeze makes it a favourite for windsurfers and kite-surfers.

This is resort country, ideal for families who want everything on site. Stay in whitewashed Aegean-style bungalows with water slides for the children, a hotel set right on Marmari beach, a family hotel in palm gardens 600 metres from the sand, or a large resort surrounded by greenery about 12 km from the airport.

Kardamena, on the south coast, is Kos's liveliest resort. The old fishing village still has its harbour, but the streets behind it are lined with bars and clubs that fill up with a young, sociable crowd through the summer. The long sandy beach runs out of town in both directions.

The best hotels sit a couple of kilometres along that beach, close enough for a night out but far enough for a good night's sleep. Expect an ultra all-inclusive beach club in 85,000 square metres of grounds, a five-star directly on a sandy beach in a quiet spot, a stylish hotel with direct beach access just outside the village, and a large five-star resort complex.

In the far south-west, the island narrows and climbs to Kefalos, an old village on a hill above the sweeping curve of Kamari Bay. The beaches here are the best on Kos: Paradise Beach and its neighbours along the south coast, and Agios Stefanos with its ruined early Christian basilica and a tiny chapel on an islet just offshore.

Two very different styles of stay share the area. On the beach are luxury all-inclusive resorts, including one of the Ikos collection and a vast village-style complex near Paradise Beach, about 7 km from the airport. On the hillside, small family-run hotels look over Kamari Bay with tavernas a short walk below. Kos Town is about 30 km away.