The Greek island of Kastellorizo: chill time!

Filed under: Travel in Europe, Travel Tips, Turkey — 4 Comments

July 7, 2015

The Greek island of Kastellorizo, known as Meis in Turkish.

We decided to do a day trip to the Greek island of Kastellorizo, just a 30 minute boat ride from

Kaş. Be sure to take your passport with you when you make a reservation. You have to either leave it with the tour company the night before, or hand it over an hour before the boat leaves, so that it can be processed by the customs office.

There are lots of little restaurant around the small harbor.

We explored the area right around the bay.

The island was taken over by crusading knights in 1306. They restored the castle and used it as a prison for disobedient knights:)

From the 1400’s to the 1800’s the island was occupied by the Sultan of Egypt, the King of Naples, the Ottoman Sultan, the Venetians, the Greeks, and then back to the Ottomans!

In the early 1900’s the Italians, Greeks, French, Brits, and Turks battled over possession of this island. The treaty of Lausanne gave the island to Italy.

The Brits and the Italians battled over the island in 1941. It was occupied by Allied forces in 1943. Kastellorizo became part of Greece in 1948 under the Paris Peace Treaties.

There’s not a lot to do there, which was perfect for us. We were celebrating Father’s Day…not many guys can say they went to a Greek island for the day! We relaxed in a lounge chair by the sea, sipping ice coffees and swimming in the lovely bay.