Pili village

Pili is located in the centre of the island 15 km south-west of the Kos capital (its port, Marmari, is located 4 km far away. The village has about 2 500 permanent inhabitants and it can be divided into two parts - Kato Pili (lower Pili) and Ano Pili (upper PIli). All the action in the village is concentrated on the Platia square qit nice cafés and tavernas.

Tourists tend to overlook this region a bit, since except for a few private rooms, there is no more accommodation capacity. Despite that, there are several remarkable places in the village. Bedies the local churches, Ag. Georgios and Ag. Nikolaos, you can also visit the small museum of Pyliotiko Spiti located in a more than one hundred year old farming houses and offering an insight in the life of the locals in the past. The house has three rooms - a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom. All is equipped with original furniture and articles of daily use. The museum can be accessed for a small fee.

You can also buy an original souvenir in the Ria & Remko Gallery, founded in 1978 by the couple of Ria a Remko de Gilde from Amsterdam. To see their work - paintings, jewellery and ceramics, visit http://riaremko.web-log.nl

About 200 m from the PLatia square, you can refresh yourself in the village fountain built in 1592. Drinking water spews there from six lion heads and the water quality is so good that the locals go there to fill their water cans.

On the way from the Platia square in the direction of Kardamen (second turn-off to the right), there is a signposted track leading to the Tomb of Charmylos from the 4th century BC. It received its name after the mythical heroe of Charmylos. Under the barrel vault, there are twelve burial chambers. Above the tomb, a small chapel was built, where you will be welcomed with fruit by an old man, Georgios, and also an explanation in English about the chapel and the tomb.

About 4 km from Pili, there are remains of the original village of Paleo Pili.

On the day of Saint George, the celebrations of ´panighyri´ are held in the village, including a horse race. According to an old custom, a painted egg is broken against the forehead of the winning horse. On June 23, the celebration of ´Klidonas´ is held there to pay tribute to Saint John.