On Tilos, unusual natural history, coastal landscapes and hiking destinations are distinct travel interests. The island was once home to Europe's last pygmy elephants, which grew to just 1.5 metres tall. At Eristos Beach, mobile dune formation is at its earliest stage; inland, a hiking trail leads to a former observatory. Livadia is the harbour and the liveliest part of the island. This gives you a concrete point of reference when considering which surroundings you would prefer while looking for accommodation.

Getting there and finding your bearings when looking for accommodation

From Athens, travel via Rhodes Airport and then take a ferry to Tilos. The flight from Athens to Rhodes takes one hour, and the ferry to Tilos takes two hours and 30 minutes. Check the current flight and ferry schedules before travelling, and factor in both legs when planning your arrival. Livadia is the harbour and also the liveliest part of the island.

Eristos: beach and early-stage dunes

Eristos is the largest and most popular beach on Tilos. Its features include turquoise waters and natural shade from tamarisk trees. The beach also has early-stage mobile dunes, representing the first stage of dune formation. The water's colour and the shade of the tamarisks characterise the beach, while the dunes draw attention to an early natural landscape process.

Choose a hike by distance or duration

The Nature Interpretation Walk in the centre of Tilos starts near the main road by the helipad and heads northeast. The 2,500-metre route leads to a former Italian observatory on Prophitis Ilias, also known as Olympus. Check local trail conditions before planning this route. Petra Tilos offers hikes along the trails of Tilos accompanied by local guides. They are available at easy, moderate and challenging levels and last from one to four hours, depending on participants' needs. This leaves two distinct questions to guide your choice of hike: would you like to follow a route with a named destination and set distance, or are you interested in a guided hike whose duration can be adjusted to your needs? Guided hikes are seasonal; check possible dates in advance.

Island history: Mikro Horio and the fossil finds

Mikro Horio is an abandoned village on Tilos and is designated a cultural monument. In 1994, an exhibition on the excavations of Charkadio Cave, featuring fossils of pygmy elephants, opened in the town hall of Tilos in Megalo Horio. A designated cultural monument and the history of the fossil finds thus represent different aspects of the island's past.

Discover more destinations: Trianda, Profilia, Plimmiri, Emponas, Kalathos, Petaloudes, Theologos, Kattavia

For the main travel overview: Rhodes.