Kalymnos

Kalymnos is best met early: on a still June morning the harbour of Pothia unrolls like a painted fan — houses in ochre, turquoise, terracotta, and faded pink, stacked in tiers above the water. This is a working island, not a polished resort, and the first thing that strikes a visitor is the pride in its past. On the quay, the sponge boats rest with their drying racks, and in the maritime museum the history of the island's greatest adventure — the sponge divers who plunged without gear to the seabed — is told with reverence and grief. In the afternoon, Myrties looks across the strait to the bare rock of Telendos, and the crags above Massouri carry climbers moving up the limestone as casually as the goats. By dusk, a taverna in Pothia serves a plate of tiny fried shrimps while the lights of the harbour come on. Kalymnos is a proud, hard-working, sea-worn island with a huge heart, and it does not need to impress. It simply is.

Kalymnos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and its history has always been a history of the sea. The island was known in antiquity as Kalydna, and its people were famous sailors, fishermen, and sponge divers — sponge diving is documented here from ancient times, and for centuries Kalymnian divers worked the Aegean, the North African coast, and as far as the Caribbean, often at terrible human cost. The modern sponge fleet, with its elegant schooners, made Kalymnos prosperous in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the island's wealth paid for the neoclassical mansions that still line the waterfront. Kalymnos suffered under Ottoman rule, was held by the Italians from 1912 to 1943, was occupied during the Second World War, and was united with Greece in 1948. From the 1990s, the island found a new life: the steep limestone walls around Massouri, Palionisos, and the other climbing crags were developed into one of the world's great sport-climbing destinations, bringing a young, international crowd that has rejuvenated the villages without erasing their character.

Kalymnos is not famous for its beaches — the island is steep and rocky, and its charm lies in the swimming coves and the climbing crags rather than long sand strips. The best swimming is on the west coast: Myrties and Massouri have pebble coves with tavernas and sunbeds, and the little beaches of Kantouni and Linaria are quieter. Vathy, in its long green bay on the east coast, is the prettiest corner for a swim. Emporios, near the northern tip, has a wild shingle beach with crystal water and a ruined castle above it. And the offshore islets — especially Telendos — hide the loveliest coves of all: clear, quiet, and reachable by a five-minute boat ride. Bring water shoes; the pebbles are sharp, and the underwater world rewards snorkellers.

Kalymnian food is island food at its most confident. The island is famous for its tiny shrimps — the garydes of Kalymnos, fried whole and eaten with a squeeze of lemon, are a genuine local delicacy you will not find done better anywhere. Fresh fish, grilled octopus, and the island's own version of the Greek salad appear on every taverna table, and the local cheeses — a tangy xynomyzithra and a firm white cheese aged in brine — are served with thyme honey for breakfast. The Kalymnian table also features pitaridia, the hand-rolled pasta of the Dodecanese, and a fine white wine made from the island's grapes. For a taste of real Kalymnos, order the shrimps, the octopus, and a carafe of white wine at a harbourside taverna in Pothia and watch the evening begin.

May, June, and September are ideal: the sea is warm, the climbing weather is perfect, and the island is at its most relaxed. July and August are hot and lively, with climbers and swimmers filling the west-coast villages; the meltemi wind often blows in the afternoons, keeping things cool. Spring brings wildflowers to the hills, and autumn lingers warm into October. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, when Kalymnos returns to being a working Greek island — beautiful for anyone who wants to see its true face.

Kalymnos is reached by ferry from Kos in about thirty minutes, from Piraeus, and from several other Dodecanese islands. The island also has a small airport, served by flights from Athens and Rhodes.

A scooter or car is useful, though the west-coast villages of Myrties and Massouri are compact enough to walk. Bring climbing shoes and chalk if you climb — the routes above Massouri are world class and the guidebooks are sold at the local climbing shops. Take a boat to Telendos for at least an afternoon, and another to Vlychadia cave if it is open. The climb to the Christ of Kalymnos and Agios Savvas is steep but unmissable — go in the cool of the morning. And do not leave without a genuine Kalymnian sponge: it is the island's oldest and most honest souvenir.