The sunset
The sun going down into the sea from west-facing terraces.
Asurnipal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rikki Mitterer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rikki Mitterer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rikki Mitterer — CC BY-SA 4.0
**A mountain village on the slope of Mount Dikaios, and the sunset place on Kos** — at about 300 metres, 15 km from town. The village is **very small**: one climbing street between stone houses and gardens, **among pines and cypresses** — the greenest place on a largely dry island. ✅ **What brings people here is the sunset**: the village faces **west**, **and the sun goes down behind the sea** and the islands of Kalymnos and Pserimos — **with a completely open view from the taverna terraces**. ⚠ **The price is that the village has converted entirely to it**: its one street is **an unbroken row of gift shops and tavernas**, ⚠ **and the coaches arrive every evening**, so it is heavily crowded in the hour before sunset. ✅ From here the walking routes start for the **summit of Dikaios** (846 m).
The sun going down into the sea from west-facing terraces.
One lane between stone houses, gardens and pines.
The route to the island's highest peak (846 m) starts here.
Zia, 85300 Kos, Greece
**Yes — but at the right time and for the right reason.** ⚠ **What to know first**: Zia is **not a living traditional village**. Its one street has **converted entirely** into gift shops and tavernas serving the daily sunset trips, ⚠ **many coaches arrive every evening**, **and prices are higher than anywhere on the island**. **So anyone looking for an authentic village will not find it here.** ✅ **What it is worth for**: **the sunset itself is genuine and excellent** — the island is largely flat, **and this is one of the few elevated points open to the west**, with a completely clear view to the islands. ✅ **The morning is an entirely different proposition**: the village is **completely quiet** before noon, **the air is cool** among the pines, **and the Dikaios summit path starts here** — another face of the place most visitors never see. ✅ **The strategy**: **either the morning for the walk and the quiet**, **or the evening with a booked table and arriving two hours early**. ⚠ **The worst option**: arriving half an hour before sunset — **no parking, no table, and a crush**.