Mountain villages

Hiring a car we’re off to explore the mountainous interior of Kos for a few days now.

First on our trip is a visit to the Monastery of Agios Ioannis. This stunning little building is a revelation at the end of a non-descript road.

This tiny gem is covered from floor to ceiling with colourful frescos and detailed icons.

Built on a hill above Kefalos, this monastery is surrounded by lush greenery and offers amazing view to the sea.

There’s seating under the shade of a huge old plane tree, just right for a coffee or ice cream break!

Luckily there’s also a quaint little cafe that’s furnished in traditional Greek style.

 The whole place is a veritable suntrap with traditional blindingly white walls and bright blue detail.

There are also some former monestary cells that are currently being refurbished.

The flooring of the terrace is decorated in the traditional black and white pebbled pattern that is common in Greece.

Then it’s off to our next destination, the small hill top village of Asfendiou.

Above is Asomatos church in Asfendiou village, it has a commanding presence in the tiny hamlet.

The village only has around 100 inhabitants and close by are the remains of many ruined buildings that are slowly being bought back to life with outside investment.

After poking around several of the intriguing ruined homes we’re heading off to our next stop, the enchanting mountain top village of Zia.