👨👩👧 Is It Worth Visiting?
Absolutely—especially if you're interested in the island's history beyond the ancient world. This peaceful corner of Kos offers a welcome escape from the bustle of the town center and reveals a lesser-known side of the island, shaped by Christianity, the Italian period, and the present-day Catholic community.
👀 Don't Miss
🇵🇱 The Polish connection in the cemetery—a touching discovery that may be more moving than you expect.
🌲 A walk along the cypress avenue, which gently prepares you for entering the church grounds.
🏛️ Rodolfo Petracco's clever use of perspective, creating the illusion of a much larger space.
⛪ The Church of St. John the Baptist (Hepta Bemata), hidden just beyond the cemetery.
🏺 The remains of the Roman aqueduct, a fascinating site that few visitors take the time to explore.
🚶 What Else Is Worth Seeing Nearby?
If you've already made the trip to the Catholic church, don't end your walk here. Within just a few hundred meters, you'll find three more places that are well worth a visit.
🤍 A Traditional Greek Wayside Shrine
Just a short walk away stands a small, snow-white roadside shrine surrounded by a matching white wall. Although it is usually closed, it is beautifully maintained and perfectly reflects the character of the small chapels that can be found throughout Greece. Local people often build them as expressions of faith, gratitude, or remembrance.
⛪ The Church of St. John the Baptist (Hepta Bemata)
Just beyond the Catholic cemetery stands one of the oldest Christian monuments on Kos. This Early Byzantine church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, is also known as Hepta Bemata ("Seven Steps"). It was most likely built in the 6th century and still preserves elements of its original baptistery, where baptisms were once performed.
Although the interior is only occasionally open to visitors, the church itself is a reminder of the earliest days of Christianity on the island. It is one of those remarkable places that are easy to miss, yet rich in historical significance.
🏛️ The Ruins of the Roman Aqueduct
As you head back toward the town, take the path to the right. After about 100 meters, you'll reach the remains of a Roman aqueduct.
The surviving arches are a reminder of the impressive water supply system that once carried fresh water over many kilometers to the ancient city of Kos. Today, few visitors make their way here, making it an ideal place to quietly admire the engineering skills of the Romans.
🏛️ Architecture That Plays with Perspective
At first glance, the church and cemetery seem to occupy a much larger area than they actually do. This is no coincidence, but the result of a carefully considered design by the Italian architect Rodolfo Petracco, who was responsible for the entire complex.
Your walk begins along a long avenue lined with tall cypress trees. The trees naturally draw your eye toward the elegant entrance gate, beyond which stands a small yet surprisingly tall church. Every element—from the proportions of the buildings and the height of the walls to the rhythm of the trees—was carefully designed to create the illusion of a much larger space.
The chapel itself is equally remarkable. Built on a circular plan and crowned with a modest dome, it appears graceful despite its small size. Its tall, narrow windows and soaring entrance give the building a light and elegant appearance.
It is a wonderful example of architecture whose beauty comes not from elaborate decoration, but from perfect proportions. The longer you spend here, the easier it becomes to appreciate the remarkable precision with which every detail was planned.
👀 Try It Yourself
Stop at the beginning of the cypress avenue and look toward the church. Then walk slowly toward the entrance gate. You'll notice that the building seems to grow larger with every step, even though it is, in reality, a small chapel. This is the result of the architect's masterful use of perspective and proportion throughout the entire design.
🌲 The Cypress Avenue
Even before the church comes into view, your attention is drawn to the long avenue lined with tall cypress trees. Although cars are often parked along it today, the avenue has retained its distinctive charm.
For centuries, cypress trees have held a special place in the cultures of the Mediterranean. Their slender forms, reaching toward the sky, symbolize eternal life and the spiritual journey of the soul. It is no coincidence that they were traditionally planted beside cemeteries and places of worship.
Walking along this avenue, the church gradually reveals itself. The peaceful approach prepares visitors before they enter the church grounds. For believers, it can symbolize drawing closer to God; for others, it offers a quiet moment of reflection before visiting this place of remembrance.
✝️ The Catholic Church on Kos – The Island's Only Roman Catholic Parish
Most of the people living on Kos belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. That is why the small Chapel of the Holy Cross often comes as a surprise. During the summer, a single Mass may be celebrated in several languages—including Polish. It is the only Roman Catholic church on the entire island.
⛪ Holy Mass in Several Languages
This is one of the most unusual churches on the Greek islands—not because of its architecture or elaborate interior, but because of the unique atmosphere during Sunday Mass.
In summer, worshippers from many European countries gather here. As a result, several languages can be heard during the same service, including Italian, English, German, and Polish. The Gospel, in particular, is read in different languages one after another, allowing everyone to hear it in their native tongue.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is cared for by the Franciscan Fathers from Rhodes, who regularly travel to Kos to celebrate Mass and serve the island's small Catholic community.
As the priests travel from Rhodes, the church is not open every day. If you plan to attend Mass, it is worth checking the current schedule in advance.
ℹ️ Good to Know
⛪ It is the only Roman Catholic church on the island of Kos.
🇵🇱 During the summer season, parts of the liturgy are also celebrated in Polish.
📅 Mass times may change, so it's always a good idea to check the latest schedule before your visit.
This modest chapel is a reminder that Kos has long been a meeting place of different cultures, nations, and faiths. Today, that tradition continues—albeit in a much more peaceful setting.
🌿 More Than a Church – History Preserved in a Cemetery
Right beside the chapel lies a small Catholic cemetery. It was established in the 1930s, during the period of Italian rule over the Dodecanese. Most of those buried here are Italian soldiers and Catholic residents of the island.
A walk among the simple gravestones invites quiet reflection. It is a peaceful place that reminds visitors the history of Kos does not end with antiquity. Over the centuries, the island has witnessed many events that also left their mark on the twentieth century.
Among the graves, there is also a Polish connection. When we first visited this cemetery, we never expected to find one. Seeing a Polish surname so far from home moved us more deeply than we could have imagined. In that moment, we realized that the history of this small island has intertwined the lives of people from many different parts of Europe.
That is why it is worth taking a few extra minutes—not only to visit the church, but also to stroll quietly through the cemetery. It tells the stories of people whose lives, in one way or another, became connected with the island of Kos.