A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is a day on a wooden sailing-style ship that stops at small islands for a swim and serves grilled food on deck. For more sea days and island hops, see the list of tours in Greece.
The page covers what the trip is, how long it lasts, the harbour where it starts, the island of Kos, Pserimos, Kalymnos, the lunch, the pirate theme, piracy in the Aegean, the swim stops, the weather and the questions travellers ask.
What is a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is a full-day cruise on a wooden, pirate-themed ship around nearby islands. Operators describe swimming stops, time on the islands and a lunch served on board.
One listing describes the ship as a replica galleon. It has a wide wooden deck for sunbathing and for looking out over the Aegean Sea. Another operator lists a wooden pirate-style boat with three decks and room for up to 250 passengers.
One operator describes the day as a mix of relaxation, discovery and fun in a pirate-themed setting. One listing calls the cruise themed and high-energy. It sets the cruise against catamaran sailing, which it recommends for quiet luxury and coastal swimming.
On a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, the ship visits three islands. One listing mentions swimming, lunch on board and time to explore a village. Another operator says passengers step off easily because the boat anchors near the shore. Operators differ on the route and the departure harbour.
Operators word the lunch differently. One operator calls it a barbecue lunch served on board. One listing names a three-island boat trip with a BBQ lunch. Another operator lists a Greek lunch for its pirate cruise.
Wikipedia places Kos in the Dodecanese. The group counts 150 smaller islands next to 15 larger ones. The southeastern Aegean Sea holds the chain, and 26 of its islands are inhabited. Operators say the Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ suits families. One listing cites the themed entertainment on deck, and another operator says it suits all family members.
How long is a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
One listing gives 7 hours 30 minutes for two three-island pirate cruises that leave Kos Harbour. A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ takes a full day, and other operators list their own times.
The same listing names five steps. Boarding comes first, with check-in at Kos Harbour. The ship then leaves the marina for open waters. Next it anchors at a secluded bay for a swim stop and snorkeling. Lunch follows: a traditional Greek meal served on deck. The last step is sailing back to the main port.
Boarding for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ has an arrival window. The listing opens that window at 9 in the morning and closes it at half past 9. It advises arriving within it to secure preferred deck seating. Another operator says arriving early lets passengers pick better spots, in the shade or at the front.
That operator lists a 10 in the morning departure and a 5 in the afternoon return to Kos Harbour. It puts lunch after the first island stop, with two more stops to follow. It lists leisure time of 45 to 90 minutes at each island.
A third operator says each of its vessels has its own boarding, departure and return times. These appear on every trip page and on the ticket. It adds that no vessel waits beyond its set departure. It lists about an hour of leisure time at a swimming stop on its pirate cruise.
The first listing gives 8 hours for a Nisyros day trip, a separate route. Because the operators set their own times, the length of a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ differs by boat.
Where does a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ start?
A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ starts at a harbour on the island of Kos. One listing places the start at the main pier of Kos Harbour in Kos town. Another operator sails out of the port of Kardamena on the south coast.
The listing that names the main pier tells guests to look for the wooden vessel with pirate flags. It calls the harbour central and says the city centre is 10 minutes away. That is the only distance it gives for the start.
Another operator also names the Kos harbour for its Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. That operator lists a hotel transfer for guests staying in Marmari, Tigaki and Lambi. Wikipedia treats Kos town as the chief town and port of the island, and as its municipal seat.
Operators in Kardamena start in a different place. One operator places the meeting point at its ship in Kardamena port, which cars can reach. A second operator also gives Kardamena port as its departure point. Both list a route to other islands, so each is a separate Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ.
According to Wikipedia, Kardamena sits midway along the southern shore of Kos and is a small town. The airport at Antimacheia lies 7 km away. The place began as a fishing village and has drawn summer visitors since the nineteen sixties. Its census population is 2,132, and between June and September that number triples.
Kos town and Kardamena are both ports on one island. So a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ can start in either place. Every listing gives its own harbour, and the two routes never merge.
What is Kos, the island of the pirate boat trip?
Kos belongs to Greece and sits in the south-eastern Aegean Sea, where it is one island of the Dodecanese. Only Rhodes and Karpathos are bigger in that group, Wikipedia says. Every Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ in these sources starts on the island’s shores.
The island is 42.1 kilometres by 11.5 kilometres, per Wikipedia, and 112 kilometres of coast surround it. Its census population is 37,089, the second highest in the Dodecanese after Rhodes. The island lies south of Kalymnos and Pserimos.
The chief town and port shares its name with the island. The main villages are Marmari, Mastihari, Pyli, Tigaki, Antimachia, Kefalos and Kardamena. Kos town and Kefalos, the westernmost town, are 43 km apart, one at each end of the island. The harbour named for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ sets where the day begins.
According to Wikipedia, tourism leads the economy of Kos, and the beaches are the main draw. Farming comes second. Farmers grow olives, grapes, figs, almonds, tomatoes and watermelons, plus wheat and corn. The island gave its name to romaine lettuce, also known as Cos lettuce.
Hippocrates, the physician of ancient Greece, is believed to have been born on Kos. Ruins of the Asklepieion stand on the island, and Wikipedia says Herodicus taught Hippocrates medicine there. The Knights Hospitaller built a fourteenth-century fortress at the harbour entrance.
Wikipedia traces the name Kos back to the Iliad, where it first appears. The island has kept the name ever since. A person from Kos is called a Koan. A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ therefore sails out of an island whose name appears in the Iliad.
Which islands does a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ visit?
A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ visits three islands of the Dodecanese: Kalymnos, Pserimos and Plati. Three listings name the same trio. Each island is a stop for swimming or time ashore, and the ship sails back to Kos.
Listings do not agree on one order of stops for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. One listing names the islands as Kalymnos, Plati and Pserimos, while another names Pserimos, Kalymnos and Plati. One operator spells out the day: Kalymnos first, lunch on board, then Pserimos, with Plati as the last stop.
Each stop has its own job. One operator lists Pserimos as a place to swim, with an hour or so on the island. It calls Kalymnos a sightseeing stop in the harbour of the sponge divers. It calls Plati a swimming stop where swimmers dive straight from the boat.
Time on the islands is limited on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. One operator allows between 45 and 90 minutes at each of the three islands. It says the ship anchors close to the shore, so passengers can step off with ease. One listing adds time to explore a village.
Not every pirate cruise from Kos sails this route. One operator that departs from Kardamena lists St Antonios, Nisyros and Yali, and a second page repeats those stops. One page calls St Antonios uninhabited. The islands therefore depend on the operator that runs the cruise.
The three islands all belong to the Dodecanese. The Dodecanese article names Turkey as the eastern neighbour of the group. The Aegean article lists Bodrum among the notable cities on the Turkish coast. So a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ sails among Greek islands near the Turkish coast.
What is Pserimos, the small island on the pirate boat route?
Pserimos lies between Kalymnos and Kos, a small inhabited island in the Dodecanese. Wikipedia gives it 84 inhabitants. The operators put it on the route of a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ.
Wikipedia places Pserimos near the coast of Turkey. Local government sits with Kalymnos, and Kos lies to the south of Pserimos. The Kalymnos article gives its area as 11 square kilometres. It ranks Pserimos among the larger of the minor Dodecanese islands, and it puts Plati close by. The same article gives 12 km between Kalymnos and Kos.
On a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, Pserimos is the stop for a swim and the beach. One operator names it as the small island where passengers relax on the sandy beach. It says they can take a dip in clear water or simply rest on the sand.
Tourism is the main industry. Wikipedia says Greek and other European visitors come for the remote location and the beaches. It notes a number of taverns on the island, and accommodation comes with part of them.
A ferry runs to Pserimos every day, leaving Pothia on Kalymnos, as Wikipedia states. Cruise boats of the area list the island as a destination. A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is one such cruise, because the operators list a stop at the island.
A second cruise of that operator swims at Vathi on Kalymnos, at Pserimos and at the Blue Lagoon behind Pserimos. Boats alone can reach that lagoon. Each stop gives about an hour in the water. Wikipedia adds that the sponge harvesters of Kalymnos worked the sea floor as near as Pserimos.
What is Kalymnos, the sponge-diving island next to Kos?
Kalymnos belongs to the Dodecanese island group and lies 12 km north of Kos. Wikipedia gives it the nickname “Sponge-divers’ island”. One operator lists it as the first island on its Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ.
Kalymnos sits between Kos to the south and Leros to the north. Leros is less than 2 km away, and islets join it to Kalymnos. Wikipedia measures the island at 21 km in length and 13 km at its widest point. Mountain chains cross it, its soil is limestone-based, and sheltered coves line the coast.
Wikipedia gives Kalymnos a population of 17,752, the third largest in the Dodecanese after Kos and Rhodes. The municipality also covers the small islands of Telendos, Kalolimnos, Pserimos and Plati. One operator calls Plati a swimming stop on its Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. Guests can dive straight off the boat there.
Sponge diving shaped the island. Wikipedia says sponges brought wealth to Kalymnos and were the chief income of its people. Divers gathered sponges on the sea-bed near Pserimos and also off North Africa. Early diving used no equipment, only a harpoon. Sponges are still fished by hand.
In the mid-nineteen-eighties a disease spread across the eastern Mediterranean and killed a large number of sponges. Wikipedia says the island still faces a lack of sponges. Sponge Week, held a week after Easter, honours the sponges, the “Kalymnian gold”. The island is also a rock climbing location, with more than 4,600 routes in its limestone.
The capital of Kalymnos is Pothia, which is also the main port, on the edge of a bay. One operator says locals harvest natural sponges and sell them in the markets. On one operator’s Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, guests get 45 minutes to 1.5 hours on each island.
What is served for lunch on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
Operators and listings agree that lunch on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is included and served on board. Drinks are sold at the bar, and menus list vegetarian choices next to chicken, pork or fish.
One listing describes a Greek meal served on the deck and calls the lunch buffet style. A second operator lists chicken souvlaki or a vegetarian dish for its Greek lunch. Listings call the meal on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ a Greek lunch or a BBQ lunch.
A third operator lists chicken, pork, fish, vegan or vegetarian dishes, with pita, tzatziki, salad, beans and dolmadaki. It places the barbecue lunch on board after the time on Kalymnos.
The BBQ in the name of a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is a cooking method. Wikipedia says barbecue means cooking with live fire and smoke. The original Arawak word barabicu named a wooden frame, among whose uses was holding meat over a flame. Grilling uses direct, dry heat and is a fast way to cook meat or vegetables.
Drinks are a separate matter. One listing says the on-board bar sells water and soft drinks. A second operator says drinks are not included and bringing your own on board is not allowed. A third operator lists a fully stocked bar and suggests carrying money for drinks or ice creams.
Dietary needs show up in the lists too. One operator offers vegan and vegetarian dishes, and a second offers a vegetarian choice next to chicken souvlaki. A separate Nisyros trip lists a Greek salad and bread alongside pork souvlaki, and a vegetarian meal on request. So the menu on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ changes with the operator.
What is the pirate theme on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
The pirate theme on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is a wooden ship styled as a pirate vessel. Listings mention pirate flags, a crew in pirate dress and games on deck. One listing calls the ship a replica galleon.
The ship is the star of a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. One listing describes an expansive wooden deck with a historical look next to modern boats. It shows picture sections for the rigging and the captain’s cabin. Another listing says a wooden ship with three decks carries up to 250 passengers.
The three-deck listing says the crew dress as pirates. It adds that a waterslide on the second deck ends in the sea. It says children enjoy the entertainment crew and the pirate adventure, while adults join in or relax. The first listing names interactive deck games.
A pirate flag has a name: the Jolly Roger. Wikipedia says it was the ensign a pirate ship flew before or during an attack. The flag people picture today is a skull and crossbones on black. Captains such as Samuel Bellamy, Edward England and John Taylor used it in the early eighteenth century.
Wikipedia says pirates did not fly the Jolly Roger at all times. The flag told a target ship who was coming, so its crew had a chance to surrender without a fight. On a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, the flags have a gentler job. One listing tells guests to spot the wooden ship by its pirate flags.
Wikipedia describes a sailing ship as a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the wind. It says carracks with one cannon deck grew into galleons with up to two full cannon decks. Another operator, on a separate trip to Nisyros, describes an antique style pirate ship.
How did pirates shape the Aegean Sea?
The earliest documented pirates raided Aegean ships in the fourteenth century BC, Wikipedia says. Later raids led to sea campaigns and new castle towers on Kos. A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ sails among the Dodecanese islands where that history unfolded.
The raiders came long before a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. Wikipedia dates the earliest documented piracy to the Sea Peoples, who attacked the ships of Aegean and Mediterranean civilizations. It says the ancient Greeks of the early period accepted piracy as a viable profession. By Classical Greece, it counted as a disgrace.
In 75 BC, Cilician pirates seized Julius Caesar on a voyage across the Aegean Sea. Wikipedia says they held him on Pharmacusa, an islet of the Dodecanese. That island group is where a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ sails. Pompey, given powers in 67 BC, suppressed the threat after three months of naval war.
Wikipedia says Arab pirates of the Emirate of Crete raided the whole Mediterranean from the ninth into the tenth century. It adds that Kos faced Turkish corsair raids from the fourteenth century on. Two towers went up on the island’s castle during raids in the late fourteenth century.
The Knights Hospitaller held Rhodes from the early fourteenth to the early sixteenth century. Wikipedia says that in the fifteenth century the knights fought frequently with Barbary pirates, also called Ottoman corsairs. The piracy article calls the knights the Christian counterpart of the Barbary pirates, as both sides used galleys.
Wikipedia ties the Golden Age of Piracy to the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It says the modern picture of pirates comes largely, though not always accurately, from that age. A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ plays with that picture, not with the Aegean raids.
What happens at a swim stop on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
At a swim stop on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, the ship anchors in a bay. Guests swim from the vessel. One listing calls the stop a secluded bay for snorkelling. Another page says the boat drops anchor near the coast.
A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ gives each island a different job, as one operator describes it. Pserimos is the swim stop with roughly an hour of time on shore. Kalymnos is the sightseeing stop, and it takes place in the sponge divers’ harbour. At Plati, swimmers dive straight off the boat.
Another operator lists a stay of 45 to 90 minutes on each of the three islands. The two operators differ, so the water time differs between the two. The second operator also lists a waterslide on the second deck. It drops riders into the clear water of the Icarian Sea.
Wikipedia explains snorkelling as a low-effort way to watch sea life from the surface. The swimmer wears a mask or goggles and fins, and breathes through a short tube. One page tells guests of a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ to bring snorkelling equipment and a towel.
That page lists changing rooms and fresh-water showers on board, plus a chance to see dolphins. It advises a waterproof case for a phone. It names colourful fish and sea turtles among the sights at Plati. Wikipedia says the loggerhead sea turtle lives in the Mediterranean Sea, and adults use the sea in spring and summer.
The sea at a swim stop on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is the Aegean. Wikipedia gives its upper water layer a summer temperature of 19 to 24 degrees Celsius. The same site lists the Greek islands among the places known for varied sea caves. Waves carve such caves into weak zones of rock.
What is the weather like for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
The weather for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ is hot-summer Mediterranean. Sunshine and dry air are common on summer days, and the meltemi, a strong northerly, blows across the sea. One listing says the vessel runs according to the weather, so schedules can change.
On Wikipedia, the climate of Kos is listed as Mediterranean with hot summers. Its Aegean Sea article pairs hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters. The large body of water keeps summer highs below those of arid regions. On the coast, the sea stays cooler than the land, and a sea breeze softens the heat.
A Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ sails in the meltemi season. Wikipedia describes the Etesians, also called meltemi, as dry northerly winds of the Aegean, and strong ones. One article puts their season from late spring until mid-September. Another runs the season to October, and July and August record the wind at its highest frequency.
Afternoon is when the wind peaks, and it can keep going for days. It appears in clear skies with no warning, and Wikipedia rates it at Beaufort force 7 or 8. Wikipedia says these winds hold Aegean temperatures below the levels recorded around the Ionian Sea or across mainland Greece.
Schedules for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ follow the weather, one listing says. It states that the vessel operates based on weather conditions and asks guests to check their email for changes. Another page lists the trip as available daily, from late spring through November.
On deck, sun protection matters. One listing recommends high-factor sunscreen because the deck offers limited shaded areas, and it names the midday period. Another page says the lower decks give shade. Listings for a different pirate boat, from Kardamena, tell guests to bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
What else do travellers ask about a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
What do passengers wear and pack for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
One listing advises casual summer clothes for a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ. It lists swimwear under the clothes and comfortable non-slip sandals or deck shoes. It allows only small personal bags on board, and the crew can run security checks before departure.
The same listing recommends a reusable bottle for the long day. It tells guests who are sensitive to movement to take preventative measures before departure. Another operator needs identification sent in advance, either a passport photo or a driving licence photo. The local port authority requires it.
Are children welcome, and are life jackets provided?
Yes, a listing and an operator both call a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ a family outing. The listing says the crew provides life jackets for children. The operator with the three-deck ship lists toilets on board and says all safety measures are taken.
A separate Kardamena operator says its pirate ship takes toddlers and allows foldable strollers on board. That page describes a Nisyros route, so it is a different trip.
Is the ship accessible for guests with limited mobility?
One listing rates access on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ as limited because of the deck layout. It describes narrow walkways and stairs that can be difficult for guests with limited mobility. It asks guests to tell the operator about any requirements before they reserve.
That listing does not allow animals on the boat, for safety and hygiene reasons. Assistance dogs need clearance from the operator before boarding. The same Kardamena operator adds that its pirate ship is accessible to guests in a manual wheelchair.
Is a drone allowed on a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ?
For a Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ, one listing says a drone needs advance permission from the captain. The same listing says photography is permitted throughout the cruise, and mobile phones are allowed for photos too.
That listing warns that the phone signal can be weak when the ship sails in deeper waters. Another operator says a camera or a mobile phone is a good idea to bring along.
What is the Nisyros pirate boat that sails from Kardamena?
It is a separate day trip, not the Kos pirate boat trip with BBQ that leaves Kos Harbour. One operator lists a departure from Kardamena at 10 in the morning. Guests are back at half past 5 in the afternoon. It asks guests to arrive twenty minutes before sailing.
The same page lists a stop at Mandraki, the capital and port of Nisyros. It adds an optional climb of 200 steps up to the monastery of Panagia Spiliani. It calls Yali a small volcanic island with a population of 21. One operator places the barbecue on Nisyros, while another has the crew prepare it on board.