OR Kalymnos It is not a typical Aegean island. It is a place with a strong identity that uniquely combines authenticity with international recognition. The island of the Dodecanese, with about 18,000 inhabitants, now attracts visitors from all over the world, who are returning again and again, many even buying houses.

From its world -renowned and unique rocks for climbing, to gastronomy, sponge and maritime tourism, Kalymnos gives its own bet to take advantage of all its potential and evolve in terms of sustainable tourism development.

The Deputy Mayor of Tourism of the Municipality of Kalymnia, Popi Koutouzi, speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, points out that climbing is the big “asset” of the island, but is not the only one. “It’s not just climbing. Our island has excellent gastronomy, unique cultural characteristics and all the conditions for the development of marine tourism. Our vision is quality and not quantity. We want tourists who come all year and respect the place and the environment, ”he notes.

After several years of absence, Kalymnos is preparing to revive the climbing festival (from 16 to 19 October 2025), an international event that will include in addition to climbing activities and a series of cultural events, seminars, speeches, screenings and gastronomic experiences. “We want visitors to get to know and love the identity of Kalymnos: local dances, tradition, taste,” Ms. Koutouzi emphasizes.

Kalymnos is now a reference point for thousands of climbersmainly from Central Europe (Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany), but also from America and other countries. Most visit the island from March to June and again from September to November, avoiding the particularly hot months of July and August. The island’s season, as the Deputy Mayor explains, begins early in the spring and ends late in the fall, “offering a comparative advantage for the local economy.”

However, the issue of connectivity remains decisive. Kalymnos has an airport, but it only concerns domestic flights and small aircraft, without the ability to accept charter from abroad. Thus the tourist They come to the island, arrive with direct flights to Kos, which is a key intermediate station. From November to March, however, these connections stop, limiting the island’s accessibility to the season off season.

In the same vein, the president of the Catering and Related Professions, Ioannis Tyrakis, points out that Kalymnos is a value for money destination. “The services we offer are high level and prices are very good. This year, like last year, there was a decrease in average consumption, which is related to the general global economic environment. However, tourism went well this year – while our island is making systematic efforts in gastronomy and we can cover every visitor, ”he says.

Professionals of catering are decisive to highlight local cuisine. Among them is Kalymnos award -winning chef Michalis Martha. “The gastronomy of the island is special and honest. In almost every restaurant you will find this “mammoth” food. I use local raw materials and traditional recipes, I present them in a more modern way, but without deviating from their essence. I want to link innovation to tradition and put Kalymnos on the world gastronomic map, “he says.

Kalymnos has always had its own gastronomic identity, such as the crab that the sponges took with them on long trips, the traditional “leaves” (dolmades with meat) served every Sunday and chickpeas in the oven with onion and onion.

With its unique landscape – from Fjord to Vathi and the dozens of beaches, to the monastery of Agios Savva, the Grand Castle of Chora, the Castle of Chrysocheria and the Temple of Delion Apollo – and with strong references to history and tradition, Kalymnos has all the ingredients. The development of new marinas, the exploitation of baths that have been inactive for decades and the improvement of connectivity are key demands of the municipality.

Kalymnos is growing tourist at rhythms that respect sustainability. The question, as the Mayor of Kalymnion Ioannis Mastrokoukos and local agencies point out, is not the mass, but the quality: to continue the island to attract visitors who love their place, simplicity and authenticity, so as to give the local economy at the same time.