Tavernas in Zia

Zia is a small mountain village of stone houses and steep, narrow lanes. The walk up from the car park runs past shops selling herbs, thyme honey, oil and soap before the first taverna terraces appear.

It is the most visited village on the island, which is worth knowing before you go. This is not somewhere you will have to yourself in August, but the view down over the Aegean earns the company.

Zia sits high on the slopes of Mount Dikeos, the highest ground on Kos, facing west across the Aegean toward the neighbouring islands. On a clear evening the view runs for miles, and every taverna in the village has been built to take advantage of it.

Arrive at least an hour before sunset. Coaches bring day-trippers up the mountain road in the late afternoon, the main street fills with them, and the west-facing tables go first. Booking ahead in July and August is close to essential if you want a terrace seat rather than an inside table.

The cooking is mountain rather than coastal. Expect slow-roasted goat and lamb, handmade pies, wild greens gathered from the hillsides, local cheese and honey — heavier, warmer food than you find on the beach, which suits the altitude. It is noticeably cooler up here than at sea level, so bring a layer for after dark.