Roman Odeon of Kos

Yesterday, I visited the Roman Odeon in Kos, an ancient auditorium dating back to the 2nd century AD that once served as the hub of public life with musical competitions, senate meetings, and civic celebrations. Some original marble seating remains, and the site has been thoughtfully restored since its discovery in 1929. Today, the Odeon is still part of Kos’s vibrant heritage—often hosting cultural events and exhibitions—and you can even explore the fascinating underground walkways where several remarkable statues were found during excavations. Plenty of information boards inside too.

An impressive site of historical importance. You can climb the steps and have a good view over the entire site. There are tunnels to explore underneath too. Good information written in Greek and English. And best of all it was free!

I usually give ancient sites 5 stars, and while it is interesting, it's been over restored and looks like a modern seating area you'd find in a park. Apart from a few areas they left alone, and they're behind iron gates and inside you see modern office chairs which ruins the small amount of the truly ancient part of the site. It's easy to walk to if you're in Kos, and it's free which is really all that's good about it.

A well preserved theatre however being an Odeon it's much smaller than oter ancient theatres. Don't let that stop you exploring this place, the information panels in the restored vaulted passageways do an excellent job of telling the complete story of this structure - I especially liked the reconstruction drawing showing it in its glory.

The Odeum of Kos is definitely worth a visit, especially since it’s free. The site itself is impressive, but what makes it even more interesting are the tunnels underneath. They give you a great insight into how the structure looked and functioned before it started to crumble over time. A short stop, but a fascinating glimpse into the island’s past.

This is about a 5 minute walk from the bus station in Kos Town. Quite quiet when I visited which was good. You can view under the steps too. They probably could have done a much better restoration job as the majority of steps / tiers look like concrete.

Beautiful place, cool you can go inside as well, right near the city centre but feels very different.

Well preserved amphitheatre, gives you a good idea of what it was like in the Roman days. Free of charge. Right in the centre of town.