Before we move to other smaller island gems, a quick detour. No island-hopping tour of the region would be complete without a visit to Kos. Another island with an airport and excellent ferry links, Kos offers great connections to its neighbours and is, of course, a wonderful destination in itself. Hippocrates clearly thought so – and he should know! The father of modern medicine is synonymous with Kos, having established his Asclepeion here (a collection of infirmaries, temples and hot springs – the ancient world’s answer to a holistic healing spa). And so, too, is Kos every bit a contender in the healthy competition of the Dodecanese islands in the culture stakes (ancient or medieval, take your pick). There’s even an Italian thing going on in some of the main town’s architecture. Quite a feast for the eyes.