Best Beaches in Telendos: Quiet Coves, Clear Water & Sunset Swimming

Telendos is not an island of enormous sandy beaches and rows of beach clubs.

Its appeal is almost the opposite.

This tiny, car-free island opposite Kalymnos has small beaches and coves that you reach on foot from the waterfront settlement. Some have sand, others pebbles and stones, and facilities are generally limited.

What they share is clear Aegean water and the wonderfully simple experience of walking from your accommodation to the sea without needing a car, bus or taxi.

For such a small island, Telendos offers several distinctly different places to swim.

Here are the best beaches in Telendos.

1. Potha Beach

Best for: easy swimming close to the village

Potha is probably the most practical beach for first-time visitors to Telendos.

It’s a short walk from the harbour and settlement, so you can easily combine a swim with lunch at one of the island’s tavernas.

The shore is a mixture of small pebbles and stones, with generally sheltered water on the side of Telendos facing Kalymnos.

There can be some seasonal beach facilities, but don’t expect the extensive organisation found at larger Greek resorts.

Potha is particularly useful if you’re visiting Telendos for the day.

Arrive from Myrties, explore the village, walk to Potha for a swim and return to the waterfront for lunch.

If you only have time for one straightforward swim on Telendos, this is probably the easiest choice.

2. Paradise Beach

Best for: naturist-friendly swimming

Continue walking beyond Potha and you’ll eventually reach Paradise Beach.

Paradise is a small, relatively secluded beach traditionally associated with naturist swimming.

The beach combines pebbles and stones and has clear water, but facilities are very limited.

Bring drinking water and anything else you need rather than assuming you’ll find a beach bar or shop when you arrive.

Its position beyond Potha means fewer casual visitors continue this far, although the beach itself is small and can feel busy when several groups arrive at once.

Naturist use can vary, so simply be respectful of whoever is using the beach when you visit.

And, obviously, don’t photograph other beachgoers without permission.

3. Hohlakas Beach

Best for: scenery and sunset

Hohlakas — sometimes written as Chochlakas — is completely different from Potha and Paradise.

It lies on the western side of Telendos, facing away from Kalymnos and towards the open Aegean.

The shore is primarily pebbles, stones and rock, surrounded by Telendos’s rugged landscape.

This is not necessarily the beach I’d choose if your priority is lying comfortably on soft sand all afternoon.

I’d choose it for the setting.

The western position makes Hohlakas particularly attractive later in the day, when you can combine swimming with views towards the sunset.

There’s also good potential for snorkelling when the sea is calm.

The trade-off is exposure.

Hohlakas can experience more wind and swell than beaches on the sheltered Kalymnos-facing side of the island. If conditions look rough, save your swim for somewhere else.

Wear suitable footwear because both the beach and walking approach can be stony.

4. Telendos Village Beach

Best for: a quick swim

You don’t necessarily have to walk very far at all.

There are places to swim close to the waterfront settlement, including a small beach near the village.

This is ideal when you want a quick dip rather than a dedicated beach excursion.

It’s particularly convenient on your arrival or departure day.

Leave your accommodation, have a swim, dry off over lunch and walk back to the harbour for the boat to Kalymnos.

The beach isn’t the reason you’d travel all the way to Telendos, but its convenience is difficult to beat.

5. Plaka Beach

Best for: swimming close to the harbour

Plaka is another small swimming area close to the Telendos settlement.

It’s useful for travellers who don’t want to walk far and for anyone trying to fit a swim into a short day trip.

Like the other small beaches around the village, its appeal comes from convenience rather than spectacular scale.

You can swim, walk back to the waterfront and be sitting at a taverna a short time later.

On an island without vehicles, that’s exactly how beach days should work.

6. Pnigmenos

Best for: seclusion

Pnigmenos is one of Telendos’s much quieter swimming spots.

It’s a small sandy beach beneath a gorge on the less developed side of the island and offers a completely different experience from swimming near the village.

The attraction here is isolation.

There are no dependable facilities, so this is somewhere to visit prepared with water, sun protection and suitable footwear.

It’s better suited to confident walkers looking for somewhere secluded than families wanting an easy organised beach.

For visitors spending several days on Telendos, however, exploring these less accessible swimming spots is part of the fun.

Which Is the Best Beach in Telendos?

It depends on what you want.

Potha is the best all-round choice for easy swimming.

Paradise is the obvious choice if you’re comfortable with a naturist-friendly beach.

Hohlakas is my pick for dramatic surroundings and sunset.

Plaka and the village beaches are best for convenience.

Pnigmenos is worth considering if you’re looking for somewhere more secluded.

Telendos is small enough that you don’t necessarily need to choose.

If you’re staying for several days, try them all.

Which Telendos Beach Is Best for Families?

I’d start with Potha.

It’s relatively close to the village and nearby tavernas, so you’re not committing to a long walk carrying everything needed for the day.

The more isolated beaches make greater sense for adults comfortable walking over uneven terrain.

As everywhere in Greece, conditions can change from one day to another and there may be no lifeguard, so assess the sea when you arrive rather than assuming a beach will always be calm.

Which Beach Is Best for Sunset?

Hohlakas.

Its western position facing the open Aegean gives it the obvious advantage.

You can spend the late afternoon swimming and remain for the changing light as the sun begins to drop.

If you’re staying until sunset, remember that you’ll need to walk back afterwards.

Don’t leave yourself negotiating an unfamiliar rocky path in complete darkness. Taking a small torch is sensible.

Which Beach Is Best for Snorkelling?

Hohlakas can be particularly interesting when conditions are calm because of its rocky surroundings and clear water.

The rocky sections around Telendos’s other beaches can also be worth exploring.

Bring your own mask and snorkel.

This isn’t the sort of island where you should assume equipment rental will be available whenever you want it.

Does Telendos Have Sandy Beaches?

Yes, but don’t expect the broad expanses of sand found on some other Greek islands.

Telendos’s beaches tend to be small and a mixture of sand, pebbles, stones and rock.

That’s part of the island’s character.

If your ideal Greek holiday requires a huge organised sandy beach with hundreds of sunbeds, Telendos probably isn’t your destination.

If you prefer walking to a small cove and jumping into clear water, it works beautifully.

Are There Sunbeds on Telendos?

Some seasonal facilities can be available around the more accessible beaches, particularly Potha.

But don’t plan your day around finding an umbrella and sunbed.

Several Telendos beaches are essentially natural swimming spots with few or no facilities.

Bring water, sunscreen and a hat, particularly if you’re walking away from the settlement.

Natural shade can also be limited.

Do You Need Water Shoes?

They’re a good idea.

Many of Telendos’s beaches have pebbles, stones or rocky sections, and water shoes can make getting in and out of the sea considerably more comfortable.

They’re particularly useful at Hohlakas.

A pair of proper walking shoes or sturdy sandals is also useful for reaching some of the more isolated beaches.

Can You Walk to the Beaches?

That’s how you’ll reach most of them.

Telendos has no road network and no cars, so the island is explored on foot.

Fortunately, it’s tiny.

Potha, Paradise and the beaches around the settlement are straightforward to incorporate into a day on the island.

Hohlakas and the more secluded swimming spots require a little more effort.

The walking is part of the experience rather than an inconvenience.

Can You Visit the Beaches on a Day Trip From Kalymnos?

Yes.

Telendos is only a short boat journey across the channel from Myrties on Kalymnos, making it an excellent beach day trip.

For a simple first visit, I’d suggest:

Arrive in Telendos during the morning.

Walk through the waterfront settlement.

Continue to Potha Beach for your first swim.

If you want somewhere quieter, continue towards Paradise Beach.

Return to the village for lunch.

Spend the afternoon exploring the island or walk across to Hohlakas if conditions are suitable.

Then return to the harbour for the boat back to Kalymnos.

Check the current boat service locally, particularly if you’re planning to remain until late afternoon.

Is It Worth Staying Overnight for the Beaches?

Yes, particularly if you like quiet islands.

Staying overnight means you don’t have to fit your swimming around the return boat.

You can visit Potha in the morning, have lunch, relax during the hottest part of the afternoon and then walk to Hohlakas later when the light is better.

It also allows you to explore some of Telendos’s quieter swimming spots without rushing.

Two or three nights is enough to experience the island at a wonderfully slow pace.

Telendos Beaches or Kalymnos Beaches?

They offer different experiences.

Kalymnos has a much larger coastline, more beaches and considerably more infrastructure.

Telendos has small, walkable beaches without traffic.

If beach variety is your main priority, Kalymnos wins easily.

If you like the idea of leaving your hotel in the morning and walking along a path to a tiny beach without seeing a car, Telendos offers something Kalymnos can’t quite replicate.

The ideal trip combines both islands.

Final Thoughts

The beaches of Telendos aren’t about size or luxury.

They’re about simplicity.

For the easiest swim, walk to Potha.

Continue to Paradise for a smaller, naturist-friendly beach.

Cross to the western side for the rugged scenery and sunset at Hohlakas.

Stay close to the village when you just want a quick dip.

And if you’re spending several days here, put on your walking shoes and explore some of the island’s more secluded swimming spots.

Telendos proves that you don’t need dozens of famous beaches to have a great Greek island beach holiday.

Sometimes a footpath, clear water and nowhere you need to drive afterwards are more than enough.