The tiny island where ‘Europe ends and Asia begins' – with turtle spotting from bars
ISLE GO The tiny island where 'Europe ends and Asia begins' – with turtle spotting from bars
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OFF THE coast of Turkey is one of the most remote Greek islands with colourful bars, turtles and magical caves.
The island of Kastellorizo is scattered with brightly coloured buildings, bars, bright blue waters and you can even spot turtles swimming along the coastline.
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Kastellorizo is a Greek island that's just one mile off the coast of Turkey
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It's a great place to spot turtles who swim by waterfront bars
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Kastellorizo is often referred to as the the place on the Turkish coast "where Europe ends and Asia begins" - including by Condé Nast Traveler.
The reason why the Dodecanese island is called this is because of its location very near to the Turkish mainland.
In fact, it's just one mile off the country's coast.
While the island has been part of Greece since 1948, it's proximity to Turkey means it gets a mix of cultures.
The island is very small, you can even walk to each side in just 30 minutes - but there's still lots to see and do.
On the waterfront is lots of restaurants and bars in colourful pink, yellow and blue tavernas.
To eat, there's plenty of dishes with fresh seafood and Mediterranean flavours.
When it comes to drinks, there's plenty on offer including local beer like Mythos, Fix and Alfa.
While tourists take in views across the blue seas, they might spot a turtle too.
Karpathos: Greece's Underrated Island Paradise
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The harbour has colourful bars and restaurants along the front
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You can even venture to the glow in the dark cave
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The loggerhead sea turtles, also called Caretta caretta, are frequent visitors to the harbour.
These turtles are often seen swimming near the waterfront hoping to get something to eat as they're often fed by locals and tourists.
One of the top-rated restaurants on the island is Alexandra's Restaurant which has 557 reviews and a rating of 4.5 on Tripadvisor.
One visitor wrote: "What's not to love? Great food, great wine, great setting and turtles feeding next to the tables."
Another added: "Definitely the best restaurant in Kastellorizo! The food is delicious the service is polite and fast and the ambience is so romantic - you can also watch the sea turtles. If you order fish you can feed them some too!"
For incredible views, visitors can head to the highest point of the island which is found at the 14th century castle ruins.
Another popular attraction is the Blue Cave, where you can go on boat tours to visit the fluorescent waters.
With a guide, you can take a boat out to the Blue Cave, which glows in the dark as the sunlight bounces off the white sandy seabed.
A boat trip to the Blue Cave on Kastellorizo typically costs around €15 (£13.50) per person.
Many visitors have described it as being a "magical experience."
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You're likely to spot turtles if you snorkel in the sea
Credit: Alamy
There are no sandy beaches per se on the island as it's surrounded by rocky coastline.
But, it's still a great place to go swimming, snorkelling or exploring on a boat.
You can't fly directly to Kastellorizo, so for any visitors, the way to get there is to fly to either Athens or Rhodes and take a ferry.
There is an option to fly from Rhodes to Kastellorizo which takes 40 minutes.
Another option is to fly into Antalya in Turkey, drive to Kaş, and then take a short ferry to the island.
It's possible to do Kastellorizo as a day trip, or stay there for longer in a hotel on the island, of which there are around 20.
For another incredible Greek island, this one was named the world's best - and read more from someone who went on holiday to find beach clubs beachside restaurants.
Here's another Greek island with 70 beaches that experts warn you should see before it gets too popular.
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