Today’s post features Tilos, one of the loveliest islands in the Dodecanese. Highlights include beautiful mosaic floors, the bones of an extinct dwarf elephant, and a hidden monastery.

With the sea beautifully calm, we kayaked and swam in the bay outside the port town of Livadhia. The kayaking was glorious. I wish I had photos from our kayaking: there was luminescent sea grass gleaming like silver coins in the shallow water. So pretty!

After a healthy breakfast on the gulet, we traveled inland, where we enjoyed rooftop coffee with a view of the mountains, the ruins of a medieval castle, and a beautiful Orthodox church.

I love the floral and geometric detail work on these mosaic floors. This black and white pebble style is called choklakia, and it’s characteristic of the region.

The narrow road to the Monastery of Áyios Pandeleímon was steep, unprotected, and rather scary. But the view of the Aegean was spectacular.

Here’s the gorge below the monastery. It’s difficult to see the monastery from the road, almost impossible to spot it from the sea. As a result, it stayed secret for many years, safe from pirates and raids.

The dome inside the Monastery of Áyios Pandeleímon.

An exterior shot of the monastery’s quiet courtyard.

In the 1970’s, excavations in Kharkhadió Cave on the island of Tilos uncovered the bones of dwarf elephants. This particular species apparently became extinct less than 4,000 years ago. Yes, I am taller than an elephant!

One last photo from Tilos: a European Shag in the glittering harbor.