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Karpathos - Dramatically beautiful

Karpathos Island Greece (Apella Beach)

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Karpathos, the second largest island in Dodecanese, is spectacularly beautiful, with wild, rugged landscape, mountainous in the north and fertile in the south, with wildflowers is a paradise for naturalists. Karpathos has extensive beaches with white sands which are often empty.

Traditions have been well kept in Karpathos and especially in Olympos village (600 meters altitude) women still wear their beautiful colourful traditional costumes every day, bake bread in their outdoor ovens.

  • Getting There

    By sea: There are ferries from Piraeus and Rhodes. Ferries also connect Karpathos with Crete, Kassos, Milos.
    By air: There are frights from Athens, Kassos and Rhodes.

  • Getting Around

    There is bus service to Othos, Pyles, Aperi and Lefkos villages. Jeeps, cars and motor bikes are available for hire.
    Taxis are also available.

Beaches, Sightseeing & Things to do

Karpathos Map Beaches
Achata, quiet pebble beach
Ammopi, is a string of nice sandy beaches
Apella, beautiful scenery, fine sand with turquoise water
Finiki, sandy beach
Kyra Panagia, wonderful wide beach varying from white sand to large pebbles
Lefkos, three horseshoe bays with pure white sand
Vronti, uncrowded sandy beach fringed by trees

Things to do
Karpathos is a great place many activities such as surfing, diving, hiking, long walks, bicycle rides and many more. Karpathos mountainous tracks are ideal for hiking, and numerous suggested treks, southern plains and rough cliffs on the north of the part, can be followed by the visitors where they can uncover real hidden treasures.

Karpathos island is rich in local traditions and famous for its festivals. On 10th of August celebrates the Olympus Chrysovalantou Monastery. The Assumption is celebrated throughout the island and have fun in Aperi, Diafani in Menetes and Olympus and on 8 September celebrates the Virgin Mary in Mesochoritissa Mesochori.

Sightseeing
Ancient Acropolis (Arkasa): The ruins of the ancient town with cyclopean walls located on a rocky peninsula in the center of town.
Folklore Museum (Othos): Interesting exhibits of rich folk Karpathian culture, especially textiles and ceramics.
Archaeological Museum (Pigadia): Includes artifacts from the prehistoric period of the island and the post-Byzantine.

Touring Karpathos Island

Pigadia (or Karpathos)
Karpathos, Pigadia the island's port and capital, is beautifully sheltered in mountain ringed Vrontis Bay, with a long sickle of sandy beach which stretches out to the north. Karpathos town slopes up from the harbour in a mix of red tiled roofs and balconied apartments.
It offers every facility a visitor may need as well as hotels, rooms tavernas and bars. In Pigadia there is a small museum with early Christian baptismal font, ceramics and coins.

Aperi
Karpathos' old capital is the seat of the Karpathos and Kassos island Archbishop. Most of the houses belong to people lived in the States. There are remains of a Byzantine cemetery where the Cathedral now stands.

Arkassa
is prettily situated on the coast with beautiful views across Kassos island. On the headland are the remains of the ancient capital Arkessia where a Mycenaean acropolis with Cyclopean walls stands on a rocky headland known as Paleokastro. In the same area there are the ruins of Agia Sofia -an early Byzantine church- and Agia Anastasia church with traces of mosaic pavements.

Diafani
is Karpathos' second port with increasing popularity but life is still slow. There is plenty of rooms to stay and eat. There are boat trips to various near beaches, even to the inhabited in the summer only by shepherds islet of Saria. The main site -Palatia- of Saria is situated in the only bay on the east coast. The remains include some marble architectural fragments and pottery.

Finiki
is a small fishing harbour with sandy beach, few tavernas and a couple of rooms.

Lefkos
is said to be the jewel of the island. Lefkos has three horseshoe bays of white sand and a wealth of pine trees. Rooms, apartments, hotel and tavernas are available.

Menites
This beautiful village, (350 meters altitude) has some old hilltop houses and a small folklore museum. Ag. Mama and Panagia churches are worth a visit.

Olympos
Olympos, Karpathos (or Elimpos) is sited on the slopes of Profitis Ilias and is the island's beauty spot. It is one of the most striking villages in Greece, cut off the rest of the world until a road connecting the south and the north part of the island was finished in 1979. Olympos still seems caught in a time wrap, the inhabitants speak a dialect with traces of ancient Dorian Greek and Phrygian origins. Women wear their traditional costumes (fine handmade goatskin boots, intricately embroided jackets, scarves and pinafores, heavy collars of gold coins). They bake bread and Greek style biscuits (koulouria) in outdoor communal ovens from flour ground in the village's medieval windmills. Transport within the village is done by donkeys and even if people are now getting used to visitors, life still goes on, women carrying reluctant goats from the port up the hill, people carrying faggots on their hands. Olympos is still a very picturesque place, worth a visit village offering excellent views. There a few rooms, a couple of pensions to stay, and plenty places to eat. Try makarounes a local dish of home made pasta with onions and cheese.

Othos
is situated in 500 meters altitude and offers the best view towards the sea and the south eastern part of the island. In Othos there are traditional Karpathian houses and one of them has been preserved as a craft museum. Gallery Hapsis exhibits witty naive paintings of Karpathian life. Othos produces fine sweet red wine named as Othitiko. Neighbouring Pyles village has excellent views to the sea.

Vroukounda
is the ancient Phrygian city. Agios Ioannis chapel hosts a great festival between 27-29 of August, where everyone sleeps out, roasts meat over an open fire and dances. It is the largest event in Northern Karpathos.

Useful Info

Population: 6,000
Distance from Piraeus Port: 227 Nautical Miles
Hospital: 22450 22228
Police: 22450 22222
Port Authority: 22450 22227
Airport (AOK): 22450 91030
Olympic Airlines: 22450 22057, 22450 22150

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