Book a Flight to Karpathos from €9

Touring the villages: The greatest attraction of Karpathos is its picturesque villages. Starting from Pigadia, the capital and main port of the island, you will see the ruins of the acropolis on the south end. If you move to the south you will meet Menetes, the medieval “cubist” village with the rich musical tradition, where the church of Theotokos Assumption dominates. To the west, Arkasa, one of the most popular tourist centres of Karpathos, stands impressive with the peninsula, and the Agia Sofia early Christian basilica, with the magnificent mosaics. From Pigadia, moving north, you will meet Aperi, a verdant mountain village with renovated mansions, which used to be the island capital in the past. Then you will reach picturesque Volada, with the whitewashed houses and the blooming yards and Othos, the most mountainous village of the island at an altitude of 510m. Continuing your tour to the beach and until you meet beautiful Mesochori, the “balcony” of Karpathos, you will run along one of the most fascinating seaside routes of the island. In picturesque Spoa, you will be able to see both sides of the island (or as locals say, see the two best moments of the sea, the dawn and sunset) as Karpathos becomes very narrow at this point. Your tour will end at famous Olympos, the indisputable “lady” of the island!

Olympos: Built in the 7th-9th century, cut off by the other villages of Karpathos and with its own dialect with strong Doric elements, its own traditional costume which women still wear everyday, with traditions and customs kept alive and mainly with a strong will to remain untouched by time, Olympos is a unique village in Greece and one of the most impressive in the Aegean. Alleys painted white, geometric houses and a ...dramatic view to the sea, proud Olympos, was originally almost invisible, camouflaged by the natural stone used to build its houses. It is 65 km from Pigadia and till recently, hard to access, due to the bad road network. Today, you can access it also by its seaside town, Diafani, where the liner ship gets.

Saria: A small island of unique beauty on the north side of the island, separated by the rest of Karpathos by a very narrow sea passage, though it used to be joined to Karpathos. For most of the 19th century, Saria was the supplier of Olympos as it was where the fields, the stables and the mills of the village were. Today it is worth a visit to enjoy swimming in its virgin beaches, to see the ruins of strange buildings, the so called “palaces”, which are identified as one of the ancient towns of Karpathos, Nisyros. If you are lucky enough you may see monachus monachus seals, as the area is where this protected species find shelter.

Museums: The Folklore Museum (+30 22450 31460) at Othos is worth a visit, where you will admire a complete house of Karpathos with the lifted sofas, the cellar and beautiful colourful plates decorating the walls. Furthermore, at the Archaeological Museum (+30 22450 23441) of Pigadia, you will see exhibits from the entire history of the island, from the prehistoric times to the Middle Ages.

Beaches: The road network of the island is constantly developing thus ensuring access to several beaches, although there are still many more that can only be accessed by boat. Apella, famous a few years ago as the top beach in the Mediterranean, combine crystal waters with fine pebbles and serenity. In Lefkos, the seaside town of Mesochori, you will find at a very small distance, six different beaches for any taste, from organised beaches to nudists. At Afiarti beach, apart form swimming you can also try your wind surfing skills at the organised centre. Beautiful, though crowded is Ammopi beach too. Other beaches include the most photographed Kyra Panagia, with the characteristic red-dome chapel, Agios Nikolaos in Spoa, Agios Minas with the vast reclusive sandy beach, Diafani the seaside town of Olympos, Pigadia where there is a diving centre, Diakofti, Michaliou o Kipos and many more.

Trips to nearby islands: Everyday from the port of Pigadia small boats make day trips to various beaches of the island and to Saria. Take the liner or the boat from Foiniki to visit nearby Kasos.

In Karpathos, you will find mainly stock farming and folk craft goods. Local honey, though hard to find, is of excellent quality. Look for goat's milk cheeses (manouli, meriari, speriari and armirotyri), drilla (milk cream) and sitaka (butter of Karpathos). Buy barley rusks (kouloures), rolls and psilokouloura. Don't forget to buy red brusco wine from Othos, ideal for cold winter nights, as well as handmade textiles from Olympos and painted pottery.

The most famous dish of the local cuisine is “fto” or “vyzanti”, kid goat stuffed with rice and finely chopped liver, cooked in the wood stove, a main dish in the Easter feast of Karpathos. Do try makarounes (handmade pasta) with “siknosi” (finely chopped fried spring onions) or sitakia and sardines of Karpathos (salted blotched picarel). If you find yourselves in a bakery on a Saturday (day when housewives bake), ask for a “lachanopiti”, a local vegetable pie of ultimate deliciousness. Finally, look for dolmades in vine leaves and courgette flowers in the local tavernas. In the many tavernas of the island you will find fresh fish, lobsters and seafood delicacies to accompany ouzo. Local small shrimps are a popular meze for locals and visitors alike, while you should also try skaros, a small but delicious fish, found only in the sea of the island. And for the end... save some space for baklava of Karpathos, xylikopites, myzithropita and doughnuts. Night-life spots in Karpathos are mainly found in the capital, in Pigadia and the seaside zone of the island. For a genuine atmosphere of old tavernas and coffee houses, keep an eye for the characteristic hangouts in Olympos, Mesochori or picturesque Spoa.

Fairs: Fairs are an integral part of the island tradition and they can often last for days. The celebrations include traditional dancing and music with lyre, tsampouna (bagpipes) and lutes, spontaneous mantinada (rhyming couplets), plenty of wine and food for all visitors. The most important fair of the island and an experience that is worth the while is that of Agios Ioannis at Vroukounta Elympou (28 and 29 August). On 15 August, Panagia at Menetes celebrates and on 8 September a great fair for all Karpathos is held at Panagia Vrysiani in Mesochori.

Transportation from the airport

Aegean Airlines lands on the Airport of Karpathos. Though small, the airport has one of the largest airways in the Balkans, duty free shops, a cafeteria and a car rental office. The airport is located in the region of Afiartis, 15 km south to the city of Karpathos. There is no bus service, but you can use taxi or car. In the summer, there are scheduled local buses services, connecting the airport with various villages of the island. Olympos is served by day-boats at its seaside town, Diafani.