Tour of Karpathos Island
Karpathos the traditional island of the Dodecanese is an ideal travel destination for quiet holidays and the best place to relax.
It offers peace and calm on its graphic settlements, its fine beaches and its paradise beauties.
Its hospitable inhabitants reverently preserve the traditions and customs of their land.
Karpathos started its tourist development just the last years and the infrastructures are very good.
PIGADIA
PIGADIA or Karpathos the capital of the island and the main port, is built on the site of the ancient city of Potideon of Poseidonion.
Remains of the ancient acropolis survive on a hill in the west part of the harbor. A small, open-air museum houses a variety of archaeological finds.
There is a monumental rock-cut tomb known as the cave of Poseidon at Myli.
The church of “Evangelistria” is situated in the center of the town.
The capital is the most organized tourist region of the island.
There you will find hotels, apartments and rooms to let of all categories, restaurants, taverns, cafes, patisseries, bars and clubs with Greek and foreign music for your nightlife.
Very close to the center of Pigadia are three attractive beaches: Ammos a small shore with shallow waters.
It is fully organized and near the beach you will find coffee shops and taverns.
Afoti and Vronti beaches have crystal clear waters and extended shore.
Tour of Karpathos Island
AMMOOPI
Just 6 kilometers from Pigadia is the coastal settlement of AMMOOPI.
It has big tourist development during the last years, one of the most beautiful beaches of the island, fully organized and ideal for water sports.
Ammoopi has two beaches: Small and Big Ammoopi.
Small (or Mikri) Ammoopi is a small and quiet beach and Big (or Megali) Ammoopi is the most popular.
In Ammoopi, there are numerous hotel units, rooms and apartments to let and taverns to taste the famous local cuisine.
In Ammoopi location you will meet the Votsalakia beach, one of the most beautiful, cosmopolitan and fully organized beaches of Karpathos.
There are hotels, rooms to let, taverns and many shops.
10 kilometers from the capital you will find the fine beach Pouliou Potami with crystal clear waters and thick pebbles.
The best beach for windsurfing is Vata 13, 5 kilometers from the capital, Valia and Nikolaki Pounda 15 km. from the capital.
Very close is the magic beach of Makris Gialos.
MENETES
The beautiful village of MENETES, clinging to the rock, 8 km. south-east of Karpathos town, has well-kept houses and gardens and a strong musical tradition.
Sights of note in the village are the archaeological collection, the church of the Dormition of the Virgin and the small Byzantine churches of Agios Mamas and Agios Antonios, in which there are some interesting wall-paintings.
The village is built in a 350m height and the closest beach to it is that of Ammoopi.
Tour of Karpathos Island
ARKASA
As the road continues to the south-east, we come to ARKASA, built on the site of the ancient city of the same name, in a very impressive setting.
On one side is a small peninsula with the acropolis and on the other a series of rocks that continue to nearby FINIKI, a small settlement 2 kilometers to the north with a graphic fish port. Nearby are the magnificent beaches of Fokia, Akrotiri and Proni.
In this area, the ruins are preserved of an Early Christian basilica and some fragments of mosaics.
It is worth visiting the monasteries of Agia Sofia and Ipapanti.
You can swim in the organized beaches of Agios Nikolaos and Agios Georgios.
In Arkasa you will find hotels, rooms to let, taverns and bars for your nightlife.
At PALEOKASTRO, which enjoys a superb view, there are some interesting remains and architectural members that date from various periods from antiquity to Venetian times and the Turkish domination.
APERI
To the north-west of the town is the village of APERI, a head-village with some fine houses and gardens, which was formerly the capital of the island from 1700 to 1892.
On the top of the hill above the village is Koraki the acropolis of ancient Karpathos.
The remains of an ancient sanctuary have been found in this area, and the ruins of three castles are preserved on Mount Lastos, near Volada village.
At Aperi, you will find rooms to let but most of them are in the coastal settlement Kyra Panagia, the most famous beach in Karpathos island.
One of the most popular beaches of the island is Apella.
You will reach it by car by following the road to Spoa after the crossroad to Kyra Panagia or by boat from Pigadia.
OTHOS
The road continues to OTHOS, a mountain village with the most beautiful view in the island, famous for its traditional celebrations and festivals.
The small folklore museum here has a reconstruction of a traditional Karpathiote house.
The next village is PYLES, from where a road runs north to MESOCHORI, an inland village on a height, which has a superb view over the sea, narrow streets, abundant water, rich traditions and a few houses with characteristic local architecture and interior decoration.
Tour of Karpathos Island
LEFKOS
LEFKOS village is located very close to Mesochori.
It is a small picturesque village with magnificent beaches, where you will find rooms to let and taverns that serve good seafood.
The most famous beaches are Gialos Chorafi, Panagias Limani and Frangomanola the biggest in Lefkos.
Right across the village you will see the small uninhabited island of Sokastros, with many antiquities.
Just 4 kilometers from Mesochori is located SPOA one of the oldest villages of Karpathos which keeps its traditional identity.
OLYMPOS
The road continues northwards to the almost inaccessible traditional mountain village of OLYMPOS, which has an astounding view over the sea, authentic vernacular architecture, cobbled alleyways and wind-mills, and preserves its traditions and customs.
Every house here is a veritable museum with interior decoration in the old traditional style, and many women still wear the folk costume and engage in traditional activities, while the inhabitants keep alive the local dialect, in which many ancient Doric elements are preserved.
There is a notable church of Panagia, built in the 16th c.
The village is 63 km. from the capital and the easiest way to reach it is by boat from Diafani, although it is connected with Mesochori by road but it is a difficult route.
DIAFANI
DIAFANI, 7 km. further north and 70 kilometers from the capital, is the second largest harbor on the island and has plenty of fish, good fish restaurants and pebble beaches famous for their clear waters.
The fine beach of Vananda is a short distance from Diafani.
From Diafani and also from the tiny harbor of Tristomo, there is a boat service to the uninhabited islet of Saria.
TRADITION – EVENTS
The local residents of Karpathos keep their traditions alive.
The island celebrates the carnival, culminating in the ”popular court” on Shrove Monday.
Other opportunities for traditional celebrations are afforded by the opening of wines, weddings – the traditional preparations for which last a whole week – the custom of the Klidonas (fortune-telling) at the end of June, the feast days of the churches of the Virgin Mary, Sotir, Agia Marina (17 July), and Agios Panteleimon, and a variety of local festivities that attract visitors from all over the island.
The uniqueness of these celebrations is because the traditional food served is made from the people of the church, it is offered free to the guests and is followed by traditional Karpathian songs and dances with the traditional Karpathian musical instruments: lyra, laouto, tsambouna, and violin.
LOCAL CUISINE
Karpathos is famous for its good food and the delicious recipes of its local cuisine.
Some of the famous dishes of the island include: chylopites, makarounes (type of pasta), kolokythopoulia (zucchini flowers), the baked fish skaros, fakoryzo, kopeles (herb pies), kouloures and the local sweets baklavas, triangles, pougia, mizithropites (sweet pies filled with local mizithra cheese), zibilia and sousamomelo (the wedding’s traditional sweet).
