Karpathos is the third largest of the Dodecanese and remains one of the most traditional despite recent increases in tourism due to the opening of its own airport, although it only takes domestic and not international flights. Before that, visitors faced a long ferry ride from Rhodes, but what greeted them was a dramatic and rugged island with a high mountain range running down its spine, the highest point being the 1188m (3898ft) Mt Kalimni, almost in the centre of this long thin island.
The capital, Karpathos Town (also known as Pigadia) is in the south at one end of a long sheltered bay that has a 3km (2 mile) sweep of sand. It also has a delightfully old-fashioned fishing harbour where the fishermen still mend their nets, not yet having surrendered their places to fashionable yachts. This is also naturally the best place to go for a meal of the freshest fish, straight from the sea.
The one essential visit on Karpathos is to one of the unspoilt mountain villages, the best example being Olympos in the far north of the island. The village was founded in 1420 and for most of its existence remained virtually cut off from the rest of the island, only accessible by boat to the nearest port at Diafani, followed by a long steep haul to Olympos, some 600m (1969ft) high, its houses clustered along the ridge of a mountain. Because it was so remote, its traditions remained untouched by the modern age, and even today many women, and some men, still wear traditional costumes.
It is possible to visit Olympos on a day trip from Karpathos Town, but there are some closer mountain villages, each with their own attractions. Menetes is also high in the mountains, if not quite as high as Olympos at only 350m (1148ft) above sea level, and several of its streets are covered with vines making it a wonderful place to visit in the autumn when the grapes are heavy and ready for picking.
Flights to Karpathos
Karpathos has its own international airport which in the summer months has regular charter flights from all over Europe. Within Greece there are year-round services with daily flights on Olympic Air to Athens, Kasos, Rhodes and Sitia on Crete.
Ferries to Karpathos
There are regular ferries between Karpathos and Athens (Piraeus), Anafi, Halki, Crete (to both Sitia and Iraklion), Kasos, Milos, Rhodes and Santorini.
Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.
Where is Karpathos?
More Information
Visit the official Karpathos website
Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis invited British travelers to pack their bags and visit Greece quarantine-free this summer once non-essential travel is restored and EU borders re-open.
The city of Rethymnon, located on Crete, has received the “Bike Friendly” seal by NatTour and the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, two organizations promoting sustainable tourism practic…
Greece is among the first holiday destinations that Dutch travelers will visit this summer, according to Dick Gussen, the brand and marketing manager of Corendon, a leading tour operator in The Nether…
UK daily newspaper The Telegraph recently highlighted 15 Greek islands as the “perfect” destinations for post-Covid-19 travel. Titled “Which is the perfect Greek island? Here are 15 of our favorites…
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Sunday issued an aviation directive (NOTAM) that extends travel restrictions for domestic flights (travel between prefectures) in Greece until 6am on Ma…
Strict lockdown measures will continue in Athens and the surrounding Attica region for one more week, following the recommendations of Greece’s committee of health experts, Civil Protection Deputy Min…
Greece stands to gain approximately 1.6 billion euros in a year if it manages to attract digital nomads to the country with its new technologies and lax tax policy, said Greek Tourism Minister Harry T…
The ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the travel restrictions imposed worldwide and low demand have put Athens’ hospitality market on hold. “There are no bookings [for Athens] at the moment. No…
Greek authorities have tightened lockdown restrictions in the regional unit of Arcadia in the central Peloponnese in an effort to stop the further spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). The General Sec…
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called off plans to ease Covid-19 lockdown measures early next month after the health authorities announced a surge in cases on Tuesday. “The sharp increase in…