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Karpathos is a place loved by many yet still unknown to the most of us.
It’s the true beauty of the Dodecanese islands. Fall in love, get to know Karpathos better and visit it.
Here you can find more info about Karpathos in general, the weather, the villages and beaches on Karpathos.
Karpathos is located in between Crete and Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.
Karpathos island is 48 kilometers in length and has a width reaching from 3.3km to maximum 11 km.
Beautiful scenery can be found on the entire island due to the mountains being close to the sea.
The highest point is Kali Limni with an altitude of 1215 meters, being the highest point in the Dodecanese islands.
The nearly 7000 inhabitants of Karpathos are very friendly and welcoming and are still very keen on getting to know the foreigners exploring their island.
Karpathos has a brand new hospital, private doctors and a health center, professional dentists, museums and some archaeologic sites, supermarkets, a bus station and a taxi station, more than 50 great beaches and a national protected marine park, plenty of diverse hotels, plus lots of taverns and restaurants to eat and drink at.
Enjoy your Greek summer on the pearl – uhm, on the rock actually. The Nickname for Karpathos.
February, March, April, May, June, September, October, November
April, May & October
Those who are looking to come to Karpathos and wish to enjoy the not-that-hot period should come between April, May & June or October with temperatures of around 23℃.
June, July, August & September
Are you planning to come in June, July, August or September? The strong Karpathian winds will keep you comfy while walking in the summer heat of Karpathos. Temperatures vary from 22℃ to 29℃.
November & December
If you find yourself lucky enough to travel outside of the normal tourist season of Karpathos then you should take advantage of the perfect temperature of around 25℃ in November and December. The weather is great for hiking and you can also still enjoy the beach and the ocean with a sea-temperature of around 20℃!
January, February, March
January, February and March give the true spring feeling with temperatures of around 16℃ and flowers everywhere! This time of the year is making the island look very green due to rain and some stormy days, but as we like to say:
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
When you are going to visit Karpathos you will have a visit to Olympos on your to-do list almost for sure. The traditional lifestyle of the people of Olympos has been kept due to the long lasting isolation from the rest of the island of Karpathos. The people of Olympos have even managed to keep on wearing their traditional costumes on a daily base and to speak their local dialect. Olympos has no car traffic and the women are the boss. The men were always at sea fishing so in the meanwhile the women of Olympos kept the place running smoothly. Ovens can be found along many of the narrow streets and there is still a traditional shoemaker, blacksmith, bakery and even operating wind mills and an olive press. The priest of Olympos, Papa Giannis, has a friendly presence when running into him on the street or in the church. His wife is always smiling at foreigners and their house is worth a visit for the beautiful family pictures and traditional style. Yes, the priest in a Greek Orthodox church can get married and is actually expected to get married and have children.
Olympos is part of a triangle of villages in the North. Diafani is the port / fishing village, Avlona is the agricultural and rural village leading to ancient Vrykous or Vrougounda and Olympos is the market place of these three.
Olympos in the distance
Olympos with its rich history is the most heard of village on the island of Karpathos, even though Pigadia where most of the tourist stay is the current capital. Pigadia is also known as Karpathos Town.
Karpathos town is located at the same place of the ancient town Potideon. Did you know that Karpathos was already settled in ancient times and that it is mentioned the in Homer’s Iliad? Karpathos participated in the Trojan war with ships 1100 b.C.
The last known Greek tribe, the Dorians, came mainly from the Greek mainland and built (1000-500 b.C.) four significant cities known as Tetrapolis. They created these four cities on Karpathos called Potideion, Arkaseia, Vrykous and Nisyros. Tetrapolis means four cities in Greek.
Karpathos was once under the influence of the Italians and in Pigadia you can find many buildings from this period. Long before the Italians King Minos of Crete sent colonists to start places like Pigadia 1700-1450 b.C because excavations in Vrontis (the current Vronti beach) were made. Vronti beach in Pigadia is an underrated long sandy beach close to town. Just beside the vronti beach you can find the remains of the early Christian basilica of St Fotini.
There are plenty of churches to visit in and around town. The cemetery is located on the cliffs and close by you can discover caves where tiny chapels are hiding inside. The nearby valley shows how nature and a Greek city-life go hand in hand. For the explorers among us in the valley of Pigadia you can find the Poseidon Cave with fossilized shells and hidden secrets!
The cozy village of Menetes is visible quite well from Pigadia and yet is used to be a place where locals would hide from Pirates. In the 7th century a.D. invasions by Arabs, Persians and Saracens made the local Karpathians retreat from the coast and seek shelter in the mountains. Menetes is located on a hill in the middle of the southern part of the island and you can easily cross from east to west via this village. It’s home to many narrow streets hiding tavernas with lots of stories to be told. The locals have managed to build tavernas in these narrow passages and the vibe is always welcoming. On the main street you can find an artistic shop close to the main church and also a little museum.
Do the audio guided tour from Menetes to Pigadia (for on your smartphone)!
Menetes from a distance
Menetes and the view
The people from Menetes started building tourism accommodations in Ammopi by the sea because that’s where the beach is. Ammopi, Amoopi or even Ammoopi has gotten many ways to write its name due to the popularity it has gotten by the wonderful beaches. Golden beach or big Ammopi and even Mikri or small ammopi are the most well known beaches in Ammopi. Also Votsalakia beach, fokia beach, Kastelia beach (great for snorkeling and scuba diving) are some of the many bays you can find here. If you ever hear about Lakki or Ardani then they are talking about spots within Ammopi. Ardani is at the north end of Ammopi where some Italian developers are currently building and Lakki is in the middle of Ammopi.
Let’s get back to the name for a moment. Αμμος / ammos means sand and οπή /opi means hole, therefor sandy hole or as we like to call it Ammopi 😉
A boat docked at big Ammopi / Golden Beach.
Small Ammopi
Aperi used to be the capital of Karpathos in the old days. Its location was too far away from the sea to compete with Pigadia / Karpathos city as the main port location of Karpathos island. Aperi is known for the Greek Americans that have built many beautiful houses in the village and it is being said that the best doctors of Greece come from Aperi. One of our personally favorite pebble-stone beaches is Achata and this great beach is a 5-minute drive away from Aperi. Close to the Olympic looking sport facilities of Aperi the way to Achata beach is clearly marked and the road full of curves is worth your while! Nearby Achata beach there is a cave full of Stalagmites and Stalactites, but a little easier to find are the caves that are partly submerged located close to the beach. On the left-side of Achata Beach you can find some pretty nice caves and one even offers a swim/crawl through!
Achata Beach
Achata beach
Achata’s little swim through
Achata as seen from a little cave
With not such a big population it’s no wonder you’ve never heard of Mertonas, however Kyra Panagia most of us do know. Kyra Panagia is an amazing beach with a high wall that has been visited by tourists in since the beginning of tourism on Karpathos. Still the tourism boats more in this gorgeous bay and let people swim in Kyra Panagia’s crystal clear waters. Besides the lovely beach the taverns and hotels make Kyra Panagia a busy place in the summer months. This being said, the winter months are a lot calmer. All over the island this is the case actually. Just above Kyra Panagia the lush and peaceful area called Mertonas is home to some luxurious villa’s like Two Goats villas. In Kyra Panagia you can find Vento Isolano with an amazing view over the beach.
Kyra Panagia beach seen from the chapel
Kyra Panagia beach
Nearby Kyra Panagia you will also find Apella, one of the best beaches of Europe! With an excellent sandy beach, crystal clear water, and rocky mountains in the back, it’s no wonder that Apella got awarded twice as the best beach of the Mediterranean.
Apella Beach
The view from the road above Apella Beach
Volada is situated nearby Aperi, kind of hidden behind a hill. Volada is where the wine making starts as the altitude gets higher. Right behind Volada you can find Pini and Lastos. The highest mountain of the Dodecanese islands with 1215 meters of altitude is located right there in Lastos. Did you know Art and Walk is located in Volada, at a gorgeous vineyard in the hamlet of Pini?
Volada
View from Kali Limni at 1215 meters of altitude.
After Volada you can reach Othos which is the highest located village on Karpathos at 510 meters of altitude. Othos is known for the wood workshop where beautiful and artistic craftsmanship can be found. Also mister Giannis Hapsis the painter, who is not among us anymore, is a name you hear often when speaking about the Karpathian Othos.
The staircase up to the wood workshop in Othos
The main-street of Othos
If you’d drive from Pigadia or Arkassa towards the North you couldn’t miss Spoa. This gorgeous village is situated on a hill right next to the ocean and appears as if it’s quite isolated from the rest of the island. It does however have a steady population and some amazing beaches and not to forget good tavernas!
Agios Nikolaos is one of those great beaches you can find in Spoa.
Spoa
Arkassa is one of the ancient cities of Karpathos tetrapolis, but it was then known as Arkaseia. In between the beach of Agios Nikolaos and the main Arkassa beach the paleokastro ruins are vissible. It’s situated on a promenent hill with an ancient mosaic floor and a chapel at the hill’s feet. The city center is a very cozy one and with places like Stema bar you can’t miss out on watching the sunset from here.
Arkassa is also one of the few places where you can go wave surfing. Karpathos is famously known for windsurfing, but for this activity you’d go to the South of Karpathos.
Once upon a time the ship would come to Finiki to take passengers and go to the neighboring island of Karpathos called Kasos. Nowadays it’s known as a fishermen’s town and it has a pretty beach. Looking to eat some fresh fish? Finiki is the place to be. You can select fish fresh from what was just caught by the locals.
Finiki
On the West coast of Karpathos you’d expect to find mainly fishermen villages as this is what the West coast of the island is known for. However there is also a wonderful village called Pyles that is overlooking these fisherman places and is built on the slope of a mountain with lush surroundings. The village is very green as plants are being taken care of here very well and fruits appear to be growing almost everywhere. The locals have even turned the old trashcans into herb growing plant pots nowadays. The ladies of Pyles create natural products to sell to tourists and this organization of the women of Pyles helps the village get a bit of income but more importantly it keeps the ladies busy with traditional crafts. Pyles has plenty of lovely looking houses and some of them are home to Greek-Americans. The main church of Pyles is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and holds a big celebration (panagia) every year on the 15th of August. Just like in many of the other villages on the island.
The local agricultural museum in Pyles shows how the farmers used to live, how a windmill functions, how olives are picked and how the donkeys were working on threshing floors. Behind Pyles is a dense valley with green olive groves and a few small villages like Stes and Kallenes which officially belong to the community of Othos.
A house in Pyles
A house in Stes
Lefkos is a wonderful laid back village where many of the locals from Mesochori have a summer-home. With its long sandy beaches and plenty of accommodations and restaurants it’s a great place for tourists to spend time during their holidays. Lefkos also has impressive caves and even troglodyte homes in some of them. There is an old roman water cistern that was cut out of limestone bedrock and it is worth a visit. On the little island of Sokastro in the bay of Lefkos there are remains of a fortification from Byzantine times which used to be a hiding place from the pirates.
Caves in Lefkos
Mesochori means the village in the middle as it is located towards the middle of the island yet more Northern than its name suggests. It has narrow alleys and a lush vegetation. Underneath the local church named Panagia Vrysiani you will find a natural spring. You can park outside of the village and walk around through its streets as Mesochori is almost entirely vehicle free.
Separated from Karpathos by a strait of only 100 meters, Saria is a rocky islet once part of Karpathos. Saria is part of an ecological protected area together with the Northern part of Karpathos. It is a shelter for numerous rare bird species and also the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal can be found here.
One of the ancient 4 cities of Karpathos built by the Dorians (the last known greek tribe) is located on Saria. It’s named Nisyros and was turned from an ancient palace to small egg-shaped houses by the Saracen pirates. The churches hold secrets left to be discovered such as hidden mosaic floors.
Boat trips to Alimounda and Palatia make it a special place for those who like swimming. Palatia has a natural cave tunnel system partly underwater where you can enter on one side and come out again on the other end.
Kasos is one of the best kept secrets of the Dodecanese islands. Only a 1.5 hour boat ride from Karpathos or Europe’s shortest flight!
Book an audio guided tour for on your smartphone when visiting Kasos!
The island of Kasos, also spelled as Kassos or Casos, is probably the most authentic corner of the Aegean sea. With it’s big brothers being Crete and Karpathos it’s no wonder Kasos doesn’t get much into the spotlight amongst tour operators. The good thing about this is that when you visit Kasos you still feel like a true explorer.
The fleet of Kasos took part in the 1821 Greek War of Independence and for this reason the Turks wanted to destroy Kasos in 1824 and they did so with help from Egypt. Later on, the capital Fry (pronounced free) is built around the cozy Bouka bay in 1840 and is now the capital and main harbour of Kasos. Kasos did become part of Greece like the rest of the Dodecanese islands in 1948.
Fry
The six churches of Kasos
