I am sure you didn’t hear anything about Karpathos island. It is a hidden greek gem between well-known Crete and Rhodes islands. With the population of only 6000 inhabitants this charming island still has an untouched nature and plenty of wonderful lonely beaches with crystal clear water. In the comparison with his famous neighbours, Karpathos doesn’t have a developed infrastructure capacity to host lots of tourists. It is an amazing place for quiet holidays in Greece even in summer. This is great news for those who are looking for an authentic, unspoilt and still virgin place to visit.

Things to do on Karpathos!

1 . Visit wild beaches by boat

on The north of the island you could expect to find a few organised beaches, but the rest are secluded and either hard or almost impossible to reach by car. Don’t worry, because cruise boat Captain Manolis from Diafani harbour has a wide choice of routes. We spent the whole day on Opsi, Kantri and Forokli beaches. They all are very similar, but they show Karpathos from the wildest side and it is amazing. Instead of our route you could explore Kapi-Nati-Agios Minas beaches and besides would be nice to visit Tristomo-Vroukounda.

2 . Go to Saria islet

The northern part of Karpathos with the near lying islet Saria are included in the Nature 2000 protected area. You can take a boat from Diafani harbour to reach the Saria with its two lovely beaches – Palatia and Alimounta. Palatia beach has to offer more than bright turquoise water. For hiking addicted there is a way to go up to the hill. Animal lovers will have a good time with goats and a donkey. Adventurers won’t miss a cave, swimmers – cliff jumping. There is something to do in Saria for everyone.

3 . Walk through Olympos village

The road to the famous Olympos village takes you through high mountains with no signs of civilisation as suddenly landscape changes and you see a colourful oasis of life in the mountains. This greek village kept not just their unique architecture, but also their traditional lifestyle. When you walk through Olympos to the seaside you will see more unpolished stuff like very old and abandoned houses, greek cat gangs, lonely old ladies and an endless deep blue sea. This place is a must-see!

North of the island is barely inhabited. The road to the famous Olympos village takes you through high mountains with no signs of civilisation as suddenly landscape changes and you see a colourful oasis. This greek village kept not just their unique architecture, but also their traditional lifestyle. When you walk through Olympos to the seaside you will see more unpolished stuff like very old and abandoned houses, greek cat gangs, lonely old ladies and an endless deep blue sea. My mind was full of imagination and questions about this place, it’s people, their lives.

4. Explore famous pebbled beaches

The east coast has the most popular beaches of the island. Beach Apella is named the best beach both by tourists and by locals, but I could disagree. Karpathos beaches are very gorgeous and it is extremely hard just to pick up one. Of course Apella has the best cards – wild area, wonderful color of water and it has a very spacious sea line.

Beach Kyra Panagia is close to Apella, is smaller, a bit louder and still has a perfect shade of water. The beach has its own charm – the small greek church at the heel from where you have a view of the beach.

Another good beach is located down to the south – beach Achata. It is less-known and maybe less attractive for the tourists, however we’ve identified marine life while snorkelling.

5. Cute villages

Beyond doubt nothing compares to Olympos, but there are some cute villages in mountains like Aperi, Volada and Othos. They are not necessarily worth an extra stop, but if your route and time allows it is nice to have a short walk through one of this local villages.

5 . Fish Taverna in Finiki

What I love about Greece is that you can eat delicious mediterranean cuisine!  And what I admire about Karpathos is that seafood is affordable! My favourite fish taverna Dimithros is led by a family of two fishermen. There is a refrigerator with a fresh catch of a day at the entrance nearby a road, so you won’t pass by this cozy taverna. Both fishermen help you to choose a right fish or a shellfish. My choice was a traditional Karpathos fish in a tomato sauce, don’t forget to preorder it in advance!

Lefkos to South

South beaches