The island of Karpathos is as stunning as Santorini and should, by all rights, merit similar attention from travellers. But, as Rob Woodburn discovers, this isn’t the case, thank goodness
-
-
Operating on Greek time: Finiki Bay.
-
-
The pastel homes of Olympos village.
-
-
Colourful sale: Selling shawls at Olympos.
-
-
Quite spot to eat by the turquoise sea.
-
-
Living the Taverna lifestyle, Pigadia port.
We arrive on Karpathos at the best of times, early September after
the heat of August has relented yet the weather remains splendid.
Initial impressions are that we’ve avoided the holiday crush yet we
learn that most island accommodation is fully booked until the end of
the month. If this is peak season on Karpathos, we absolutely love it:
no crowded beaches, no tourist scrunch.
This
is one of the southernmost Greek islands, a 30-minute hop by air or
five hours by ferry from the popular Dodecanese destination of Rhodes,
yet a world away in comparison. Rhodes has millions of visitors a year,
many on all-inclusive charter package holidays. Karpathos is radically
different: calm and charter-tour free, its exquisite beaches popular but
never overwhelmed. There’s little suggestion of hard-sell tourism. The
main hub is the ferry port of Pigadia and it doesn’t even have a tourist
office.
Going anywhere on the island means going either up or down. There’s
almost a complete absence of flat. Visiting villages in the mountainous
interior, we have superb views in all directions. On the coastal route
heading north of Pigadia we stop often to gaze down from dizzy heights
onto inviting sands and secluded coves carved into the rocky coastline.
You quickly learn that Karpathos is an island of distinct halves.
Pigadia and the mountain villages of Menetes, Volada and Piles, the
fishing hamlets of Finiki and Arkasa, and the island’s airport are all
in the relatively popular south whereas, beyond the tiny hamlet of Spoa,
the north is a scantily populated region of craggy peaks that tower
over small valleys and wild, parched rolling countryside.
There’s an isolated mountain village, a few tiny settlements and a
network of hiking trails. A large portion of the far north, an area
encompassing Tristomo Bay and the adjacent island of Saria, is
designated as protected, a haven for the endangered Mediterranean monk
seal, as well as rare plants and other animal species.
Far, far away from the party hotspots
It’s easy to imagine this is what all the Greek islands were once
like, a far cry from holiday party hotspots such as Mykonos and Ios.
Apart from a flurry of activity around ferry times, the port of
Pigadia is a sleepy place in daytime yet lively each evening with a fine
choice of dining for a place its size. The waterfront tavernas are
popular but more interesting fare is found away from the water. The meze
plate for two at To Helliniko is a fine introduction to local food. How
could you not warm to a menu that lists “saganaki, seafood,
aphrodisiacs”? And Mike’s Restaurant is renowned for its moussaka.
Karpathos is a favourite holiday choice of Italians, Scandinavians
(with direct flights from Sweden) and for island expatriates and their
families. We rarely hear another native English speaker.
We do, however, hear mild Australian accents. The family that owns
our chosen hotel have lived there. Maria was born in Wollongong and her
daughter Kaylee in Canberra. Grandma Calliope, who once lived in
Melbourne, opened the island’s first hotel in 1969 and has run a hotel
here ever since.
The Electra Beach Hotel
is a few minutes walk from town. It has a swimming pool set in a lush
garden and steps leading directly onto the beach. It has 75 rooms, half
of them with sea view and, for years, was one of the largest hotels on
the island. The recent opening of a 244-room resort, however, implies an
end to small-scale development – something that has helped Karpathos
retain a sense of proportion.
Small is beautiful is the rule of local car hire – an essential
consideration given the island’s challenging geography and limited
public transport. Rentals are restricted to cars with cute names like
Panda, Micra and Titch. This makes perfect sense because some roads are
too slim for easy passing, particularly when driving down to the beach.
Hidden swimming coves
Achata, Kyra Panagia and Apella are a stupendous trio of swimming
coves tucked into the island’s jagged east coast. With names sounding
like Greek goddesses, these beaches inspire worship among the bronzed
bathers basking under the glowing Greek sun beside a pellucid Aegean
Sea, occasionally interrupting their solar worship to sip a restorative
ice-cold café frappe at the nearest beachside taverna.
Achata is the smallest cove and closest to Pigadia. It seems quieter
than its sisters, probably because public transport there is limited,
possibly because the beach is hidden from view until you reach the car
park.
Kyra Panagia, seen from the coastal road, is a stunning ribbon of
sand dotted with sun umbrellas. A convenient promontory is the perfect
place to park and take a photo. Travellers on the public bus miss this
opportunity: Panagia road slinks down the slope with barely a centimetre
of passing space comfort. At the bottom is a handsome beach of pebbles
and sand, serviced by a shop, café and a few restaurants. The only shade
beside the water is a little cave at one end of the beach or you can
hire two sunbeds and an umbrella for around $8 a day.
Further north, Apella is every inch as beguiling. Its trump card is
the excellent taverna above the beach, one worth visiting for lunch,
even if you don’t intend getting wet – although few can resist sampling
these translucent waters.
Having fully gratified the senses, Karpathos can also engage the
intellect. The simplest way to unfold centuries of local history is a
visit to the small archaeological museum on the Pigadia waterfront. The
chronological information in Greek and English illustrates a storyline
dating back to settlement in the 15th century BC. The museum’s small
collection of relics includes a striking relief of a Roman soldier.
Antiquities have been unearthed at various locations across the
island, most notably Roman mosaic floors at Arkasa and underground
cisterns near Lefkos, both on the west coast. The historic sites on the
island map are worth the effort made to visit them.
Mountain-top village
The top attraction in the north is a remote mountain village,
accessed by a good road along the island’s spine. Isolated Olympos was
built on a ridge below Mt Profitis Ilias as a safe haven from marauding
pirates. It dates from the 7th century and is now feted for keeping
traditions alive, a reputation that owes a lot to tourism.
At the apex of the village is the 19th-century Church of the
Dormition of the Virgin Mary, around which buildings huddle together and
spill down the slopes in a colourful jumble of white and blue, faint
yellow and faded green blocks.
The main street threads narrowly between the houses and neatly
channels everyone past shops and stalls selling sequinned headscarves,
brightly patterned shawls, sling bags, woollen slippers, ceramics and
linen, all offered up by women in traditional dress: black scarf, white
blouse, black apron embroidered with roses and chevrons of red, blue,
yellow and green.
One ancient windmill in the village still grinds wheat and barley for
bread. A local shoemaker produces traditional goatskin boots and
woollen slippers. Another shop specialises in embroidered traditional
tablecloths and napkins.
Olympos is a cheerful place. The villagers are philosophical about
doing business, eager to exchange greetings and small talk. At a café
where we order coffee with loukmades – little sweet pastries – a woman
sits at a nearby table deftly stuffing zucchini flowers with herbed
rice. When the café owner discovers she’s out of pastries she simply
sends me to a nearby bakery to get more.
After looking inside the church we follow a path leading away from
the main square and discover vantage points where sprays of crimson
bougainvillea frame a postcard scene of black rock mountains with
precipitous slopes that plunge down to the Carpathian Sea. And like the
rest of Karpathos, there’s not a tourist bus for miles to mar the scene.
The details
How to get there
easyJet flies direct from London to Rhodes from $67 or
Aegean Air flies from London to Rhodes via Athens from $75.
Olympic Air has daily flights between Rhodes and Karpathos. The fare is around $57 each way.
When to go
The best months are from May to July or September to October. It can be very hot in August, which is also peak season.
Where to Stay
Comfortable: Electra Beach Hotel
has 75 rooms – half of them with a view of the sea. It’s a short walk
from the town. There is a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch is
available at the pool snack bar.
Unique:
Aegean Village Hotel and Bungalows have views over Amopi Beach, a short distance south of Pigadia.
Finiki View has studio apartments overlooking the west coast fishing hamlet. Both places have a swimming pool and free wi-fi.
New hot spot
Thankfully, there are no ‘hot spots’ but there are several popular bars in Pigadia.
Where to eat
Karpathos is not a gourmet destination. The Pigadia waterfront tavernas all serve the standard fare of souvlaki, salads etc.
Try To Helliniko on the main street for generous meze plates including tasty local specialities.
Mike’s Restaurant has courtyard dining and an excellent moussaka.
For fresh fish, shrimp and sardines head to Finiki on the west coast –
Taverne Dolphin is the most popular of the three waterfront tavernas.
You can’t leave without
Swimming at Apella and having lunch at the taverna above the beach
Visiting Olympos village
Meandering along the west coast between the hamlets of Arkasa, Finiki and Lefkos
Best thing about Karpathos
In addition to its superb swimming beaches, there are wild areas
seemingly untouched by tourism, allowing a sense of how the Greek
islands used to be.
Worst thing about Karpathos
Pigadia town is not the tidiest place, with rubbish strewn about and lots of feral cats.
You should know
Credit cards are accepted in a few places (hotels, hire car) but many shops and restaurants will only take cash (euros).
For more information
greeka.com/dodecanese/karpathos,
karpathos.org.uk,
karpathos.org
International Traveller Magazine
