Karpathos

Karpathos is the second-largest of the Dodecanese and one of the least developed, a spine of mountains running fifty kilometres north to south with the road clinging to the coasts. The south around Pigadia is greener and holds most of the accommodation; the north is bare, steep and reached by a serpentine road, or by boat, and centres on Olympos, a cliffside village that kept its dialect, dress and building traditions in isolation. Wind is the island's constant, which makes the beaches at Afiartis a European kitesurfing centre and the crossings sometimes rough. Beaches such as Apella, Kyra Panagia and Achata sit below cliffs on the east coast, reachable by steep roads or boat, and much of the interior is walking country on old paths between abandoned terraces.

History

Homer calls the island Krapathos, and it was also known as Tetrapolis and Anemoessa; in ancient and medieval times it was closely tied to Rhodes. Apollonius of Rhodes made it a port of call of the Argonauts, and its cities appear on the tribute lists of the Delian League (Wikipedia, Karpathos).

What's there

• Olympos - a cliff village keeping traditional dress, dialect and ovens.
• The east coast beaches - Apella, Kyra Panagia and Achata below cliffs.
• The kitesurfing bays - Afiartis in the south, famous for reliable wind.
• The mountain roads - the serpentine route north with long sea views.

When to go

May, June, September and October for warmth without the strongest meltemi; July and August bring wind that suits sports but tests everyone else. Winter is quiet and many places close.

What to expect

Distances are long and roads slow, so a car is essential and journeys take much longer than the map suggests. Ferries from Crete and Rhodes are infrequent and weather-dependent. The wind is genuinely relentless in summer.

Nearby

Kasos lies southwest; Rhodes is north, Crete west, both by ferry or plane.

Key facts