Karpathos: Aegean Enchantment

Mindful of the beautiful experience twelve months ago in Samos and in love, one can by now say, with Greece, we also set off this year for a destination in the Aegean and more precisely for Karpathos, a rugged portion of territory, extending 302 square kilometers and located, in the Dodecanese region, halfway between the better-known islands of Crete and Rhodes. We set off from home, on a warm June morning, at 11:20 and a few minutes later we enter the A14 motorway at Faenza, turning the car's bow northward. In this way, having reached Bologna at noon sharp, we then take the A13 in the direction of Padua, where we arrive after about an hour of calm driving. From this city we then go east along the A4, gaining first the outskirts of Venice then its airport, from which we will take off.

We go immediately, nearby, to the Low Coast Parking, where we leave the car in storage for the entire duration of the vacation and subsequently, with the free shuttle, we reach Marco Polo Airport. Before entering we have a snack, then, having crossed the main door, we devote ourselves to finding the check-in desk, but it is too early, in fact on the lighted boards there are still no indications. The wait, however, is short and a little later we find ourselves in line to check in the luggage. Subsequently we pass the security checks and start waiting for flight V71300 in front of gate number 14. In this way we find ourselves seated inside the Boeing 717 of the Volotea company, which, slightly delayed, at 17:01, lifts off the ground turning immediately southward, while below us the unmistakable views of the Venetian Lagoon scroll by.

The journey takes place entirely without particular jolts and, after also moving the clock hands forward by one hour to the Greek time zone, we land at Karpathos airport at 20:13 local time. In no time at all we retrieve the suitcases (the advantage of small airports) and as soon as we exit we meet the representative of Sofia's Car, who hands us a shiny red Suzuki Jimny (license plate IET 9463) with which we plan to explore all of Karpathos, but only from tomorrow because tonight we only need it to cover the thirteen kilometers that separate us from Pigadia, the capital of the island, where we will stay at the Atlantis Hotel. With darkness now complete and thanks to the navigator we find the structure, so we take the luggage to the room and immediately go out to dinner in the little port of Pigadia, where there is only the embarrassment of choice among the numerous tavernas.

We stop then at Sofia's Place and there we savor the first pleasant bites of Greek cuisine, before returning to the room to rest after the long journey.

Having consumed a good first breakfast and after a providential shopping trip to the nearest supermarket, we finally set off on the roads of Karpathos. Already from today, however, we will have to adapt our itinerary because the weather is indeed forecast to be good, but also a strong northwest wind, the classic Meltemi or a very close relative, so we will go in search of places as sheltered as possible on the eastern coast of the island. Just outside Pigadia we stop at the roadside to see, at a distance, the scanty remains of Agia Fotini, an early Christian basilica dating from the 5th-6th century, erected with reused materials from a Greek temple of an earlier age... in practice the only historical finds of some interest in the whole of Karpathos, then given the shortage of gas stations on the island (only three) we fill up our Jimny before going to beach number one of the vacation.

We climb the heights north of Pigadia and having reached the vicinity of the settlement of Aperi we turn right following the signs for Achata Beach. The road, narrow but entirely paved, descends with daring hairpin bends into this bay which, nestled between high rocky walls, seen from above is beautiful... a little less so from the sea shore, because it does not turn out to be completely sheltered and the gusts of wind generate a bit of wave motion. We rent an umbrella and two sunbeds anyway and, at least for the morning, decide to stay there. So in the company of Leonardo I savor a first long swim in the limpid but all too fizzy waters of early summer, pushing myself to explore also a small cave on the left of the beach. We have lunch and shortly after we leave Achata Beach to go in search of a more sheltered place.

We return towards Pigadia and, granting ourselves a diversion, we climb the height south of the settlement, where the white little church of Agia Kyriaki is located, which is the subject of a legend linked to the Second World War and the Italian forces that occupied the island. It seems in fact that because of its strategic position the building, destined to be transformed into a fort and therefore painted green, in a single night returned to being white, and so did in a second attempt, so much so that, considering the event a miracle, it was decided to maintain its original purpose. Afterwards we descend to Pigadia and from there we go along the road that goes south of the island, but only for a few kilometers, then we turn left following a route that goes in the direction of the coast and soon becomes unpaved.

We thus look out onto the sea at a splendid rocky bay, in which the waters of the Aegean are calm and present a thousand shades of blue, but the place is not suitable for swimming, so having taken the necessary photos we move, a short distance away, to the solitary Polipou Potami Beach, which, well protected from the wind, is an authentic pool. We settle in the shade of a rocky spur and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the inlet in the company of two other tourists, who shortly afterwards take their leave and leave us the sole beneficiaries of this little paradise. So we take a dip among the crystalline waves and then laze deliciously until evening. In the blink of an eye the first positive day of this vacation in Karpathos flies by, which we conclude with dinner, in the center of Pigadia, at Taverna Elaia... but, we are certain, it will be only the beginning!

Still conditioned by the wind, which seems it will blow strongly today as well, we set off towards the extreme north of the island and the town of Olympos, located at 250 meters of altitude among impervious mountains. This was by choice of its inhabitants who settled here between the 7th and 9th centuries to escape the continuous raids of pirates, who in those times roamed all over the Mediterranean. The road we set out on rises immediately to vertiginous heights and follows the severe eastern coastal profile of Karpathos, offering spectacular views, then, after the settlement of Spoa we take the most daring stretch, paved only in 2011, which unfolds, among high peaks, practically on the ridge of the island and leads, after an endless series of curves, in view of Olympos.

Already from afar one intuits why this village is considered the most characteristic of Karpathos and among the most beautiful of the entire Aegean: its little houses, all colorful and side by side with one another, climb the mountain in an almost pyramidal manner and the first glance can easily be associated with a corner of a Nativity scene. We park the car near the center and on foot we venture through its little alleys: some views are truly evocative and here and there one still comes across some elderly lady in traditional clothing, although often only for tourist attraction purposes, but not necessarily, in fact, by walking along secondary streets, one can sometimes have a genuine encounter.

In this way we arrive at the little square in which stands Kimisis tis Theotokon, the main church of the town, placed at the top of the hill, from where one benefits from a beautiful panorama of the western coast of Karpathos, then we walk to the spectacular row of windmills that dominates the settlement, unfortunately for the most part in ruins, finally, step by step, we return to our car, completing a splendid itinerary in the heart of the island's folklore. Immediately afterwards we leave the picturesque Olympos, which fully deserves its fame, and from there we descend towards the east coast of the island along a road full of hairpin bends that leads to the locality of Diafani, from whose little port in the coming days we will set sail for a boat trip.

So, after taking some useful reference points, we take an impervious unpaved road, but easily passable with our Jimny, which climbs among the hills and along the coast south of the settlement. This dusty track leads in about three kilometers to the solitary Papas Minas Beach, all made of large dark flat pebbles (perfect for skipping on the water), which seen from above is very beautiful, although today the sea turns out to be a little too rough, due to the usual wind. Here we meet a group of Italian hikers, as well as a few other rare tourists, and we decide to stop anyway, because the place deserves a stop, even if only for the time necessary to consume our packed lunch, then we set off again.

We return to Diafani, then to Olympos and following the morning's road, which runs along the ridge of the island, after a handful of kilometers we turn left onto another unpaved road, which from a notable height descends towards the eastern side of Karpathos. The track is in good condition and perhaps passable even by a normal two-wheel-drive car, but at times it is unsettling due to the side precipices, then, after a good stretch, it reaches a fork: on the left it descends to Nati Beach, which we stop to photograph, and on the right it continues to Agios Minas Beach, amid grandiose views of the wild surrounding cliffs. Following this last direction shortly afterwards we arrive at the little church that gives its name to the beach and dominates it from above, then down to the shore of Agios Minas Beach, where we are the only human beings present.

Here the sea, protected from the wrath of Aeolus, is flat and transparent, nevertheless we decide to retrace our steps and go to Nati Beach, because it inspires us more. Agios Minas, in fact, is a large beach of rounded stones perhaps a little too anonymous. We retrace a portion of the impervious track and thus glide down to Nati Beach: this too is a large beach of stones bathed by a beautiful sea, which however on the left continues at the base of a high rocky wall and towards that point we walk. Almost at the bottom there is a cove that is just right for us, in which the waters are placid and crystalline, a little eden that we enjoy in the company of only two other swimmers, also quite distant, in an almost unreal silence, violated only by the lapping of the waves.

In this way we gently drag ourselves to late afternoon, when we must obligatorily climb back up along the vertiginous track, which takes us back to the paved road. From there then, after an infinite number of curves, we return to Pigadia to conclude, on a decidedly windy evening, the more than positive day, dining at Taverna Le Mirage, one of the many scattered in the center of the capital.

Still strong wind… and let's hope it's the last day, because the arrows in my bow, to avoid it, are running out. We head north of the island again, toward Olympos, and after the usual, inexorable series of curves, once we get near the village of Spoa, we go down toward the sea along a (strange but true) incredibly winding road that ends at the little harbor of Agios Nikolaos. There's a beautiful beach here, stretching right in front of the handful of houses that make up the tiny village, and it's also well protected from the wind, but our goal is different. We take a few photos and then set off along a dirt road that branches off a few hundred meters before the village, on the right.

At first it's rather demanding, then it becomes much easier, and once we've passed above Manari and Sfakia Beach, which can only be reached by sea and aren't even visible from the road, after about a kilometer we reach the little church of Agios Ioannis, partly built inside a cave, but we find it closed. From there, after another kilometer, we reach where the track ends and park the car. On the stretch of coast below us should be the remote Agios Ioannis Beach, which is not visible at all through the vegetation, but we don't give up. So we set off along a steep path that follows the dry bed of a stream, and in a handful of minutes we conquer the beach, which immediately presents itself as our daily corner of paradise.

Among the rocks, in fact, a clear expanse of pebbles stands out, bathed by a stunning sea, an idyllic little scene that we'll have to "sacrifice" ourselves to share… with ourselves! We set up camp and run straight into the water to delight in such wonder, though the water is always a little too cool, so much so that Sabrina just can't go beyond waist level, and so it goes all morning, even though at a certain point we have to "endure" the presence of another couple of people and a small boat with some bathers, to whom we even grant the honor of landing on what we now considered our beach. Well after lunch and more swims, we leave Agios Ioannis Beach, a little reluctantly.

We head back to Agios Nikolaos and then to Spoa, then, following the morning's route in reverse, at a certain point we turn left onto the paved road that descends to Kyra Panagia Beach, one of the most famous on Karpathos, especially for the typical little church of the same name that overlooks it, a true local icon, featured in most of the island's promotional spots. The most typical of Greek religious buildings dates back to the 19th century and stands out with its red dome against the backdrop of the nearby cliffs, but we just can't capture its most famous view, to get which you'd need access to private property. We still observe the bay below, equipped with umbrellas and sun loungers and bathed by a beautiful sea, today a little too rough, but all in all manageable.

From here, though, we don't go down to the beach yet, but retrace our steps a bit until we take the dirt track leading to nearby Kato Lakkos Beach, certainly wilder, but also more exposed to the wind; in fact, when we get to see the cove from above we notice the sea is really too rough, so we go definitively to Kyra Panagia. We rent an umbrella and there we prepare to spend the last hours of the afternoon. We take a fun swim among the waves and then laze about until the shade completely invades the shoreline… a shade that arrives too soon, to be honest.

In fact, shortly after 6:00 PM we're already on our way back to Pigadia, and having arrived at the Atlantis Hotel much earlier than expected, we take the opportunity to let Leonardo have a dip in the pool, which he'd been insistently asking to do since our arrival, then we put an end to the day by dining at Taverna Orea, with the wind that, believe it or not, seems to have calmed down considerably!

With the god of winds finally having come to his senses, we set off for this new act of the Karpathos tour. We head north again, and after about twenty kilometers we follow the road, all hairpin bends, that descends on the right to Apella Beach, the only one in the area that was missing from our list and considered by many the most beautiful on the island… in fact, seen from above, it definitely looks promising. Being among the first tourists to arrive on the spot, we park our Jimny a short distance away, then on foot we reach the beach, which today is caressed only by a pleasant breeze and whose waters are a splendor: apparently, truly liquid crystal! We take an umbrella in the front row and enjoy the spectacle of this cove, made entirely of light-colored pebbles and surrounded by very high mountains, largely rocky and spectacular, which at times vaguely recall the Dolomites.

Mid-morning, after an obligatory swim, I venture on foot to the right of the bay, and having passed a modest promontory, from whose top you savor an extraordinary view of Apella Beach, I reach a second beach, wilder and without facilities: a small oasis of bliss where there are only five other people. After taking the necessary photos, I return to the umbrella, then run to refresh myself in those splendid waves and shortly after again, through lunchtime and even beyond. In the early afternoon, however, our innate desire to discover new places emerges, so we leave the wonderful Apella Beach. We climb back up into the mountains and, having rejoined the road toward Spoa, at a certain point we turn left, descending for the first time toward the western coast, notoriously the windiest.

We stop to take a look at the village of Mesochori, in theory picturesque but in reality it didn't impress us much, then we continue toward Kato Lefkos, an area with some interesting beaches. In particular, in the center of the village there are three: the first we come across (Gialou Chorafi), facing south, at a glance is very beautiful but, fully equipped, is overflowing with people (and it's only June), the second (Panagia Limani), facing west, we only glimpse in the distance, but it doesn't inspire us, and the third (Fragolimniona), exposed to the north, is very wide and a bit too beaten by the waves… so we choose the fourth option and continue along the dirt road that runs alongside the coastline north of the village, until we get near the rocky islet of Sokastro, where the ruins of an ancient Byzantine citadel are found.

There the road ends, and having parked the car in a small recess, we go down to one of the many little beaches situated along the very jagged coast below, some occupied by nudists, given the tranquility of the place, but others free, and among these also the one that suits us. So we stay delighting in this other splendid corner of the Aegean for the rest of the afternoon, until almost 7:00 PM, then we return to Pigadia crossing the island's severe ridge, where the characteristic villages of Othos and Aperi are also found, and finally we conclude yet another beautiful episode of this vacation at Taverna To Goniakon, good and particularly inexpensive.

We wake up earlier than usual, because today is the day of the planned boat excursion, booked from home, which will start at 10:00 from the little harbor of Diafani, in the north of the island. There are 48 kilometers and hundreds of curves to cover, requiring at least an hour and a half of travel, so shortly after 8:00 we're already on the road, attacking the asphalt. The weather is nice but the skies are no longer as clear as when the wind was blowing, so along the mountain route we even find ourselves passing through some clouds gathering in the island's highest areas, among which stands out, always beautiful, the village of Olympos. In Diafani, on the other hand, the sun is shining and the sea is calm: the best you could wish for in view of the events ahead.

We arrive at the pier around 9:30 and immediately go, right across the way, to the offices of Nikos Boat to settle the bill for the trip, which will take us to discover the island of Saria: twenty square kilometers of rugged territory, mostly rocky and completely uninhabited for almost sixty years. At 10:00 sharp we set sail in the company of another fifteen or so tourists, mostly Italians, and we skirt the severe northeastern coast of Karpathos, extremely wild because inaccessible by land, and here we see the beautiful Troulakas cave, a refuge for fishermen in bad weather, where Nikos has us take a first unforgettable dip, then we continue north with the navigation, and having passed the very narrow strip of sea (only a hundred meters) that separates it from Karpathos, we reach the coasts of Saria (they were once a single thing, but a violent earthquake separated them).

We immediately stop to swim at a beautiful little beach surrounded by very high rocky walls and lapped by amazing water… a shame only about the too much, damned plastic present, which the currents bring to shore. Having set off again, we coast along the eastern side of the island and arrive at the deep inlet of Palatia, splendid from the moment you enter its crystal-clear waters, where some spectacular sea stacks also rise. There we go ashore and set up camp in what was also a den of Saracen pirates for over a century.

No sooner have we settled in than, while Sabrina stays to relax on the beach, with Leonardo I follow the path that, in a little over half an hour, first crosses steep gorges, then reaches the ghost village of Argos, and finally conquers the local rugged heights near the white little church of Agios Zacharias, which is also a stunning panoramic viewpoint over the coast below. Back at base, we treat ourselves to a long swim in the bay, which also features some caves, but we can't explore them properly, since Nikos accompanied the excursionists while we were walking toward the top of the island.

Right after, the captain prepares lunch for us, which we eat in the shade of some trees and in the company of a few donkeys that are, in practice, the only true local representatives, then he takes us to see the nearby church of Agia Sofia, built on the foundations of an early Christian basilica from the 5th-6th century, when the island was, evidently, inhabited. Around 4:00 PM we leave the bay of Palatia and, while Nikos briefly entrusts the helm to Leonardo, we sail toward the far north of Saria, up to the splendid Alimounda Beach. There too we stop and go ashore for almost an hour, enjoying the last unforgettable swims of this trip in one of the most remote and fascinating corners of the entire Aegean.

Around 5:00 PM we set sail for good, and after a quick hop a little further north to admire other formidable rock formations emerging from the sea, we point the bow toward the return route. Sailing so placidly along the coast, shortly after 6:00 PM, we reach the port of Diafani, concluding a superlative boat excursion. Now all that's left is to travel once again the endless series of curves and ups and downs to Pigadia, where later we return to dinner at Sofia's Place, reminiscing about the first evening spent on the island. Finally we retire to our apartments, looking forward to another installment of the exploration of Karpathos.

With the vacation now irremediably drawing to a close, this morning we set off to visit the south of the island, notoriously the windiest… but today we trust in Aeolus's mercy. After a few kilometers from Pigadia we turn toward the interior of the island and climb up to see the characteristic village of Menetes, perched on the northern slope of Mount Profitis Ilias. There, what's especially beautiful is the view of the colorful houses typical of Dodecanese architecture, clustered one against the other, which you enjoy from the church of Kimisis tis Theotokou, the most important in the village. Right after we set off again and, following a short detour a few kilometers after Menetes, we also go to see the curious little church of Agios Mamas, white in color and dome-shaped, resembling an old oven, dating, it seems, to the 11th century.

From there we then descend to the sea near the airport and, after first stopping to take a look at Makris Beach (kingdom of the windsurfers), right after we take the dirt road that runs behind the runway and reaches Diakoftis Beach, probably the most famous beach on Karpathos… and rightly so! In fact, it's a white expanse of soft and rare sand, lapped by waters that form a true natural pool, whose hues can be described as typically Caribbean. Only a beautiful row of palm trees is missing. The place is usually crowded (especially in July and August), but when we arrive it's still relatively early, so we can grab an umbrella in the front row (fifteen euros, a bit pricey) and literally enjoy the place.

Diakoftis Beach, among other things, is located on a narrow isthmus, so behind it there's a second beach, which I go to see with Leonardo, but although cute it doesn't compare to its more famous sister, so we retrace our steps and go plunge into those extraordinary waters… clear and cool, even a little too much, as always, after all. In this way the morning slips away and, after having lunch with our sandwiches under the umbrella, around 2:00 PM we leave, also because an annoying wind has picked up. So we venture along the dirt track that follows the southern coast of Karpathos, thus we stop to see the beautiful beaches of Psoraris and Michaliou Kipos, lapped by a splendid sea, but these too a bit beaten by the wind, then the wider Agrilopotamos Beach, which instead turns out to be decidedly windy.

Further on we observe from above the inlet of Araki, which doesn't inspire us much, then we come in sight of Agios Theodoros Beach, which on the other hand is a beautiful bay, and well sheltered too. So we walk down to the beach, surrounded by multicolored rocks and made up of many dark, rounded pebbles, which perhaps don't do justice to the clarity of the water, and there we stop, even though the umbrellas present are all occupied. Leonardo makes friends with another Italian child and plays with him all afternoon, so, between a dip and another, we pleasantly spend the evening. A shame only that shortly after 6:00 PM the beach is already in the shadow of the cliffs above, nevertheless we stay almost another hour, because Leonardo simply won't leave his new little friend.

In the end we calmly return to Pigadia, where we have the last dinner on the island at Taverna Maxim, then we rush to the room to pack our suitcases for tomorrow's departure home.

Today, then, we'll leave Karpathos, but only in the evening, so we'll have almost the entire day available. We have breakfast, settle the hotel bill and take our suitcases to the reception, where they'll keep them until our return, in the late afternoon, then we set off. In this final chapter of the trip we'll focus on the southeastern part of the island, the only one still missing from our checklist. A few kilometers after Pigadia we turn toward the sea following the signs for Ammopi, one of the most touristy areas of the island. In this way we go to see its beaches: Little Ammopi, Mega Ammopi and Votsalakia, certainly beautiful, but over-equipped and therefore too crowded… not exactly what we're looking for for the epilogue of the vacation. So we continue another few kilometers south, then we take another secondary road that descends toward the coast, down to Chritou Pigadi Beach.

This beach is also equipped, but much more limitedly so, and an almost unreal peace reigns there, along with the usual beautiful sea. There we stop to enjoy a good three hours of pure beach life, then, around 1:00 PM, we have a decent lunch at the taverna above, with a pleasant sea view… what a tough life!… exactly the one we'll miss starting tomorrow. With full bellies we then leave Christou Pigadi and move a very short distance away, a little further north, to the enchanting Damatrias Beach, which however is a bit beaten by the wind. So we continue along the dirt road that runs alongside the coast until we reach, where it ends, near the out-of-the-way Tati Beach, which can be seen in the distance, set in a stretch of sea with tropical reflections. To reach that little wonder, though, requires a fair hike, which today we simply can't afford given the little time available.

So we take a nice series of panoramic photos before heading back toward Damatrias Beach… but we don't reach the latter because along the way we spot a tiny little beach, which we conquer by walking down from the steep cliffs. In this way we can enjoy yet another, unfortunately last, corner of paradise that this exceptional island can offer: a few square meters of sand overlooking a fabulous natural pool, in which we bask for a long time, or at least as much as possible. In fact, around 5:00 PM we unfortunately have to abandon our very personal beach and the splendid sea of Karpathos to return to the Atlantis Hotel, where we take a quick shower and definitively close our suitcases. We then set off toward the airport to arrive a few minutes before 7:00 PM.

We immediately check in our bags, then we go outside, so as to bite into our sandwiches for dinner and at the same time wait for the Sofia's Car agent, to whom shortly after we hand back our legendary Jimny, companion of adventures with which we covered, on Karpathos, a good 519 kilometers of road, including rugged terrain. Afterwards we go through security checks and wait for our plane, the only one scheduled to depart this evening. So, sure not to make a mistake, even if a bit behind schedule, we board the Boeing 717 of the Volotea company which at 9:20 PM, now in complete darkness, takes off, identified as flight V71301. Everything goes smoothly along the route and, after also moving the clock hands back an hour, we land at 10:43 PM at Venice Marco Polo airport.

Between disembarking, baggage claim and the shuttle to the parking area, it then takes us over an hour to reclaim our car, so we set off on the journey home when it's ten minutes to midnight… midnight that strikes while we're driving along a half-empty and therefore rather unusual ring road in Mestre.

… After another ten minutes, in Padova, we get on the A13 toward Bologna, and at 1:00 sharp we're in the felsineo capital (from where, God willing, we'll take off for our next vacation), then at 1:38 we happily conclude the journey in front of our home gate… a little tired just at the thought of having to go to work in a few hours. In our eyes, though, there are still the breathtaking views and the fabulous sea of Karpathos, perhaps the best seen so far in those parts, so much so that we can call the island a true pearl, enchantment of the Aegean.