Karpathos

Karpahos, Italianized as Scarpanto, is located in the Dodecanese Archipelago, lost in the middle of the Aegean between Rhodes island and Crete island.

It is the third largest in the Archipelago and we can say that it is a real pearl. Once almost hidden, today it is very busy with tourism, especially Italian tourism, which however, despite the invasion generally during the summer period, has managed to still retain its typically Greek atmosphere and its habits and customs that date back to past centuries.

With a long and narrow shape with an extension of approximately 324 square kilometers, it is mainly covered by mountains that cross it from north to south with peaks that even reach 1200 meters such as Mount Kali Limni or Mount Lastos which offer stupendous panoramas suspended between the sky and an intense blue sea. Like almost all Greek Islands, it has two satellite islets, the uninhabited and wild island of Saria to the north, and the island of Kassos to the south where it is also possible to think of stopping for a few days. Its morphology creates a different environment where Mother Nature has been able to create heart-pounding overhangs, water courses, headlands where a rich flora and fauna feeds and beaches where you can abandon yourself and recharge your energy. A word of warning, Karpathos is sometimes windswept so if you are not a fan of Eolo it could be a little difficult to live with.

History of Karpathos

Starting from mythology, Kaprathos was the place where the king of the Titans Leptsos, son of Gaia and Uranus, lived. According to legends, it is here that Athena was born from the head of Zeus. Populated since the Neolithic, in the Minoan era it saw the migration of settlers from Crete who remained there until the end of the Bronze Age. It also took part in the Trojan War and was then conquered by the Dorians. During the classical period it reached a high degree of civilization thanks to its proximity to the port of Lindos. In the Hellenistic era, however, it had a close bond with Rhodes which influenced it in all its events. Under Roman domination it was highly protected as it was a stopping point on the sea routes between Rome and the cities of the eastern Mediterranean. In the Byzantine era, however, it suffered many attacks from pirates, forcing the population to move inland to protect themselves. Then the Genoese arrived and remained for two centuries and then the Venetians arrived until Ottoman rule in 1912, the year in which it was annexed to Italy together with other islands of the Dodecanese. Finally, in the Second World War, after freeing itself from the Germans in 1948, it became part of the Greek State.

You choose a holiday in Karpathos as it is a quiet and uncontaminated island where you can find dream beaches bathed by a sea that is perhaps among the most beautiful of all the Greek Islands with colors ranging from intense turquoise to emerald to the dark blue typical of Aegean.

The ancient village of Olympos in the north-west part, the wildest area of the island, is certainly worth a visit. Built on a mountain ridge to defend itself from raiders, it is definitely an enchanted place. Houses in natural stone to camouflage with the landscape where people still dress according to tradition with handkerchiefs and hand-embroidered blouses, where among its narrow streets you can still breathe a genuine air linked to old habits and customs. It is called "the village of women" as they are the majority because since time immemorial because men were either fighting or working. Diafani, on the other hand, still to the north is a small village with flat-roofed houses and the second port of Karpathos. Its fish market is legendary as fishing boats land there after fishing trips. From here we set off to discover the wonderful island of Saria.

Moving south instead, do not miss going to Amoopi, nestled in a beautiful inlet between sandy beaches and rocky cliffs, or the capital Pigadia, a lively town where comfort but also tradition are not lacking, and again in Aperi 320 meters above sea level a once the capital of the island with its pretty square and its small churches. Finally, Menetes is a village built during the medieval period where the view is astonishing.

If you love trekking, Karpathos will give you great satisfaction! Especially the part close to Diafani has routes that will take you to remote places full of history and mystery. In this regard, if you want a holiday in Karpathos based on walking and not just the sea, write to us at info@bookingisolegreche.com we will direct you to an expert local guide who can organize memorable excursions for you.

There are many things that revolve around Karpathos and it will not be difficult to fall in love with it, for its authenticity, a still intact and primitive territory and a lot of availability on the part of its inhabitants who will always be happy to give you useful information to better enjoy this beautiful island.

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