Here comes my guide to discover Karpathos, Greece with tips on things to do in Karpathos and the best Karpathos beaches.
Where is Karpathos Island and how to get to Karpathos | Greece?
Karpathos Island is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It is situated between the islands of Crete and Rhodos.
To get to Karpathos Island, the best is to come by plane. As we were already in Greece, we came from Athens with Aegan airlines. But you can also come via ferry from other islands.
My tip is to rent a car to explore the island, as there are many things to see.
Things to do in Karpathos | Greece
You will see very quickly on the island that the locals are very sporty. Hiking, climbing, mountain biking, snorkelling, swimming, diving, and windsurfing are one of the many things you can do on Karpathos island. For a cultural experience, head over to Olympos in the North of Karpathos Island.
Windsurfing on Karpathos Island
I had many first times on Karpathos. Some part of the island are quite windy, so many people do windsurf on those spots but also some kite surfing. I took my very first wind surfing lesson. It is not that difficult, you just need a little bit of balance, coordination and obviously some understandings about the wind but nothing too complicated.
Mountain biking on Karpathos Island
Since Karpathos Island is quite hilly it is the best time to go moutain biking.This was my first time as well and challenging. We took a sunset trip and the roads were so nice that it was worth the effort.
Diving on Karpathos Island
Finally, I had my first diving lesson as well. I can recommend you to go to Diving Karpathos on the harbour if you would like to experience diving or if you are interested in the flora and fauna in Karpathos. Dino, the owner is very engaged in protecting the island and will be able to tell you many nice stories or take you to the best diving spots on the island.
Tip : If you don’t want to dive but are still interested into exploring some marine life, there is on the port of Karpathos the ORCA glass bottom boat, a boat with a see through bottom that allows you to see what is in the sea. Perfect for children as well. I recommend to go on a not so windy day and not directly after it rains so the water is not to shallow and you will be able to see more.
Best Karpathos beaches – Lefkos, Amoopi, Apella, Kyra Panagia
If you are not so much into sports and rather like to hang out at the beach, Karpathos Island has quite incredible beaches. We explored Karpathos best beaches both by car and by boat.
As mentioned before, the beaches on the left side of the island are more windy and are better if you want to do some sports while on the right side of the island you have beaches that are perfect for swimming and tanning 😉
Amoopi beach
On the south part of the island you will find small Amoopi and big Amoopi, that are very accessible by car you will find also many restaurants around and are perfect for families. It is also a snorkelling paradise!!
Beaches on Lefkos on Karpathos Island
Lefkos is situated in the middle of the island, on the left side. It is also very accessible by car. The town is lovely with cute restaurants and shops. The beaches here are more raw and windy.
Apella beach
Apella beach was my favourite beach even though it was quite touristy. The vegetation is very lush and the water just perfect azure blue. It looked really tropical also. A secret spot is around the corner, Vasili’s paradise, where locals build in the rocks a little restaurant where they have drinks and barbecue.
Kyra Panagia
Kyra Panagia is also very accessible by car and is ranked one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece!
Restaurants on Karpathos Island
I honestly could eat gyros for breakfast, lunch and dinner but it would have been a little sad as there are very nice restaurants on Karpathos Island.
In my previous article I mentioned the restaurant we ate at in Olympos, on the North of the Island. I will now review some restaurants in the south part of the Island.
Lunch at Maistrali restaurant on Karpathos Island
Maistrali is situated in the main town of Karpathos. It is a family owned restaurant right by the beach. Perfect for lunch if you stay at the beach. We ate local specialities and very good fish. I recommend the shrimps that you see in the picture below. Delicious!
A drink at Stema bar in Akassa
We went to Stema bar two times. One time for a beer at sunset after our mountain bike tour and one time for cocktails after dinner. Later at night there are more young people around, and with the dancefloor inside, it is where the party is happening. The place to be!
Dinner at Kipos Taverna in Arkassa
Kipos Taverna is perfect for a romantic evening. They serve traditional greek food. We had the typical makarounes as well as very good seafood like mussels and stuffed octopus.
Where to sleep on Karpathos, Greece.
As I already said in my previous post, Karpathos is an Island where the mass tourism is going. Therefore, you won’t find big hotels on the island. Alternatives are local hotels, or more unusual accommodations.
Karpathos Accommodation – Sleep in a cottage – Sitarena cottage
The first two nights, Vicky and I slept in a cottage in the mountains. The cottage is owned by a lovely lady called Marianna, who transformed a barn into a little house. The house is isolated in the mountains. When you wake up in the morning you will only hear your only neighbors : the goats. Sitarena cottage is not too far from the village of Menetes and is perfect for anyone who is looking for calm or want to do a digital detox. The little house has got everything you need, a kitchenette, a big bed, a proper bathroom (that even have hot water) and a fireplace.
After the two nights in the cottage, we moved to a complex that is at walking distance from the beach.
Karpathos accommodation – Sleep in a villa with your own swimming pool
Silena villas is also owned by Marianna. It is a 6 villas complex. We stayed in the blue light room that has got it’s own swimming pool. Since every villa have their own kitchen, Mariana does not offer breakfast to her guest, only if you ask for it. From Silena Villas, you have a view over Amoopi beach that is at a 10 minutes walk distance. It is one of the nicest beaches in the South of Karpathos.
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**This trip was organized by Discover.Greece.
My opinion remains my own.