Karpathos

Holidays In Karpathos

Pighadia port is the departure point for excursion boats to the north – much pleasanter and easier than by road, the upper half of which remains unmade. Some superb east coast beaches, such as famous white-sand Apella, can be reached by sea or 4x4, but the best trip is to stay on the boat and continue up the coast to the fishing village of Diafani, where buses take you the short distance to Olymbos. This mountain village is known throughout  Greece for its traditional ways – a sign of its historical isolation – where locals still wear colourful embroidered dress and speak an ancient dialect. Sadly commerce seems to be partly the impetus for the continuation of some of these traditions today, but the village is still well worth a visit and the trip is lovely.

Between the two, not far from Pighadia and fine to explore by car, is a scattering of very attractive villages in the foothills of Mount Kalilimni (1215m), such as Pyles. From here you can take the west coast road to Lefkos, three gorgeous sandy bays with a small summer resort-village behind. Despite its growing popularity Lefkos remains quiet and laid back for much of the year, only busy for a few peak weeks, and has at least a dozen restaurants, a selection of small shops, sunbeds and car hire available. For a relaxing holiday in attractive low-key environs, with a choice of beaches as good as you’ll find anywhere on your doorstep, we think Lefkos would be hard to beat.