Karpathos Island (Greece)

Karpathos Island is part of Greece's Dodecanese island chain located in southeastern Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean), off Turkey's Anatolian coast. The island is the Dodecanese's second-largest by land area (325 km2 / 125 mi2, following Rhodes) and has population around 6,000.

Together with neighboring smaller Saria Island, Karpathos Island forms the municipality of Karpathos. The isle has also been named Carpathus in Latin, Kerpe in Turkish and Scarpanto in Italian. Saria Island was once united with the island of Karpathos, but an earthquake separated them. Saria preserves lots of important antiquities.

The highest point on Karpathos Island is Mt. Lastos, at 1215 m (3986 ft). It comprises 10 villages. Pigadia (officially named Karpathos), the island's capital and main port, is situated in the southeast of the island.

Due to its remote location, the island of Karpathos has preserved a lot of peculiarities of customs, dress and dialect, the last resembling those of Cyprus and Crete.

Karpathos island's beaches can be divided into 4 large groups: beaches situated on the east coast - small and gravelly, without wind; beaches of the southern part, near the airport - made of fine white sand; sandy beaches on the west coast are - the most exposed to Meltemi and available only in low wind conditions; beaches of the northern part of the island, accessible by sea and partly by jeep.

Karpathos is connected to neighboring Greek isles and to mainland Greece via airplanes and ferries, most of them linking it to Piraeus-Athens and Rhodes.

During the summer, small private boats sail from Pigadia to a variety of locations daily, including some inaccessible beaches and Olympos (via Diafani).

Karpathos Island cruise terminal