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Welcome to Karpathos. One of the group of Greek islands known as the Dodecanese, Karpathos can be found, on a map, between Crete and Rhodes. It is a skinny island, running about 50 kms from tip to tip, and north to south. It has a mountainous interior which has served to isolate the northern islanders from the southern to such an extent that they almost appear to have different cultural identities. The island caters for the tourists that visit but is still relatively unspoiled with dramatic landscapes, plentiful beaches and little villages for the visitor to discover and enjoy. Whilst there, sample the local dish - makarounes, macaroni cooked with onions and cheese. Pigadia, in the south east, is the island's main town with a population of less than 1500. The town has comfortable accommodation on offer and numerous places at which to eat. Amopi, popular with tourists and lying about 8 kms from Pigadia, has beaches, bays and the sea to enjoy. Another place to visit, not far from Pigadia, is the attractive village of Menetes complete with its own tiny museum. Still in the south of the island, but on the opposite coast, take a look at the villages of Arkasa and Finiki, in the vicinity of which you can find the remains of Basilica of Agia Sophia, dating back to the 5th century. Many areas of the island are not easily accessible and, consequently, not overly affected by the advent of tourism. Many of the inland villages remain largely untouched. In the north, the village of Olymbos keeps the old traditions alive and provision is made for tourists but in much of the rest of this area access can be more difficult. Tourists will find that the island has a bus service, centred on Pigadia, that visits a number of villages in the southern part of the island, but not the more northerly ones like Olymbos. Cars and bikes can be hired but the road surfaces are often poor and petrol petrol stations scarce. Some of the more inaccessible beaches can be visited on the trip boats. A visitor can reach the island by air from Athens or Rhodes, or by ferry to one of its 2 ports, Pigadia and Diafani. Karpathos enjoys a good ferry service as, lying between the larger islands of Crete and Rhodes, it is able to take advantage of their own numerous ferry services and provide a jumping-off point. |