An island with cloud-wrapped villages and rugged beauty, where there’s still something undeniably primal in the air.

This slender island between Crete and Rhodes is a gateway to the past. In the mountaintop village of Olympus, villagers dress, worship, and live much as they did half a millennium ago; they even speak a Doric dialect.

The picturesque beaches and the scenery will impress travellers of Karpathos. Pigadia is the capital and main port. It is worth visiting the cave of Neptune, the Pine, the Mountain and the church of Agia Kyriaki, from where the view is astonishing.

Despite its minimal size, Karpathos hits big on the seeing and doing front, with surfing beaches, walking trails and ever-changing scenery. Constructed centuries ago near the edge of the cliffs; Karpathos’ whitewashed windmills were built to last. The wind rushes along the footpath before them, muting the gentle snapping sound of their sails and of the waves crashing against the cliff face 200m below. The island’s western frontier, surrounded by the temperamental Aegean Sea, reveals a sense of awe that only nature can deliver.

You can swim in the bay of Pigadia, the beaches of Amoopi and Makriyialos that can be approached by tour boat from the port of Achata beaches, Kira Panagia, Apella, Agios Nikolaos, Agios Minas, Diafani and Vananta .

Karpathos is small, yet it manages to squeeze in a great variety of landscapes, making it perfect for outdoor pursuits. World -class surfing beaches, roads with soft hills ideal for cycling, and shimmering, glass-blue water for swimming and snorkeling. Do not leave the island without buying karpathos’ dishes and copper utensils, textiles and stivalia . Try out the famous sesame honey and delicious handmade pasta.