Karpathos· Όλυμπος
Olympos & the wild north
A village on a ridge at six hundred metres that kept its own dress and dialect, the small harbour below it, and the uninhabited island of Saria beyond.
- Culture
- Hiking
- Peace & quiet
The north of Karpathos is a separate country. Olympos hangs along a ridge at about 600 metres with windmills on the skyline, reached either by a long mountain road or by boat to Diafani and then a bus. Older women still wear the village dress every day rather than for visitors, the dialect retains forms lost elsewhere in Greek, and the bakeries use communal wood ovens.
Above the village, Avlona is a farming hamlet of a handful of houses, and the cave sanctuary at Vrougounda on the coast below is one of the strangest places in the Dodecanese. Further north again, across a narrow channel, the uninhabited island of Saria keeps the ruins at Palatia — a boat trip from Diafani, weather permitting.
Diafani is where you sleep: a small harbour with a pebble beach, a couple of hotels and the tavernas that feed the boat passengers. The two beaches you can reach on foot from it, Vananda and Forokli, have nothing on them. Much of the north closes from November to April.
🏛️ Olympos & the wild north
Attractions · Olympos & the wild north
🏖️ Olympos & the wild north
Beaches · Olympos & the wild north
🍽️ Olympos & the wild north
Restaurants & tavernas · Olympos & the wild north
🛏️ Olympos & the wild north
Where to stay · Olympos & the wild north
Hotels on the map · Olympos & the wild north
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, studios and villas — so you can judge the distance to the beach, the port or the village from here rather than guess from an address.
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Tours and day trips from here
Boat trips, guided tours of the ancient sites and tickets bookable ahead — free cancellation on most.
- Olympos on its ridgeA village at 600 metres where older women still wear the village dress every day rather than for visitors, and the dialect keeps forms lost elsewhere.See guided tours →
- Apella and the north by boatApella is a bowl of pine and white rock reached by hairpins and steps; the boat to Diafani is the easy way to the north of the island.See boat trips →
- Wind at AfiartisThe southern plain funnels a reliable summer meltemi and has had windsurfing schools and international competitions for decades.See guided tours →
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Where to stay
The other parts of Karpathos
- Pigadia & the southThe capital and port, the old hill villages around it, family sand at Arkasa and Finiki, and the windsurfing plain at Afiartis where the airport is.4 attractions · 6 beaches · 6 restaurants & tavernas · 10 where to stay
- Lefkos, Apella & the middleThe beaches on the posters — Apella, Kyra Panagia, Achata — on the east coast, and the sandy bays and small resort at Lefkos facing west.5 attractions · 5 beaches · 6 restaurants & tavernas · 10 where to stay
Before you go
Car hire from local firmsIsland rental companies rather than the international desks — usually cheaper, often with full insurance and no card deposit. On Crete, Kefalonia or Naxos a car is what gets you to the beaches the buses do not reach.Compare local cars →Scooter, ATV & bike hireThe classic island runabout for coves and hilltop villages. Wear the helmet, check what the insurance excludes, and be honest about gravel roads — they are where most rental accidents happen.Find a scooter →Car hire, budgetAn aggregator that tends to surface the lowest headline prices. Read the fuel, insurance and ferry clauses — many contracts do not allow the car on a boat.Compare prices →
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