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Forget the windmills of Mykonos and the expensive blue domes of Santorini.
Those are the islands that everyone seems to flock to year in and year out, and admittedly, they have their charm.
If you want views of the Aegean Sea without the hordes of cruise ships, the elbow-to-elbow crowds or the eye-watering villa prices, look further east.
If, like me, you’re hoping for something a little more unusual this season, away from the hordes of cruise ships, and where booking a villa overlooking the Aegean Sea won’t cost you hundreds of euros a night, quiet, relaxed Karpathos might be the solution.
Just hurry up. It has gained quite a bit of popularity lately.
Greece’s best kept secret is about to be revealed
The second largest island in Greece’s easternmost archipelago, the Dodecanese – the best region to travel if you ask me – Karpathos is 50 kilometers long and 11 kilometers wide and offers pure Mediterranean bliss.
Think of it like a gently curved chili pepper, where every notch on the map hides a different beautiful beach, each with the most turquoise water you’ve ever seen. I’m not even kidding.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Why is Karpathos suddenly on everyone’s radar?
Right now, Karpathos is one of the most talked about Greek destinations in travel news circles, and it’s not hard to see why.
In a country as badly affected by mass tourism as Greece, somewhere like Karpathos, where island life still feels unspoilt and authentic, and the coastline isn’t one big playground for luxury developers, it would eventually attract curious eyes.
Apart from that, Karpathos pretty much is to grow as destination:
More direct flights from mainland Europe this season
It is already served by a small international airport with seasonal flights arriving from selected European hubs and mainland Greece, but this year in particular airside activity is being ramped up with the addition of non-stop flights from Verona.
As in the Italian city of Verona, an important hub for the low-cost airline Volotea, from just $45 one way.
Even if most Europeans can’t fly directly to Karpathos, they can now easily connect via Verona, which is served by flights from virtually every corner of the continent.
That’s a much easier (and often cheaper) alternative than flying to Athens first and then taking a domestic Greek flight or an overnight ferry to Karpathos, both of which can end up costing five times as much.
If you’re flying to Europe this summer or even later in the year, make sure you check the travel rules which is stated on the Entry Requirement Checker upon departure.
Depending on when you go and where you land, you may need to undergo a mandatory fingerprinting upon arrival or even apply for a mandatory travel permit well in advance.
Is this the Dodecanese or the Ionian?
As for Karpathos itself, it’s an island you’ll love if you really want to unwind, feel the Aegean sun on your face and prefer holidays that feel more like a ‘let’s get to it’ trip than carefully planned, action-packed sightseeing.
In that case, it’s best to stay with Karpathos’ big sister, Rhodes.
The first thing you’ll probably want to do once that plane lands at the small Karpathos airport, besides checking into your accommodation of course, is Reach Apella Beach.
The island’s most talked-about beach, it is a stretch of white pebble beach sandwiched between mountains and the turquoise sea. The color of the water here is really surreal, surreal on the Ionian level, and the depth is almost like a swimming pool.
Apella Taverna, right on the beach, is also a great place to have lunch and try local grilled fish and meze while breathing in the fresh sea breeze. And honestly, you could return to Apella every day of your Karpathos vacation and still have a great time.
I think it also helps that the Greek islands are generally regarded as one of the more relaxing and safe destinations in Europe. They tend to feel that they are far removed from the intensity of the big cities on the mainland much slower and more leisurely pace general.
Greece also scores high on the Traveler Safety Index and usually ends up in the highest ranking, around 90 out of 100.
Did someone say… RED Domes?
Just a 15-minute drive south of Apella is Kyra Panagia Beach, another ridiculously scenic bay with… ready for…? A red dome church.
Yes, a million times yes.
Santorini may have the famous blue domes, but Karpathos is known for its distinctive, vibrant red-hued church roofs, and I don’t know about you, but those whitewashed chapels carry the full-blooded color quite well.
If you’re in Karpathos for its picture-postcard beaches, you’ll definitely want to base yourself in or around this place Pigadiaon the south coast.
It is a lively harbor town sufficient dining options and something of an evening life, although it never gets as busy as, ahem, the godforsaken Faliraki on Rhodes.
Besides just the beaches, Karpathos is known for its dramatic mountainous nature, and the coast-to-coast drive from Pigadia to Olympos, on the north side, is perhaps one of the most beautiful in all of Greece:
Explore a mountain village frozen in time
Olympic itself is a mountain village where women still wander the town in their traditional black dresses, the pastel-colored houses date back centuries and every broken cobblestone seems to tell a thousand stories.
One of the best rated tavernas on the island, Taverna Parthenonis here serving slow roasted lamb and kokoretsi.
The best part? Dining here won’t cost you an arm and a leg like it would on Santorini or in the posh parts of Rhodes: a three-course meal with a cold drink and a shot of ouzo to round it off will cost you around $20-$35 at almost any walk-in tavern.
On the east coast, the drive takes you further south, to more beautiful stops and viewpoints over the Aegean Sea hidden coves surrounded by blue-green seas.
If you’re looking for those sandy strips, on the quieter side, head to the west side, which is a short drive across the island by the way.
Lefkos has several sandy beaches, perfect for lazing on the sunbeds or swimming, and when the sun sets on this side of the island it is also the best place to admire those fiery red, uninterrupted Aegean sunsets.
Not overrun with tourists… For now
Karpathos may not have the sunset glamor of Santorini, the star-studded beach bars of Mykonos or the all-inclusive resort scene of Corfu. In fact, most of the hospitality is provided by local families and small guesthouses rather than big brand hotels masquerading as barefoot luxury eco-stays.
But…it has the quiet coves, the gentle rhythm, the slow afternoons that turn into golden sunsets, and relaxed beach hopping with nary an audience in sight. Something that the regular Greek islands can only dream of in 2026.
And if you want to experience Karpathos at its best most untouched, unpolished selfyou probably want to get there as soon as possible.
