Top 4 beaches in Karpathos island
A crescent invaded by pebbles and the deep blue sea that creeps between the stones, a fine expanse of sand that laps a fishing port, a remote sandy isthmus, wild and heavenly, a beach that cuts through the steep cliff shaded by vegetation. You could not want anything more, every need and preference can be met in this sometimes cozy and sometimes wild island, which between the inlets of its cliffs hides magnificent beaches.
The island is large, but not so big that you can't reach the beach you prefer in maximum an hour's drive. We've explored them all, and gathered the list of the 4 best, each with its own character and more than one reason to become the favorite.
1. KIRA PANAGIA
equipped beach | free beach / pebbles / taverns and mini market nearby
Those looking for an accessible beach, but not too much, with the right degree of tranquility, close to mini markets and taverns and a microscopic town among whose houses to walk to admire the coast from above, will find in Kira Panagia its cradle. A medium sized strip of land, mostly studded with pebbles and small stones, which lies at the end of a small basin on which stands the small village around the church that gives its name to this place.
The coast is dominated by a small white church with a characteristic red dome, from which you can admire even better the magnificent turquoise of these waters. The beach is partially equipped, and close to all the necessary facilities to spend a pleasant day at sea, accompanied by a Greek salad at lunchtime.
It is located about 20 minutes from the capital Pigadia, on the east coast of the island.
2. APELLA BEACH
equipped beach | free beach / small pebbles / tavern nearby
The beach Apella attracts the attention of travelers from the road that runs along the cliff, from which you can see a white crescent lapped by the lapis lazuli sea. Less accessible than other beaches, a partially unpaved road leads steeply down the wooded cliff. You park along the road where possible, and proceed for a few minutes on foot to get off at the beach.
The beach is made up of small white pebbles and has the advantage of being surrounded by the sparse forest that covers the slopes of the mountain behind it, a perfect place to protect yourself from the sun and relax in the shade of a pine tree. The beach is huge and hardly crowded.
Adventuring through the bush, at the edge opposite the access to the beach, you can climb on the cliff and climb over a promontory that separates a more remote secondary beach.
There is only one tavern near the car park. The beach can be reached with a journey of approx. 35 minutes from Pigadia, and is only 10 minutes from Kira Panagia, to the North.
3. LEFKOS BEACH
equipped beach | free beach / fine sand / taverns and mini market nearby
Lefkos is the furthest beach from the capital. It takes about an hour's drive to reach it, but it is certainly worth spending at least one day there. A sequence of two half moons of sand, separated by an isthmus on which stands the small namesake village, a cluster of white houses that forms the backdrop to the beautiful beach. Coming from the hinterland, the first beach you come across, and that strikes already along the coast road, is a beautiful expanse of fine white sand invaded by umbrellas, directly accessible from the village through stairs that descend from the road. This arrives at a car park that is located near the second beach, an immense expanse of coarser sand, invaded by algae and dotted with rocks, certainly less frequented and wild. Here the beach is completely free.
Lefkos is so large and varied that it will meet the tastes of everyone; our preference has fallen on the first bay, since the calmest water and the finest sand were two of the most attractive characteristics for our tastes. Although the beach seems very crowded, there are large free portions and remains undisturbed a good slice of the beach where you can spend time playing frisbee.
The village that lies between these two beaches offers restaurants and mini markets for every need, as well as a great place to eat a delicious pita gyros with sea views, Zorbas Greek Taverna.
4. DIAKOFTIS
free beach | equipped beach / fine sand / beach bar
A paradise for lovers of remote places, this beach is located in a strip of land cut off from the airport, which has preserved its wild character.
You have to find the road that leads you, and the navigator will not help. When you get to the crossroads before the airport, you have to turn into the road at the corner of a large abandoned hotel, on the right, towards the hinterland. After a few minutes, a small sign will indicate the beach on the left, and from here you can follow the few hand-written signs. Take a dirt road, not suitable for new and delicate cars, quite irregular and very long. You must proceed keeping the coast on the right for about 15 minutes, dodging the large stones that invade the path and the herds of sheep.
Finally, you reach this isthmus on whose sides lie two not too large strips of white sand bathed by a Caribbean sea. The beach is not large, and arriving early, especially if you want to secure a beach umbrella with sunbeds (for the not too modest amount of 15-20 €), is a must. The beach closest to the car park is of fine sand and has a calmer sea with a sweeter seabed.
At the edge of the beach there is a small bar that sells few things, such as some sandwiches, ice creams and Greek salads the size of a finger food, at disproportionate prices. The quality, moreover, is scarce, so the advice is to provide you with enough water and a packed lunch before advancing to this remote corner of paradise.
The beach can be reached in about half an hour by car from Pigadia.
