Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Karavostamo Καραβόσταμο
POP 550
One of Ikaria's largest and most beautiful coastal villages is Karavostamo, 6km east of
Evdilos. From the main road, the village cascades down winding paths scattered with
flowering gardens, village churches, vegie patches, chickens and goats, finally reaching a
cosy
plateia
(square) and small fishing harbour. Here, you'll find nothing more than a
bakery, small general store, a few domatia, tavernas and
kafeneia
(coffee houses) where
the villagers congregate each evening to chat, argue, eat, play backgammon, drink and
tell stories. To reach the
plateia
, take the signed road off the main road. Accommodation
is available near the village square at
Despina Rooms
(
21066 14371, 6973050505; Kara-
vostamo; r from €40-60;
)
, and the seafront taverna
Mandouvala
(
22750 61204;
mains €7-12;
lunch & dinner)
excels, while the little
ouzerie
To Steki
(
lunch & dinner)
caters to the regulars who gather nightly.
Arethousa, 3km above Karavostamo, is the village home of the
Ikarian Centre
(
www.greekingreece.gr
)
, a Greek language school which runs intensive one-week residen-
tial courses.
A LESSON FROM BREAD
In the village of Karavostamo, on Ikaria's north coast, everything you need to know
about island values can probably be found at
To Yefiri
('the bridge'), the village
bakery, where Petros Pavlos bakes long loaves of bread in his wood oven, along
with crunchypaximadia(rusks) and sweetkoulouria(fresh pretzel-style bread).
Once the baking is done, the bread is put out on the counter in wicker baskets
and the day's work is done. The baker leaves, but he also leaves the door to the
bakery open.
Village regulars, or kids doing errands for their parents, stop by during the day,
pick out a loaf or two, and leave money in an open container. The system has
worked for years, another reason perhaps why Ikarians don't get too excited about
fluctuations in the global price of oil. Olive oil maybe.
TOP OF CHAPTER
The Fourni IslandsΟι Φούρνοι
POP 1500
The Fourni archipelago is one of Greece's great unknown island gems. Its low-lying ve-
getation clings to gracefully rounded hills that overlap, forming intricate bays of sandy
