Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The south
Immediately south of Pigádhia, reached by a detour of the main road down the other
side of a low headland, the purpose-built resort of
AMMOPÍ
(also known as “Amoopi”)
is not so much a town as a succession of sand-and-gravel, tree- or cliff-fringed coves.
There's no commercial centre to it, let alone anything that could be called authentic,
but for a beach-side holiday any of the hotels here could make an appealing base. Keep
going beyond them all to find some delightful little turquoise bays, usually deserted
except at the height of summer.
Back on the main road, the further south you go, the flatter and more desolate
Kárpathos becomes. The long windswept beach that leads all the way down to the
airport has become popular with foreign
windsurfers
, who take advantage of the
prevailing northwesterlies, especially during the annual summer European
championships. As such, different segments are known these days by their windsurfing
nicknames, such as Gun Bay.
For non-surfers, the best beach here is
Chicken Bay
, the southernmost, though it's a
bit too exposed to spend a whole day here. Its shallow, impossibly turquoise waters
begin within a few metres of the airport runway.
INFORMATION
THE SOUTH
Activities
The most established surf school in southern
Kárpathos is Pro Center Kárpathos (
T
22450 91063 or 697
78 86 289,
W
Chris-Schill.com), which makes use of three
separate bays, catering to different ability levels.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Esperida
Ammopí
T
22450 81002,
W
esperida.gr.
Large,
very welcoming taverna, set well back from the sea halfway
down the approach road to Ammopí. Delicious local food,
including island cheese, wine and sausage, roast aubergine,
and pickled wild vegetables (look out for what they call
“capers”). Main dishes cost around €8, mezes half t
hat. T
hey
also offer clean, good-value rooms and apartments.
€50
Irini Beach Hotel
Gun Bay
T
22450 91000,
W
hotelirini24.com.
Upscale hotel complex on the
8
island's prime windsurfing beach, with large
comfortable
roo
ms, a good pool, equipment rental and
instruction.
€65
Ì
Vardes Studios
Ammopí
T
22450 81111 or 697 21
52 901,
W
hotelvardes.com.
Ammopí's most peaceful
studios, set amid orchards 400m back from the beach. Ten
comfortable units, all with shower and balcony; some sleep
up to five. Hou
se fr
uit and jam for breakfast, plus a bar but
no restaurant.
€73
The west
Although it's much less developed than the area around Pigádhia, the western shoreline of
Kárpathos holds several of the island's most attractive
beaches
. Small resorts such as Finíki
and Lefkós make great bases for low-key holiday relaxation, amid scintillating scenery.
Arkássa
The main road from Pigádhia reaches the west coast at the little town of
ARKÁSSA
.
Hardly anything survives of the original village, the rocky coastal frontage now
consisting of unremarkable studios and tavernas. Head a few hundred metres south,
and you'll come to the signposted side-road that leads to the whitewashed chapel of
Ayía Sofía
. Remains of a much larger Byzantine basilica here feature several mosaic
floors with geometric patterns.
The finest beach hereabouts is also located just south of Arkássa. The broad 100m
stretch of good-quality sand known as
Áyios Nikólaos beach
still feels pleasantly rural,
even though a newly built hotel has just joined its long-standing taverna.
Finíki
A couple of kilometres north of Arkássa, facing it from the northern end of a long bay,
the even smaller resort of
FINÍKI
is still very recognizable as the fishing village it used to
be. A brief detour down from the main road, the port is arrayed along the curve of a
