8-days hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island

Hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island is a unique holiday experience based on the island of Karpathos – the legendary birthplace of Prometheus and the Titans!

Karpathos is the second largest of the Dodecanese Islands and is located southeast of the Aegean Sea. Here our Hiking Tour takes place in one of the least commercialized places in Greece. Because it is remote and somewhat protected from the modern world, it has preserved many of its distinct traditions concerning dress, customs, and dialect. With its villages nestled high up in the clouds on its mountains and rugged beauty, Karpathos is undeniably unique.

On our Hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island, we hike along cliffs and rocky coasts enjoying its wild and impressive scenery. Unspoiled and tranquil, it creates a haven for a wide variety of animals. The coastal rocky caves are home to the Mediterranean Monachus-Monachus seal and the protected Eleonora’s falcons and Audouin’s gulls also nest on the coastal rocks. We encounter brushwood along with dense pine tree copses on the east coast of Northern Karpathos, which create the impression of a painter’s dark green brushstroke on the land. We enjoy the rich flora, including a total of 940 plants, 87 of which are indigenous, rare, and also endangered. Nowhere else can one find such a vast concentration of unique flora and fauna – all within easy reach on foot.

We have selected the northern part of Karpathos for this reason, being the most mountainous it is the area where the most beautiful hikes with breathtaking landscapes, sea mammals, and birds are found.

From our base in the picturesque sea village of Diafani, we hike on the most impressive paths in the region. A minivan and small boats enable our short transfers back and forth to our base and as a result, there are many opportunities for swimming on our Hiking Tour, Hiking Karpathos.

Participation requirements

• This trip Level is moderate with an average of between 4-6 hours of hiking daily.

Day 1: Arrival at the airport/port of Karpathos & transfer to Diafani

Upon arrival at Karpathos Airport/Port, transfer to the charming sea-front village of Diafani. We settle into our rooms and enjoy a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Hiking to the village of Olympus & the peak of the prophet Ilias

On Day 1 of Hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island we hike to Olympos, the capital of Northern Karpathos and a village of exceptional beauty. We pass through traditional villages, beautiful green valleys, and along cliffs located in lush green areas along the way until we reach the beautiful settlement on the slopes of a mountain. Houses in Olympos are built amidst a forest and their traditional colors and layout have been preserved. The village itself is indeed a true live museum and has an idyllic atmosphere. Today, the village has a population of 400 inhabitants, most of whom are engaged in farming and agriculture. Olympos retains its traditional way of life where old-fashioned customs play an important role. Having reached Olympos we continue climbing upwards to the summit of Profitis Ilias at an altitude of 718 meters. Here, we admire magnificent views of the Aegean sea. We then descend back to Olympos where we have time to enjoy some lunch and explore the village.

Depending on how you feel, we can either then hike down to Diafani via Ag. Konstantinos or transport you back to Diafani.

• Distance: 8 -10 km.
• Estimated hiking time: 5.5 – 7 hours.

Day 3: Hike to Papa Minas Beach (circular route)

Today’s hike is a lovely walk up and down some gentle slopes, through pine trees, and past olive groves and wheat fields to the pretty bay of Papa Mina with its pebbly beach and shady Tamarisk trees. On this Hiking Tour, we have time to enjoy some swimming and snorkeling in this beautiful bay before we return back to Diafani.

• Distance: 7.5 km.
• Estimated hiking time: 3.5 hours.

Day 4: Hike to Ancient Vrukunda from Avlona then to Vananda Bay and Diafani

Day 3 of Hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island starts with a short transfer to Avlona from where we hike down to Ancient Vroukounta on a stone path, built in ancient times. Vroukounta is a mystical area where the ancient city-state of Vrykous once stood. We explore ruins, more than 3500 years old, the Cave Church of St. John, and even underwater treasures while snorkeling. We then hike back up to the village of Avlona for a delicious homemade lunch in the one and only taverna in the area – famous throughout Karpathos. After our lunch break, we continue to Vananta on a stone path that gently descends towards this lovely bay. From there, the last part of today’s Hiking Tour takes us along the coast offering incomparable views.

• Distance: 10 km.
• Estimated hiking time: 5.5 hours.

Day 5: Hike To Tristomo & the Strait

Today we again start our hike from Avlona, following a cobbled road until we reach Tristomo, an almost deserted village. This natural harbor, set in a protected bay on the northwest coast, is home to the one last family which refuses to abandon its hometown and spectacular views. After a picnic lunch, we continue to Ag. Aikaterini and Steno – the spot where we can almost “touch” the nearby island of Saria it seems so close. From here a traditional fishing boat takes us back to Diafani.

• Distance: 8.4 km.
• Estimated hiking time: 3.5 hours.

Day 6: Explore uninhabited Sharia

Day 5 of Hiking Trip – The unspoiled Karpathos Island takes us on a boat across to Saria Island, where we hike the length of the island ending up at the beach of Palatia, where we enjoy a barbeque lunch and take a boat back to Diafani. In antiquity, Saria was one of the four cities of Karpathos, until it detached from the island due to erosion, later becoming a base for Saracen pirates. We can see ancient monuments, ruins, and remains of ancient settlements nearly everywhere we look. According to mythology, the island was created when Poseidon, in a battle with Titan Ephialtes, cut off a piece from the side of Karpathos and buried his opponent under it. Ruins of the city have sunk into the Strait of Tristomou, between Karpathos and Saria. Indeed signs there indicate the existence of the Apollo Porthmiou sanctuary. There are traces of human existence here since the Neolithic Age and the early Bronze Age, and remains of fortifications have also been found on the West side of Castello hill dating back to historical times.

In addition, the island is an important natural habitat and breeding ground for birds and marine species. It is important to note that northern Karpathos, Saria, and the area of sea around them, all belong to the European network of protected areas Natura 2000, thanks to the variety of different natural habitats available for the animals that live here as well as the rare plant and animal species that they host.

• Distance: 8 km.
• Estimated hiking time: 3 hours.

Day 7: Free Day

(Optional hiking or cooking class, etc).

Day 8: End of Journey

Transfer to Karpathos Port/Airport.