Where to stay on Karpathos?

Pigadia (Karpathos town)

Pigadia, also known as Karpathos Town is the capital of Karpathos. You will find a boulevard with many diverse restaurants, souvenir shops and larger supermarkets here. Boat trips and ferries also depart from here. The town has a long sandy beach.

As far as we are concerned, Pigadia is the perfect place to stay especially if you don't have a car, but also for when you want to eat out in the evening and don't want to get into the car to drive somewhere.

Don't want to stay in the middle of the city? Go for one of the accommodations just outside the city next to the long road where the beach is. Your stay will be more peaceful, but you can still walk to the city centre from here.

Amoopi

This place is really beautiful and can be found on the east coast. It is located between Pigadia and Afiartis and has several beaches (both sandy and pebbled), some restaurants and, above all, lots of accommodation. There is a minimarket, but you will have to go to Pigadia for the big groceries. Fortunately, Pigadia is just around the corner (5-10 minutes by car).

Handy to take into account is that this is a warm place where there is often little or no wind. Lovely in May or at the end of the season, but skip this place in high season if you're not into so much heat.

Arkassa

Arkassa is just a bit bigger than Amoopi and also has a city centre. However, it is not as big as Pigadia.

It is located on the west coast of Karpathos. You will find several accommodations here, Arkassa Beach (Agios Nikolaos), a supermarket and several restaurants and bars. There is usually some wind here, so it is not too hot. In the evening, this centre is full of locals having a freddo or dinner with their family. Arkassa is a central location. You're within 5 minutes in FIniki and Pigadia is about 20 minutes away!

Afiartis

Afiartis is located in the south of Karpathos. The airport is also located here. This spot is mostly chosen by windsurfing enthusiasts. It is always windy here and therefore you will find several bays where there is plenty of windsurfing. But Eliza was here and also has a few top villas here and Poseidon Blue Hotel & restaurant is also located here.

Afiartis does not have a village centre and you need a car in our opinion if you sleep here. There is a minimarket for the essentials and about six restaurants, though. There are also lots of beaches!

Finiki

Less than 5 minutes (by car) from Arkassa, you will find the small fishing village of Finiki. This is a picturesque, Greek village on the west coast of Karpathos. There is a small promenade with several restaurants and bars and a sandy beach. By car, you are super central and thus right next to the big village of Arkassa.

Lefkos

On the west coast of Karpathos, you will find the resort of Lefkos. From the airport, this is about 50 minutes by car. You'll find several beaches and a few restaurants here. It is a beautiful place but is quite a bit away from other villages. So that's something to take into account if you don't fancy driving 'a lot'.

Kyra Panagia

On the east coast 30 minutes from Pigadia, you will find Kyra Panagia. This is located directly on one of the island's three most popular (and, according to many, most beautiful) beaches. You will find several accommodations, a minimarket and three restaurants.

As a child, I (Athina) also slept here with my parents. It was lovely! It is a beautiful location and it is nice and quiet at night. Keep in mind that it is very hot here (no wind) and for many, the way toward Kyra Panagia can be in the dark a b it scary. It is also a lot more remote, so if you want to go somewhere else you always have quite a drive ahead.

The mountain villages

Of course, you can also sleep in one of Karpathos' many mountain villages. On Airbnb or Booking.com, you can find a place to sleep here and there. Still, few people choose this. After all, you are not near a beach and you will always have to take the car.

Occasionally, some people do choose to spend a night in Olympos, so that they don't have to drive back in the evening. You will also occasionally see people who are island-hopping by bike opting for a mountain village. The choice is yours, of course, but those coming for a sun holiday prefer to choose one of the other places.