Day trips from Karpathos: north by boat

We name the trips and say what each is. We print no boat times, crossing durations or prices, because those change every season and the sailings here are thinner than in the Cyclades. Confirm on the day and check the last boat back before committing to an afternoon.

Olympos, by boat rather than by road

The trip to build the week around, and by boat it becomes a genuine day rather than an expedition. Boats run up the east coast from Pigadia to Diafani, the little port below the village, and transport goes up from there.

Olympos sits high on a ridge near the northern end. Until a mountain road was cut in recent decades it was reached mainly by sea and a climb from Diafani, and generations of that isolation are why the north kept a distinct dialect, distinct dress and distinct customs while the south modernised.

Two things to be straight about. The boat day is long and the time in the village is shorter than you want. And if the wind is up, the crossing is uncomfortable or cancelled. If you can, stay a night up there instead, which is what the Karpathos itinerary recommends.

Saria, the uninhabited islet

Off the northern tip lies Saria, separated from Karpathos by a narrow channel and effectively uninhabited, with the ruins of an old settlement and clear empty water.

Boats run there from Diafani in season and it makes a good half day on top of an Olympos trip if you are already at the northern end. It is the emptiest place within reach and the appeal is exactly that.

Kasos, the quiet one south

South-west of Karpathos lies Kasos, which is smaller, barer and quieter still, with a handful of villages, a small port and very few visitors.

There is not much to do, which is the point. The crossing is short and the sailings are infrequent, so this needs checking in both directions before you plan it. It suits travellers who want to see somewhere that has not organised itself around visitors at all.

The east-coast beaches by sea

The practical day out, and the one most people take. Several of the best beaches on the east coast, including Apella, sit below steep tracks and are easier to reach by boat than by car, and small boats run to them from Pigadia in season.

A boat day along that coast gets you two or three coves rather than one, and it saves the climbs. It is also the fallback when the longer crossings are off.

Rhodes, if you are moving on

Not a day trip: Rhodes is a substantial crossing and a substantial island. But it is where most Karpathos trips begin or end, since it has the flights, and combining the two is the usual shape of a fortnight.

Rhodes to Karpathos covers the link, and the group is in the Dodecanese.

Where this leaves you

From Karpathos: Olympos by boat is the day to plan around, and staying a night there is better still. Saria off the northern tip is the emptiest half day available. Kasos to the south suits anyone who wants somewhere even quieter, if the sailings work. And the east-coast beaches by boat is the easy, reliable day that saves you the climbs.

Quick answers

What is the best day trip from Karpathos?

Olympos in the north, ideally by boat from Pigadia to Diafani with transport up from there. It is a mountain-ridge village that kept its own dialect and dress through centuries of isolation, and it is the reason many people choose the island.

Can you visit Olympos in a day?

Yes, but it is a long day and your time in the village will be shorter than you would like, especially by road. If your trip allows it, stay a night in Olympos or Diafani instead.

What is Saria?

An effectively uninhabited islet off the northern tip of Karpathos, separated by a narrow channel, with the ruins of an old settlement and very clear water. Boats run there from Diafani in season and it pairs well with an Olympos trip.

Can you get to Kasos from Karpathos?

Yes, it is a short crossing south-west, though sailings are infrequent and need checking in both directions. Kasos is smaller, barer and quieter than Karpathos, with very few visitors and not much to do, which is its whole appeal.