Greece - Korina Miller [431]
Eating
Mavri Thalassa ( 22460 45021; mains €4-6) Found on the south side of the harbour, this place specialises in seafood and is popular with locals and visitors. Try the whole grilled calamari or local, minuscule Halki shrimps – eaten whole.
Maria’s Taverna ( 22460 45300; mains €4-7) Under the shade of trees, fill up on pasta and local home-cooked specialities like Halki lamb stew. Its central location makes it a popular lunch spot.
Avra ( 6945148196; mains €4-7) With a long, tempting menu, Avra’s Georgian owners serve excellent chicken and seafood dishes downed with draught white wine.
Remezzo ( 22460 45010; mains €5-7) Is your tummy feeling homesick? Give it a break from Greek salad and treat it to pizza, pasta, Mexican salad and apple dessert.
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AROUND HALKI
In the next bay south, sandy Podamos Beach is the nearest and best beach. Only 1km from Emborios in the direction of Horio, it has shallow water that’s ideal for kids. You’ll find a basic taverna and loungers and umbrellas for hire. Pebbly Ftenagia Beach, past the headland and 500m to the south of Emborios, is excellent for rock swimming and snorkelling. The Ftenagia Beach Taverna ( 6945998333; mains €5-7; lunch & dinner) is a cosy waterside eatery.
Horio, a 30-minute walk (3km) along Tarpon Springs Blvd from Emborios, was once a thriving community of 3000 people, but it’s now almost completely derelict. The church contains beautiful frescoes but is only unlocked for festivals. On 14 August the entire island climbs up here for a ceremony devoted to the Virgin Mary, the church’s icon. A barely perceptible path leads from Horio’s churchyard up to the Knights of St John Castle. It’s a steep 15-minute walk with spectacular views.
Moni Agiou Ioanni is a two-hour, unshaded 8km walk along a broad concrete road from Horio. The church and courtyard, protected by the shade of an enormous cypress tree, is a quiet, tranquil place that comes alive each year on 28 and 29 August during the feast of the church’s patron, St John. You can sometimes stay in simple rooms in exchange for a donation to the church.
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KARPATHOS ΚΑΡΠΑΘΟΣ
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Despite its soaring mountains, colourful harbours and sandy beaches, Karpathos (kar-pa-thos) has long sat in the shadow of its northern neighbours, giving it an off-the-beaten-track quality that’s now drawing tourists. The island’s windswept coastline has become a magnet for surfers and hits the spotlight each summer when it hosts an international kitesurfing competition. Be prepared for gusts and gales at any time of year.
Over the years, many of the islands’ inhabitants have migrated to the USA, from where they slowly trickle back to invest their overseas earnings. The consequence is a vibrant mix of contemporary and traditional culture. In the north of the island lies Olymbos, a small community that was isolated for years from the south by rugged mountains. Today it’s still home to a unique culture that has survived the onslaught of modernity and offers a window into the past.
Getting There & Away
Karpathos has an airport with regular links to Athens, Kasis, Sitia and Rhodes. Olympic Air ( 22450 22057; www.olympicairlines.com, cnr Apodimon Karpathion & 25 Martiou St, Pigadia) is on the central square in Pigadia.
Scheduled ferries service Rhodes, Piraeus, Kasos, Sitia, Agios Nikolaos, Milos and Santorini. Tickets can be bought from Possi Travel in Pigadia. A small local caïque also runs three times weekly between Finiki (Karpathos) and Fry (Kasos).
For more information, Island Hopping.
Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
There is no airport bus. Hop in a taxi to Pigadia (€15) and beyond.
BOAT
From May to September there are daily excursion boats from Pigadia to Diafani with a bus transfer to Olymbos (€23). Boats depart Pigadia at 8.30am. Tickets are available from Possi Travel. There are