Forget the Mykonos windmills and Santorini’s overpriced blue domes.
Those are the islands everybody seems to flock to year in, year out, and granted, they do have their charm.
If you want Aegean views without the cruise hordes, the elbow-to-elbow crowds, or the eye-watering villa prices, you need to look further east.
If, like me, you’re hoping for something a little more offbeat this season, away from the cruise hordes, and where booking a villa with Aegean views won’t set you back by hundreds of euros a night, the quiet, laid-back Karpathos might just do the trick.
Just hurry up. It’s been gaining quite the traction lately.
Greece’s Best-Kept Secret About To Be Spilled
The second-largest island in Greece’s easternmost island group, the Dodecanese—best region to travel if you ask me—Karpathos measures 31 miles long and 7 miles wide of pure Mediterranean bliss.
Think of it as a gently curved chili pepper, with every indentation on the map hiding another stunning beach, each with some of the most turquoise water you’ve ever seen. I’m not even kidding.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Why is Karpathos suddenly on everyone’s radar?
Right now, Karpathos is one of the most talked-about Greek destinations in travel news circles, and it’s not hard to see why.
In a country so heavily impacted by mass tourism as Greece, somewhere like Karpathos, where island life still feels unspoiled and authentic, and the coastline isn’t one big playground for luxury developers, it would eventually draw some prying eyes.
That aside, Karpathos is actually growing as a destination:
More Nonstop Flights From Mainland Europe This Season
It’s already serviced by a minor international airport with seasonal flights arriving from select European hubs, as well as mainland Greece, but this year in particular, airside activity is being ramped up with the addition of nonstop flights from Verona.
As in, the Italian city of Verona, a major hub for low-cost carrier Volotea, from as cheap as $45 one-way.
Even if most Europeans can’t fly directly to Karpathos, they can now easily connect via Verona, which is served by flights from pretty much every corner of the continent.
That’s a much simpler—and often cheaper—alternative to flying to Athens first and then catching either a domestic Greek flight or an overnight ferry to Karpathos, both of which can end up costing five times as much.
If you’re flying to Europe this summer, or even later in the year, make sure you check the travel rules that will be in place at the time of departure on the Entry Requirement Checker.
Depending on when you go and where you land, you may need to undergo mandatory fingerprinting on arrival or even apply for a mandatory travel permit well in advance.
Is This The Dodecanese Or The Ionian?
As for Karpathos itself, it’s an island you’ll love if you’re hoping to truly unwind, feel the Aegean sun on your face, and prefer vacations that feel more like a “let’s just wing it” kind of trip rather than meticulously planned, action-packed sightseeing.
In that case, you might want to stick to Karpathos’ big sister, Rhodes.
The first thing you probably want to do as soon as that plane touches down at Karpathos’ tiny airport, other than checking into your accommodation, of course, is hitting up Apella Beach.
The most talked-about beach on the island, it is a white-pebble stretch wedged between mountains and the turquoise sea. The color on the water here is truly surreal—like, Ionian-level surreal—and the depth is almost pool-like.
Apella Taverna, right on the beach, is also a great spot for lunch and to try some local grilled fish and meze while breathing in the fresh sea breeze. And, quite honestly, you could just come back to Apella every day of your Karpathos vacation and still have a great time.
I guess it also helps that the Greek islands are generally considered among the more relaxed and safe destinations in Europe. They tend to feel a world away from the intensity of major mainland cities, with a much slower, quieter pace overall.
Greece also scores highly on the Traveler Safety Index, typically landing in the upper tier at around 90 out of 100.
Did Anyone Say… RED Domes?
A short 15 minute drive south of Apella, Kyra Panagia Beach is yet another ridiculously-scenic cove with… ready for it…? A red dome church.
Yes, a million times yes.
Santorini may have the famous blue domes, but Karpathos is known for the distinctive vividly red-tinged church roofs, and I don’t know about you, but those whitewashed chapels wear the full-blooded color rather well.
If you’re in Karpathos for the postcard beaches, you’ll definitely want to base yourself in or around Pigadia, on the south coast.
It’s a lively harbor town with plenty of dining options and something of an evening life, though it never gets quite as busy as, ahem, godforsaken Faliraki over in Rhodes.
Other than just beaches, Karpathos is known for its dramatic mountainous nature, and the coast-to-coast drive from Pigadia to Olympos, on the north side, is arguably one of the most scenic in all of Greece:
Explore A Mountain Village Frozen In Time
Olympos itself is a mountain village where women still wander around town with their traditional black dresses, the pastel-colored houses actually date back centuries, and every broken cobblestone seems to tell a thousand stories.
One of the top-rated tavernas on the island, Taverna Parthenon, is right here, dishing out slow-roasted lamb and kokoretsi.
The best part? Dining here won’t cost you an arm and a leg like it would in Santorini or the fancy parts of Rhodes: a three-course meal with a cold drink, and a splash of ouzo to round it off will run you about $20–$35-ish at pretty much any walk-in taverna.
Over on the east coast, the drive takes you further south into more scenic stops and viewpoints over the Aegean, and hidden coves bathed by teal seas.
If you’re looking for those sandy strips, on the calmer side of things, you’ll want to head over to the west side, which by the way is a short cross-island drive.
Lefkos has multiple sandy beaches, perfect for lounging on sunbeds or swimming, and as the sun goes down on this side of the island, it’s also the best spot for catching those fiery-red, uninterrupted Aegean sunsets.
Not Overrun With Tourists… For Now
Karpathos may not have Santorini’s sunset glamour, Mykonos’ star-studded beach bars, or Corfu’s all-inclusive resort scene—in fact, most of its hospitality is handled by local families and small guesthouses rather than big-brand hotel chains posing as barefoot-luxury eco stays.
But… it has the quiet coves, the calm rhythm, the slow afternoons that bleed into golden sunsets, and relaxed beach-hopping with barely a crowd in sight. Something mainstream Greek islands can only dream of in 2026.
And if you want to experience Karpathos at its most untouched, unpolished self, you probably want to head there ASAP.
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
