Three Must-See Beaches in Karpathos

I'm not about to post any breaking news... in fact, what I'm about to share with you will be shared by anyone who lives on or frequently visits Karpathos. There are all kinds of beautiful beaches on the island... Diakofti, Damatria, Christou Pigado, Lefkos but there are three that are absolute no-brainers:

Apella

Kyra Panagia

Achata

We had a chance to visit all three during our visit and loved all of them. We would probably give the nod to Apella as the most beautiful, even if it is the most remote. Nonetheless, you can't go wrong with any of them. Each has their own feel and all three provide "thrilling" car rides.

Let's start with Apella...

Take a look at that first picture - that's Apella as seen from the main road. Wow... I mean wow. The water is simply beautiful - nice and calm, shallow and so clear. There are plenty of rocks for snorkling and wading around and the setting is just dramatic - jutting cliffs to the left and right and a valley rising up behind the beach. It's a wide beach with quite a few sunbeds and plenty of space to stretch out. I really liked the pines in the area - gave it a different and greener look than what many are used to in Greece.

You can rent two sunbeds and an umbrella for 6 Euros from the gentleman at the base of the steps to the beach. He'll guide you to where you should set up camp. There's really nothing located directly next to the beach but you can walk a couple of minutes up the main road to a nice little taverna with a beautiful view. Parking is mostly on the side of the road - no real parking area like you'll find in Achata or in "town" like in Kira Panagia. Just squeeze your car where it will fit (and hopefully turn around). My advice, find a way to turn around and park it pointing uphill so it's easier to get out after you've baked in the sun.

Then there's Kira Panagia...

Everyone loves taking a picture of the church overlooking Kira Panagia. It's really a very scenic spot. What I liked about it was not only the gorgeous beach but the smattering of hotels, houses and tavernas located by the beach. It looks like a very nice place to stay for a few days. The set up in the steep valley just really made an impression on me. Personally, I would love to stay at the hotel next to the church. What a view!

The beach is nice and wide with plenty of sunbeds for rent. I don't know if anyone ever came and asked for us to pay for ours... maybe they weren't paying attention. No tavernas are directly on the beach but you'll find one (Olive Garden) near the church, a place to get a drink at the hotel above the church, a mini-market on the main road and probably a couple of other options. The beach is a mix of sand and rocks and the water is nice and calm, with a beautiful blue color. A great spot to take a dip and, who knows, maybe stay a little longer.

Finally we have Achata...

One of the intangibles I really liked about Achata was the drive to the beach. Achata is the closest of the three to Pigadia. The 4 km drive from the main road snakes through a pretty valley flanked by soaring cliffs. The valley, more gentle than the drives to Kira Panagia and Apella, is dotted by small agricultural plots, wild oleanders and scores of olive trees. There's something more peaceful about it the drive and the cave-riddled cliffs are a sight to behold.

The drive eventually opens up to Achata - a rocky beach lined with umbrellas and two tavernas. The water, unlike the other two, drops off faster so you'll notice just a few steps will have you wading in deeper water. The water also tends to be a bit more active although still a beautiful turquoise color. Two sun beds and an umbrella are only 4 Euros each. For my money, I'd choose the beds run by the taverna on the left (when facing the water). They are newer and the taverna offers a reasonable menu in a nicely restored boat house. The owners are friendly and the pergola is a great spot to catch an afternoon Greek coffee. You'll also have a shot at some afternoon shade when the sun starts shifting in the sky whereas the beds on the right side stay exposed much longer.

Aegean Village - a Karpathos Gem

It's partially a mystery to me why it's so hard to find information on the Aegean Village on the island of Karpathos. Partially because most of what is out there is in German, Dutch or Swedish... not in English. Then again, given that nearly all English-speaking visitors to Karpathos have ties to the island (ancestors, 2nd generation Greeks, etc.), most of the people visiting the Aegean Village are much much more likely to come from Stockholm or Roskilde than anywhere in the U.S.

Seems to me like a lot of Americans are missing out on an amazing island. For those of us who like to go to places taht are off the radar, that's a good thing. Karpathos is stunning... you'll find beautiful beaches, tidy mountain villages and extremely warm people. In the meantime, Americans and other tourists queue up for dinner in Santorini and Mykonos, paying inflated prices for subpar service. No thanks. I'll stick to an island like Karpathos and in particular to a hotel like Aegean Village.

So, what made the hotel so special? First off, the view... amazing! The hotel occupies a perfect spot on a promontory overlooking Amoopi. To the right is a rock outcropping that frames the area and to the left are the various beaches of Amoopi. A stunning one sits just below the hotel... a two minute walk from the pool area. Beach beds and umbrellas are available for 6 Euros a pair for the day.

The hotel has an on-site restaurant serviced by a friendly crew of Scandinavians - mostly interns and employees from Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. Given their clientele, they can speak to clients in their native tongues although most conversations are in English since clients also come from Italy. The restaurant also serves breakfast and the bar/restaurant stay open until midnight. Charles, a Swedish chef who previously worked on a cruise ship, mans the kitchen and offers daily specials for lunch and dinner.

The hotels grounds are immaculately maintained. All rooms face the Aegean and have spacious balconies or terraces. Rooms are comfortable and include A/C, satellite TV and tidy bathrooms with showers. Some rooms are larger (the bungalows) to accommodate families traveling together. Most have twin beds (as is the standard in Greece) but some come with doubles. Just ask. Other perks include wireless access and computers for guest use although wireless works best in the lobby.

The beach below the hotel

...and a smaller, hidden nook in Amoopi

Manolis, the owner, truly cares about his guests. We really enjoyed his hospitality and the way he made us feel at home. In part, we keep asking ourselves, why did we come back? So many Greek Americans move to Karpathos and never leave. I understand why...

Our gracious host

Pigadia may have more restaurants and nightlife... Arkasa may be a quainter town... but Amoopi offers several great beaches, shelter from the strong winds, a handful of tavernas and a highly recommended Aegean Village hotel.

A Better Meal than Gyros and Souvlaki

Most people who visit Athens - whether for a night before heading off to an island or for a week in the city - opt to stay somewhere close to Plaka. The area is charming, walkable and in the shadow of the Acropolis. There's plenty of life and for someone new to Greece, it makes for an easy introduction to the city of Athens.

With the area's popularity comes a touristy side. Food is often marked up and restaurants tend to focus on the more common Greek fare... gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita and moussaka - Greek meals known worldwide. Unfortunately, that means that a vast majority of tourists miss out on more typical Greek meals. They tend to stick to restaurants with pictures of food and marked up prices. It's a shame because there's much more to be found.

I'll fill you in on a restaurant that doesn't fit this bill. While it's not necessarily a secret, it appeals to Greek tastes, has reasonable prices and is off the beaten path for tourists. The restaurant is Mani Mani.

Now... let's start with some background. What does Mani mean? Mani is a region in the Peloponnese in Greece. As someone told me in Karpathos, it is a hard region with hard people - in part because of tough geography and climate. So, Mani Mani focuses on food from this region. In fact, you'll find more dishes like rooster and less (none) like souvlaki.

Anything you order, be it an appetizer or a main course, can be ordered as a half or full order. We started by splitting three appetizers - haloumi (the best we had in Greece), typical Mani sausages with orange essence and a type of fried dough with a local hard cheese. We then ordered dishes that both centered on rooster - my wife had a Greek pasta with rooster, asparagus, mushrooms and sundried tomato and I had rooser served on top of a small Greek pasta. Both were great. Add a glass of wine and our meal was under 30 Euros, less than we would've spent at a touristy restaurant.

Mani Mani is only 5 minutes by foot from the new Acropolis Museum but feels like it is a world away. Located at Falikarou 10 in Makrigiani, Mani Mani is on the 1st (2nd floor) of a restored building. You won't spot it if you aren't looking for it so look for the street level sign and the lit up windows up top.

Getting Ready to Discover Karpathos

So, I mentioned Sicily was off... well, where will be be going?

Karpathos

In fact, the page above, hosted by Sven Damm in Germany, is one of the main reasons we chose Karpathos, an island in the Dodecanese tucked between Crete and Rhodes. What a beautiful island! Gorgeous beaches, stunning and sometimes foreboding mountains, traditional villages and reasonable rates. It's also a bit off the beaten path... that means it is off the radar of most of the masses. Good news for us.

The island is certainly larger than Milos but still pretty manageable. From what we've road, most of our time will be spent in the southern half since the northern half is mostly wild and untamed. Getting to Olymbos via the main "road" on the northern half of the island takes 3 hours... apparently three grueling hours.

Anyway, we'll be staying at the Aegean Village (see below) in Amopi at the very reasonable rate of 70 Euro a night for a seaview room. Nice!

All we need to do now is rent a car and we'll be good to go. Otherwise, our stay in Athens will be in familiar hotels... the Athens Gate and the Sofitel.

Going Back to the Beach? But Where oh Where...

So we're thinking of taking another beach trip later in the year and, to save some money, I'd like to use miles. Given our last experience with hurricane season, we're going to stay away from the Caribbean, Mexico and the like. Places in the South Pacific are probably off, too. So, that has us thinking about going back to Europe. The question is, where? There are so many options...

How does one choose? When your options are pretty much wide open, it's a lot harder than you might think.

Would a return trip to Greece make sense? Quite possibly...

Maybe Greece is the way to go. We were so impressed by Milos that a similar island would be right up our alley. Folegandros just keeps jumping out. Conde' Nast called it Greece's best kept secret back in 2004. Honestly, Folegandros is awfully high on my list right now.

BUT... what about beaches in Italy. Puglia has so much to offer... I haven't seen the land of the trulli since I was 5 or 6 years old. Yes, I can still remember them. Then there's Ponza. My cousin clued us in to Ponza and it apparently is a fantastic little island. Of course, the Emerald Coast of Sardegna is high on our list. As is Calabria. Ugh!?

We've pretty much ruled out the French Riviera - yes, Monaco, Cannes and St. Tropez are all glitz and glamour but, the beaches? Well... not what we have in mind. Grand Canary was great last year and we've thought about checking out other islands in the Canaries like Fuerteventura but we think we want to try another spot. Spain does offer other islands worth visiting like Menorca and Formentera. Besides, we could add a trip to Madrid to visit my cousins. Just can't pick...

Stunning mountaintop scenery high above Maspalomas, Gran Canaria

So... that's a lot to choose from (haven't even brought up Malta or the Dalmatian Islands). Stay tuned... when we pick, you'll know. I'm thinking Folegandros may win but it's too early to pick favorites.

Staying in Athens

Our time in Athens was awfully limited... essentially only two nights, one when we first arrived and one when we were on our way out. We wish we'd had a chance to see more of Athens - particularly in the daytime - but that wasn't on the agenda for this trip. I would imagine that our next trip to Greece might involve some extra time in Athens. At the same time, I think to myself... who am I kidding? The thing to do is get to the islands as quickly as possible .

Well, whether you're limited on time or you will be in Athens for quite some time and want to be in the thick of things, we would recommend a hotel like the Athens Gate Hotel. The hotel is usually ranked in the top 5 on TripAdvisor. It is stylish, reasonably priced for a 4-star hotel in a major European city and, simply put... it has location location location. On one side, you have the temple of Olympian Zeus. On the other side, the Plaka and an unbelievable view of the Acropolis. Really... what an ideal spot.

We paid a bit more to get a Double Executive Room - we thought that might give us more space but that didn't quite seem to be the case. The room was relatively small but not out of the ordinary for a European hotel. The piece de resitastance was the marvelous terrace view.

Service was excellent and the full breakfast was more than enough to keep us happy. It was great to relax on the terrace while looking up at the Acropolis. Unfortunately, by 9:30, we had to bolt from the hotel and head to the airport to catch our flight to Milos. Unfortunately... what am I talking about? We were heading to Milos.

Anyway, you get the point - great hotel, stylish decor, outstanding location, reasonable price and a great breakfast. If you do stay there, let us know what the park is like by the hotel - looks like a great area to explore. For us... next time!

Visiting Kleftiko in Milos

Yup... the power is back but all this gloom and doom about the economy makes one think about great past vacations. Greece is still fresh on my mind, clearly. Once things pick back up, Milos will definitely be back on my target list.

One absolute must to visit in Milos is Kleftiko. Located in the southwest corner of Milos, Kleftiko is a protected cove of stark white rocks, cliffs and arches that was once used by pirates to raid ships sailing past Milos. The only way to reach Kleftiko is via private boat, sea kayak or a chartered day trip. It's hard to describe the place without visiting in person.


We took a full-day trip with the Mama Maria, a sailboat we found in the port town of Adamas. Our group consisted of 20 or so tourists (mostly Greek, Italian and French) and a crew of 4 - Giovanni, Kostas and their friends. The tour took us from the port all the way around the northwest and southwest of the island down (with a stop inbetween) to Kleftiko. We enjoyed nearly five hours day, just lounging, swimming, taking a dingy into the various caves and snorkeling into the caves around the area. It was nice and quiet - maybe four boats, at most. No one was playing loud music or getting hammered - just taking in the peace and quiet of a truly stunning area. The tour was 50 EUR per person and included snacks, coffee, drinks and the by far the tastiest Greek salad we tasted in Greece.

Here are a few more pictures of the experience...

Motoring Around on Milos

I've been wanting to post so much about Milos but, simply put, being without power for 11 days makes it kind of tough. I suppose I could sit and write one blog entry after another from work but that might not be too wise. So, when I can, I'll post a tidbit or two until I can actually get online and post more.

Let's talk about something very worthwhile in Milos - renting a car. While there, we rented a car and used it to go all over the island. Since we stayed in Pollonia, access to good transportation was a must. From Pollonia, we would regularly drive to Plaka (the island's hilltop capital), Adamas (the island's main port) and beaches like Yerontas, Tsigrado, Firiplaka and more. Without a car, I would imagine it would be just about impossible to go to places like Klima, a picturesque fishing village on Milos Bay and an absolute must-see.

Now, we rented from Sea Sun Sophia - why Sea Sun Sophia? Simply put, they are the only agency on the island with automatic transmission cars. They are few and far between so, if you want one, that's who you need to contact. We paid 60 EUR/day for a Hyundai Matrix (included insurance).

You'll occasionally see people riding around in dune buggies or four-wheelers but they were slow and tended to clog up the roads. Mopeds? I wouldn't... no way you can drive to Yerontas on a moped - it's a rocky dirt road. Not ideal moped territory.

So, what can you access with a car that you can't access with public transportation?

Remote beaches like Yerontas

The stunning white rocks of Sarakiniko

Wrong turns that lead to this remote overlook near Vatos

The charming fishing village of Klima

Pining for Milos

One week ago, this was our view... Firiplaka Beach on the island of Milos. After our numerous flight cancellations, delays and the current aftermath from Ike, last week seems like last year.

In case you happen to be going to Milos, Firiplaka is definitely a beach worth visiting - gorgeous shallow waters, a long and varied beach with fascinating colors and easy access with a beach bar. You can access Firiplaka by taking the same road to Tsigrado. At the fork, just turn right to Firiplaka. The closest part of the beach includes the beach bar and rentable chairs/umbrellas. Walk further down the beach and past the jutting rock and you'll find a rockier beach with fascinating formations and a few scary nudists.

When Life Hands You Lemons

Greek adventures, stunning beaches on the island of Milos, crooked Athenian cab drivers, precarious mountain roads, layovers in a surprising Roissy and hurricanes... so much to post, so much to catch up on. I'll have some great tips coming up in the next few weeks with plenty of pictures of fascinating places like Tsigrado, Yerontas and Klima.

Our trip to Milos was an absolute dream and our journey began to draw to a close with some unexpected twists and turns. This is what is so great about traveling... you never know what to expect. More to come soon... in the meantime, the next time you get stuck at Roissy by CDG in Paris, don't fret - the tiny little town actually has a bit to offer the weary traveler.

Changes Afoot for the Greek Islands

It wasn't that long ago that I was writing an entry about our future trip to Athens and Santorini. I had listed a few hotels that we'd chosen in Athens, Oia and Kamari. Well... let's edit that last entry. Santorini is out... Milos is in.

Why the change? Simply put, fares to Santorini are absurd - and when I say absurd, I mean around 400 Euros for two people on a little puddle jumper of a flight. Sorry... just doesn't make sense. Yes, we could take a ferry if we had a ton of time but, unfortunately, our trip will be somewhat short. Fortunately, accommodations on Milos were available and our flight, for two people, will be roughly 170 Euro. Much better. Much more reasonable. Besides, in Milos we'll have free rein to run around the island, explore one of the islands 70 beaches and just relax in a much more casual environment.

So, what hotel did we choose? We opted for the soon-t0-be opened Melian Hotel, run by the owner of the Villa Notos hotel in Adamas. Are we going out on a limb? You bet... the Melian will open in mid-June so not many pictures are out there. We've seen renderings here and there, have a good idea of the location and are banking on the reputation of the owner of the Villa Notos. Local Milos experts have also vouched for the owner's reputation so that helps.

Besides a more Greek experience, fewer crowds and better prices, what makes Milos special? These pictures, all from Milos is for Lovers, should explain the many reasons...

Laying Our Heads in Greece

In no way is our trip to Greece around the corner... far from it. Still, I can't help but thinking about the trip and longing for a few days on a Greek Island. That being said, while our trip is far away, our hotels are all in place. Here are the hotels we picked and why...

The Athens Gate Hotel

Our first night in Greece will be spent at the Athens Gate, just around the corner from Plaka, in the shadow of the Acropolis and next to the Temple of Zeus. Simply put, great location, "reasonable" rates for what you get and it's in line with our style and taste.

Bellonias Villas on Kamari Beach

Following our flight to Santorini, rather than heading straight for the caldera to stay somewhere like Oia or Imerovigli, we'll be staying at the beach at the Bellonias Villas in Kamari Beach. Located right on the black sand beach, Bellonias Villas receives great reviews and looks right up our alley - relaxing and spacious. We really wanted to be on the beach for the majority of our time in Santorini. We can always visit the caldera but, when we look at what is important to us, sitting by a pool and enjoying beachtime ranks high with us.

The Golden Sunset Villas

Now granted, you can't visit Santorini and not spend at least some time on the caldera so we decided to spend one night at the Golden Sunset Villas. Everything we've read said that Oia was the place to be - quaintest town on the caldera and the best sunsets. So, we picked the Golden Sunset Villas due to the nice rooms, the owner's reputation and it's privileged position in Oia. If we feel like more time in the water, we can always take the stairs down to Ammoudi beach.

Sofitel Athens Airport

A 6:40 AM flight pretty much guarantees a strong yearning to stay by the airport. So, to make it easier on ourselves, we'll be staying at the Sofitel Athens Airport. Not cheap but worth the price. We'll also have easy access to a train that can take us straight into Athens for the evening.