According to transporthint, Karpathos (Greek: Κάρπαθος) is an island in the southeastern Aegean Sea that is part of the Dodecanese Islands. The Dodecanese forms a region of Greece (Europe). The capital of Karpathos is Karpathos town (Pigadia). A number of major cities on Karpathos are: Diafani, Lakki and Arkassa.
Karpathos is known as one of the quieter islands of Greece. The island does not yet attract hordes of tourists. There are many old (fishing) villages and churches. Karpathos is very mountainous (up to heights of 1200 meters) with a rocky coastline. On this rocky coastline you will find many bays with sandy beaches and clear blue water. The village of Olympos, which is built on steep mountain slopes, is known for its working mills and traditional lifestyle (including traditional costumes). Many pieces of nature on Karpathos are still untouched. See animalerts for overview of Europe, covering list of all countries in the continent.
Where is Karpathos located?
Travel information of Karpathos
Official name: Karpathos
Continent: Europe
Area: 220 km²
Capital: Karpathos city (Pigadia)
Country code: GR, GRC
Population: 6,511 inhabitants (2001)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,215 m (Kali Limni)
Distance (Amsterdam – Karpathos city): 2,571 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on Karpathos that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Karpathos, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Karpathos. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Karpathos? You will find an extensive collection at travel bookstore De Zwerver.
Weather and climate
Karpathos has a Mediterranean climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees and in the summer months around 25 to 30 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Karpathos can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Karpathos can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Karpathos. In these months you have the best chance of good weather.
Language
Greek is the official language on Karpathos. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Greek for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Greece: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Greek Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Greek Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Karpathos.
Money and Currency matters
On Karpathos you pay with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs on Karpathos can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Karpathos are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -22% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (33% cheaper), food (18% cheaper), imported beer in catering (14% more expensive), cigarettes (36% cheaper) and public transport (50% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
On Karpathos it is customary to tip, even if this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
On Karpathos it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on Karpathos is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Karpathos can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On Karpathos you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Karpathos.
An overview of all ferry connections between the various Greek islands can be found on GTP.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Karpathos.
Electricity
On Karpathos the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity on Karpathos can be found on our electricity page (see Greece).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112 or 100
– Fire: 112 or 199
– Ambulance: 112 or 166
Tap water
The water from the tap is drinkable, but due to the high chlorine content in many places, we recommend drinking bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Karpathos can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Greece (Karpathos) can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Karpathos end with.gr.
Karpathos official website: karpathos.gr and visitgreece.gr.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone on Karpathos is 0030 or +30.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Karpathos? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Karpathos Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Karpathos.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Karpathos.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Karpathos.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Karpathos can be found on Karpathos.nl.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Greece (Karpathos) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Karpathos, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Karpathos?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Karpathos. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Karpathos can be found on Protected Planet.
Karpathos is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Karpathos? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business on or do business with Karpathos, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Karpathos, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Karpathos.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum allowed blood alcohol level is 0.5 for cars and 0.2 for motorcycles and novice drivers up to 2 years old.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…About half of Karpathos is impassable?
…No large planes can land on Karpathos?
…Karpathos has excellent conditions for windsurfing?