Area: 301 sq. km., Population: 4,645, Capital: Karpathos (Pigadia), 

How to get there: By air from Athens, Rhodes, Crete, Kasos; by ship from Piraeus,. Crete, the Cyclades and other Dodecsnese.

HISTORY: Little is known about the early history of the island. In antiquity, its three cities belonged to the Athenian League. From the 3rd century BC, it was under the domination of Rhodes and shared the larger island’s fate. The Middle Ages were disastrous for Karpathos; it was a Frankish possession until 1312, falling to the Venetians in the 16th century, when the Turks took over. Like the other Dodecanese, it was occupied by the Italians from 1912 till the end of the war and united with Greece in 1947.

SIGHTSEEING: The village of Valada divides the island into two unequal sections – the long, narrow part that contains the Pano Horia (Upper Villages) and the flattish southern district with its Kato Horia (Lower Villages). The capital lies in the southern portion, its modern. houses built on the site of ancient Poseidion. Among the Kato Horia, the most important are Arkasa, identified with the ancient Arkesia whose ruins stand high on the hill above; Menetes, founded in the Middle Ages; Aperi, the administrative centre since 1892; and Odos, where there is a folk art museum. The northern section contains the island’s most interesting and most important village, Olympos or Elympos (10th or 15th century), whose centuries-old customs, traditions and dialect render it a living museum. One can get there via caique from Diafani. The unspoiled beaches, the locals’ hospitality and traditional way of life make Karpathos a pleasant place to spend a holiday.