A LITTLE-KNOWN Greek island has been named one of the world’s most underrated travel destinations by a group of experts.
Earlier this month, a team of globetrotting travel experts from Time Out listed 24 overlooked places Brit holidaymakers should aim to visit in 2024.
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Each of the destinations was chosen as an alternative – or a dupe – to a travel classic, with six destinations in Europe making the list.
They wrote: “On our newly updated list of the world’s most underrated travel destinations, you won’t find your Bangkoks or your Balis, your Amalfis or your Amsterdams.
“What you will find is a Yosemite dupe, Morocco’s overlooked neighbour, a place where penguins outnumber people, and plenty more travel inspo where that came from.
“And in many cases, they’re places that actually really want visitors. In other words, travelling to any of these 24 criminally overlooked destinations is a win-win situation. See you out there?”
One place that made the cut was Karpathos — a lesser-known Dodecanese island in Greece.
Greek hotspots like Santorini and Mykonos have become popular with tourists, leaving them to be both expensive and overcrowded, which means Karpathos is an ideal alternative for those Brits looking to holiday in the country.
According to the experts at Time Out, Karpathos is home to “a string of near-deserted beaches lapped by pristine waters and frequented by Mediterranean monk seals.”
Located in the southeastern Aegean Sea, between Crete and Rhodes, Karpathos (also known as Carpathos) is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands.
The Greek island is home to around 6,600 residents, with this number rising in the summer months.
The European island is home to several villages, some of which have been built on the mountain slopes.
Pigadia is the island’s capital and is its main port.
There are several attractions in Pigadia, including Vounos — a 23m-high rock where holidaymakers can see the ruins of an ancient citadel.
Built during the island’s period of Italian rule, the Governor’s House, also known as Eparcheio, is another point of interest in Pigadia.
The building is currently used as an information centre, where visitors can find out more about the Mediterranean Monk Seal, which often frequent the waters surrounding the island.
There are several other villages on the island too, including its former capital, Aperi.
Built during the Middle Ages, Aperi is known for its tiled roofs, white-washed buildings and flourishing gardens.
Other villages on Karpathos include Diafani — a picturesque fishing village that also doubles as the island’s second harbour.
One of the island’s other villages is Olympos where women still wear traditional hand-woven clothes as part of their everyday activities.
The village, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been described as being frozen in time by some visitors.
This is because cars are banned in the village, with donkeys providing the only traffic.
Away from the picture-perfect villages, there are more than 50 beaches on the island, including Apella Beach, which is arguably the most well-known beach on Karpathos.
Discover Greece has described the beach as being “Instagrammable” thanks to its clear turquoise water, white pebbly sand, and a string of orange sun loungers and parasols.
Located in a valley, and surrounded by trees and mountains, Achata Beach is also lapped by incredibly clear turquoise waters and is also a great spot for snorkeling.
Other popular beaches on the island include Kyra Panagia Beach, Amoopi Beach, Agios Nikolaos Beach, Diakoftis Beach and Lefkos Beach.
There are several accommodation options on the island, including hotels and holiday homes.
Holidaymakers can stay at the Dolphin Hotel Apartments for £50 per night per person, based on two people sharing a room.
Despite its small size, Karpathos has its very own airport, which is located on the southern side of the island.
Direct flights operate from Athens and Thessaloniki to Karpathos, as well as several summer seasonal services to Germany and The Netherlands.
Sky Express operates direct flights from Athens to Karpathos, with one-way fares starting from £32.
Brit holidaymakers can fly directly from the UK to Athens, with fares for as little as £52.
Flights to Rhodes take around four hours, with the ferry to Karpathos taking another four hours.
If you don’t want to go this far, then a beautiful UK seaside town has been compared to a Greek island.
And another seaside town in the UK is also home to dolphins, whales and puffins, as well as amazing castles.
