Colourful village-hopping through the mountains of Karpathos

Menetes

Colourful Menetes can be your first or last stop, it just depends on whether you want a morning or sunset view of Pigadia. Either way, the view from the amphitheatrically built mountainside village is memorable. Take a stroll - you’ll especially enjoy the yellow and blue shutters – and the viewpoint from the Church of the Virgin Mary, from which you can take a photograph. There’s also a Folklore Museum and, if you’re on the island on August 15, the village hosts a festival. It’s worth coming just for the meat stifado (stew) and rice.

Aperi

First settled in the Middle Ages, Aperi was the capital of Karpathos until the late 19th century. You can still feel it, as the houses here are more mansion-like, with tiled roofs and flower-filled yards. But at more than 300m up, there’s still a mountain village atmosphere. You’ll find water sources dotted around a village that has grown either side of a creek, with a stone bridge linking the two sides. For a longer hike, there’s a castle at the top of the mountain and paths that you can follow from the village.

Olympos

If you were looking for a place where you could bottle all the customs and traditions of Karpathos, this is it. Perched near the peak of a mountain, it was cut off from the rest of the island until 1980 (no electricity, no roads etc) and, though it now welcomes visitors more easily, it has managed to retain its authentic character. It’s like a living folk museum, with older women still in traditional dress and residents maintaining their linguistic idioms and traditional crafts. Have a look at the embroidered headscarves and handwoven souvenirs in the shops. They’re truly beautiful. The landscape is complemented by windmills and a church with a distinctive bell tower. Save your appetite for some home-cooked food in a taverna with amazing sea views.