Where to buy a house on Karpathos depends on how you want to live. The island is small, but the difference between the east and west coast, or between the coast and the mountain villages, is bigger than you might expect. We have known the island for more than twenty years and have lived here since 2021. Below we compare the main areas on location, climate and daily life. The population figures come from the 2021 census.

East or west: the climate

The east coast around Pigadia and Amoopi is the warmest part of the island in summer. It is also more sheltered from the wind, and there are more mosquitoes. The west coast, around Arkasa, Finiki and Lefkos, gets more wind and is cooler in summer. In the mountain villages it is cooler still, and in winter it rains more there than on the coast.

Pigadia

Pigadia is the main town and port of Karpathos, with 3,047 residents. Here you have everything within walking distance: supermarkets, the hospital, banks, the tax office and a few restaurants that stay open in winter. If you want to live on the island all year without depending on a car for everything, Pigadia is the most practical choice. The downside is that it is busier, especially in summer.

Amoopi

Amoopi lies on the southeast coast between Pigadia and Afiartis and is made up of several bays with sand and pebble beaches. There are a few restaurants, many holiday homes and a minimarket. For bigger shopping you drive five to ten minutes to Pigadia. Amoopi is warm and sheltered, with little wind. That is pleasant in spring and autumn, but in July and August it gets very hot. Higher up the hill there is more breeze. Amoopi falls under the community of Menetes.

Menetes

Menetes is a mountain village above Pigadia, with 638 residents. Because it lies higher, summers are cooler and there is a breeze. You look out over Amoopi, Pigadia and the sea. Pigadia is about 15 minutes by car and Amoopi about 10.

Kyra Panagia and Katodio

Kyra Panagia lies on the east coast, about 30 minutes from Pigadia, around one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The village has three restaurants, a minimarket and many houses and villas with a view over the bay. Nearby Katodio and Mertona belong to the same area. A lot is being built and bought here at the moment, mostly villas with a sea view and a pool.

Because the bay lies in a kind of bowl, it gets hot here quickly. In July and August it can be very hot and busy with day visitors during the day. In spring and autumn it is one of the most pleasant places on the island. The evenings are quiet all year.

Afiartis

Afiartis in the south is where the airport is and where windsurfers from all over Europe come in summer. We live here ourselves, and the wind is the reason. It keeps the house cool, so most of the time we don't need air conditioning. We have no fixed air conditioning, only a mobile unit on wheels, and this year we didn't use it once. Good insulation helps too. When the wind blows really hard it can get tiring, but in Pigadia and Amoopi the summers are a lot hotter. In winter the wind is usually much calmer and it is quiet here.

Afiartis has no village centre. There is a restaurant, Rina's, which is open all year, a fairly large supermarket for a place this size and beaches such as Damatria nearby. Pigadia and Arkasa are both about 15 minutes by car. If you like wind and water sports, want to be close to the airport or don't want the summer heat of the east coast, this is a good place to look.

Arkasa and Finiki

Arkasa on the west coast has 540 residents and is a little larger than Amoopi. It has a compact centre with restaurants, bars and a supermarket, a sandy beach and a lively evening atmosphere, mostly with locals. Some restaurants, like Parthenon, stay open in winter. There is more wind than on the east coast, so summers feel less hot, and you have the sunset over the sea. Finiki, five minutes away, is a small fishing village with a short beach and several restaurants on the water, of which Immakolata also stays open in winter.

Lefkos and Mesochori

Lefkos on the northwest coast has five beaches, a number of restaurants and a few small supermarkets. It is about 50 minutes from both Pigadia and the airport. Lefkos lives mostly from tourism and is lively in summer and very quiet in winter. The mountain village of Mesochori, with 451 residents, lies above it. If you want to live here all year, you have to like driving.

The mountain villages: Aperi, Othos, Volada and Pyles

In the centre of the island lie the mountain villages Aperi (428 residents), Othos (264), Volada (241) and Pyles (204). They are green and traditional, and because of the height they are cooler and windier, and in spring they warm up more slowly than the coast. Pigadia and Arkasa are 15 to 25 minutes away. A lot of what is for sale here is an old village house that needs renovation.

Olympos and the north

Olympos in the north, with 530 residents, is the most traditional village of Karpathos. Some residents still wear the traditional dress of the island. The drive from Pigadia takes about an hour over a mountain road, and in summer the village gets busy with day visitors from late morning. Diafani, the small port below Olympos, is 15 minutes further. The north is quiet and remote, especially in winter. Spoa, with 224 residents, lies at the crossroads between the south and the north.

How to choose

If you want to live here all year, think about distance to shops, the hospital and the airport, and about what a village is like in winter. For a holiday home, the beach and the view usually matter more. Visit a village in both summer and winter before you buy, if you can. You find houses and plots for sale in all these areas on our properties page, and the steps of buying are in how to buy property on Karpathos.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best place to live on Karpathos all year?

Pigadia is the most practical, because shops, the hospital and services are close by. Many people also live all year in villages near Pigadia, such as Menetes and Aperi.

Which part of Karpathos is the warmest?

The east coast around Pigadia and Amoopi. The west coast and the mountain villages are cooler and get more wind.

Where are houses cheapest on Karpathos?

That depends more on the condition of the house than on the village. Old houses that need renovation are cheaper everywhere, and houses and plots near the sea cost more. A nice house right by the sea for under €200,000 is not realistic on Karpathos.

Is the north of Karpathos a good place to buy?

Olympos and Diafani are beautiful and traditional, but remote. They suit people who want quiet and don't need to go to Pigadia often.