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Av Mihalis Lytos

The island of Karpathos is located between the two well known Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete, with a history dating back to the Minoan era and Mycenean tombs and settlements going back to the second millennium B.C. In the Doric times (1000 B.C.) it was referred to as Tetrapolis, named after the four famous cities, Potideo (today Pigadia), Arkessia (today Arkasa), Vrykous, and the island of Saria. In the classic and Hellenistic periods, Karpathos followed the history of the rest of Greece. In 42 B.C. Karpathos was conquered by the Romans and later became part of the Byzantine empire. From the 7th to 10th century A.D. Karpathos was ravaged by the pirates so the people that lived close to the sea were forced to move to the mountains to protect their selfs. Through the following centuries the island was under the command of several conquerers sucha as the Genoans, St.John`s knights, the Venetians and the Turks. After the 1821 revolution of the Greeks, Karpathos was liberated but in 1830 it was given back to the command of the Turks under a treaty. In 1912 the island was conquered by the Italians. Finally in 1948 the island was liberated and joined the rest of Greece.

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Pigadia av Fellman. (Håper det går bra å bruke det fine bildet ditt her.)

Karpathos is a God gifted island with authentic pure natural beauties and unique physical wealth.  Wherever you go you will find magnificent beaches, secluded small bays, imposing mountain peaks. All of the above are enhanced by the hospitality of the local inhabitants that dress up in their traditional Karpathian costumes. Karpathos comprises of 12 villages lived in by approximately 8.000 people. All villages preserve intensively the traditional style of the island. In the south east of the island you can find Pigadia (capital) and the main port of the island.  Pigadia are surrounded by the villages of Menetes, Arkasa, Finiki, Aperi, Volada, Othos and Piles. In the central of the island you will find Lefkos, Mesohori and Spoa. On the north side of the island you will find the villages Olympos and Diafani.

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Olympos av Riitta (Håper det går greit å bruke det fine bildet ditt her.)

To reach the north of the island, and the towns of Olympos and Diafani, care needs to be taken as the road is still under construction. If you hire a car to visit this part of the island you will have to ensure that it is either a 4x4 or a jeep. Some of the more secluded beaches are also only accessible using this type of transport (or by boat), so care will need to be taken. The central and southern parts of the island can be reached via ash felted roads, so a less robust car can be used. Please make sure to take the advice the car hire firms offer.

Boat trips are frequent from Pigadia and Diafani, and some smaller craft will act as ferries to deserted beaches from the east coast resorts such as Ag Nicholas, Kyra Panagia, Achata and Apella.

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Amopi av Riitta.