Renting a quad bike on Karpathos is great fun! Just keep in mind that quad biking is ‘tough’. It requires much more strength and concentration than driving a car. After a day of quad biking, you will soon be exhausted. We therefore recommend renting a quad for one or two days. Do you want to go out for the rest of the days? Then it’s better to rent a car for those remaining days.

Where to rent a quad on Karpathos and what are the costs?

We usually rent a quad bike on Karpathos once a holiday. We always have a car, but just like to cruise all over the island for a day. Nice to hit the dirt roads and see even more of the island. We always rent the quad from MotoCarkapthos and it’s always great. You can also rent one from Euromoto, we hear many positive stories about them as well.

The cost of a quad varies per period. Take into account an amount between €30 and €50 per day, to which, of course, your gasoline will be added.

Practical information

Stops next to the road

On Karpathos, there are many small unpaved coves in the road, especially between Afiartis and Amoopi. This is a great place to stop and take pictures of the view. What you really have to watch out for is the wind. When the wind is strong it is better not to do this. The strong fall winds from the mountains can suddenly give a jolt and that is dangerous at such a point along the road.

Gas

On Karpathos, there are many small unpaved coves in the road, especially between Afiartis and Amoopi. This is a great place to stop and take pictures of the view. What you really have to watch out for is the wind. When the wind is strong it is better not to do this. The strong fall winds from the mountains can suddenly give a jolt and that is dangerous at such a point along the road.

In July and August, it is wise to make sure you have extra gasoline in the quad or to refuel when you can. It can happen that the boat with gasoline does not arrive and you have to wait a few days. Fortunately, in some cases you can still contact the rental company for some extra gasoline in case of an emergency.

Parking

There are no parking fees on Karpathos. So fortunately that saves you a lot of money. On Karpathos fixed parking places (with lines) are not self-evident. In the villages you will usually find fixed parking spots, but at beaches you will generally just park along the road. Keep in mind that – especially in high season – beaches like Apella and Kyra Panagia are very crowded. So go early to score a (normal) spot for your quad. Also useful to know is that vehicles in the main town of Karpathos, Pigadia, are not allowed on the boulevard/port after 7 pm. This is also indicated at the beginning of the boulevard/port on a sign and after 7 p.m. there is also a gate here.

Faithfully, do not forget to carry a large stone in the quad’s bucket. With a quad, you can’t park at an angle well without it moving away, because they don’t have a handbrake. With a stone behind your weel, you prevent it from moving!

Need navigation?

A navigation on Karpathos is basically not necessary. The island is small and there is really only one, real main road across the island. You can’t get lost ;). A map (or Google Maps) is useful to know where the villages are located.

Driving at night

Driving a quad in the evening I would try to avoid. It is very dark on Karpathos, in many places there are no guard rails and no lampposts (only cat’s eyes between Arkassa and Afiartis on the road surface).

Speed limit

On Karpathos, most tourists drive a car about 50 to 60 km per hour. The Greeks a lot faster ;). With a quad it is often not possible to reach that speed. Take it easy and see what you like. Especially when cornering, braking is necessary because a quad is much less maneuverable than a car. Are you annoyed when cars behind you want to go faster? Pull over or watch them overtake you. We always do! That way they can keep on driving and you can continue without stress and most importantly, enjoy the tour.

Road trip route with the quad

A fun route Vincent and I drove last year started in Pigadia at the rental agency. We then went to Ahata, Kyra Panagia and Apella for a short swim. Then we drove through the mountains via Spoa to the other side of Karpathos: Messochori. From there you can drive back to Pigadia via Lefkos and Arkassa. A long route, but very nice. Especially when you go to Karpathos for the first time, this route gave you a good impression of the island!

Rent a scooter on Karpathos

Besides renting a car or quad on Karpathos, you can also opt for a scooter. You can also rent these at one of the aforementioned establishments.

With a scooter you are of course nice and fast and you can park easier. Anyway, riding a scooter with 30+ degrees is the ultimate summer feeling, I always love that in the Netherlands too!

Still, there is a big disadvantage to renting a scooter. Opinions are divided on this. In any case, we do not like it, but that also has mainly to do with where we live. It is very windy at our place ;-). Now it is not so bad if you drive from Pigadia to the North, because in general it does not really blow here. If you go towards Afiartis and Arkassa you can unfortunately face quite strong winds and this is really not nice on a scooter! It is of course what you want, but we do not recommend a scooter.