Meanwhile, we have also visited several other islands in Greece, but for us Karpathos still has the most diversity of beaches and a large number of beautiful beaches. From high waves, to a mirror of water: there is something for everyone! And besides pebble beaches, there are also plenty of sandy ones. But what are the sandy beaches on Karpathos? We take you through the island’s 9 (more famous) sandy beaches!

Diakoftis beach

Diakoftis strand is one of the most famous (sandy) beaches on Karpathos. And also crowded, which is unusual considering the dirt road leading to it. Still, the road is fine. It is unpaved but fairly flat. Chances are you’ll also encounter sheep and goats! And it is actually not one, but two beaches. Both beaches are sandy and you can walk wonderfully far into the sea here, especially at the beach on the right. The water here is crystal clear. The rocks on the sides of the beaches also make this a great place for snorkelling!

Those who want to spot planes are also in the right place here by the way: the airport is literally next to this beach so the planes actually land right next to you.

There are beds here in summer, but those who come in early May can still get lucky (like us, see the picture below!) Unfortunately, if you want a beach bed you have to put down some money here: €50 for a set in the 1st row….

Pigadia beach

In our opinion, not necessarily a beautiful or very special beach, but nice and close to the city! The beach is incredibly long and is a mix of occasional small pebbles and sandy stretches. You can walk here from the city and in high season a special path is recreated so that the beach is also wheelchair-friendly!

On the beach you will find several beach bars and often you can rent beach beds in front of their tent. The other stretches are nice and empty for when you just want to lay down your towel!

Update July 2023: Since last week, you can now rent jet skis, kay

Below is a picture from a distance of Pigadia (Karpathos town). Vanaf het grote schip tot helemaal links loopt het strand!

Amoopi beach

Amoopi has several beaches, but Amoopi & Little Amoopi are the 2 sandy beaches here! In the picture below, we are looking out around the main Amoopi beach, on our right you will find Little Amoopi. Both beaches are great for small children, you can walk into the sea here! It is also possible to go supping at Amoopi, unfortunately it is only closed for the rest of this year (2023) due to circumstances.

Little Amoopi is one of the finest sandy beaches in our opinion, however, in high season it is very hot here (no wind often) and crowded. As far as we are concerned, these beaches are perfect in early May!

A beach set can be rented, but around Amoopi they are very expensive. You pay €30 and reservations cost €10

Agios Nikolaos (Arkassa) beach

Agios Nikolaos can also be known by the name Arkassa beach. This sandy beach is nice and big and is located near the centre of Arkassa. There are two beach bars, each of which also rents out beds: Karpassion & Glaros. At Karpassion, there are also regular parties with a DJ on Sunday afternoons.

In terms of sea, you never know what to expect at Arkassa. The water can be incredibly flat, but especially in the high season, the chances of high waves are also very high! As a child, I (Athina) always enjoyed coming here. Taking a bodyboard into the water to enjoy catching waves.

This beach is also ideal for sunset and and should you want to do a sunset photo shoot: this is the place to be! We also had some wedding photos taken here.

Read here more about getting married on Karpathos

Finiki beach

Finiki’s beach is right in the village itself. This makes it a super cosy and cute centre with delicious Greek tavernas, a few apartment complexes, the beach and the small harbour. The beach is not very big, but perfect also for children because of its size and, again, you can walk far into the water.

You can eat deliciously across the street at Marina’s or Mama Cuisine and are you in the mood for a cocktail? Then head to the Malibu beach bar.

Lefkos beach

For most people a bit of a drive (45 minutes from Pigadia), but definitely worth a visit! Lefkos has several beaches, so one of them is sandy. The beach has umbrellas, although there is also plenty of space if you don’t need them, and in the early and late season you may even find that there are no beds at all! There are a couple of minimarkets and several tavernas for eating.

TIP: combine Lefkos with a visit to the village of Mesochori!

Christou Pigadi beach

This lovely beach can be found in Afiartis. The beach consists of small, fine pebbles and part sand. You will find beach beds and a taverna. In the water, it gets deep quickly and there are rocks. It is therefore also nice to snorkel here! And there is the occasional windsurfer surfing in the distance. In fact, they surf in the bay next to it!

By scooter? It is then best to drive to the beach via the ‘normal’ paved road. You will end up on the left side of the beach and can walk across the beach to the right side if you like. By car, via the left side is fine + you have plenty of parking space, as it is a bit more spacious here.

Damatria beach

Damatria is next to Christou Pigadia beach, as it were, and is really our favourite beach when we want a quick dip after a working day. Officially, we wouldn’t really recommend Damatria as a sandy beach, but it still partly belongs in the list. In fact, Damatria beach is mostly full of large pebbles. There are a few small patches with sand, but with one of the beach beds you can enjoy the whole day here just fine. The sea here is not full of pebbles, but sand. So you can enjoy standing in the water here & walk far into the sea.

For a nice lunch you can go to Poseidon Blue, or you can order something from them on the beach via a QR code at one of the beds! By the way, the beds here are still nice and cheap (Karpathos standards) at €15.