The village of Diafani in Karpathos
Diafani, is one of the northernmost settlements on the island of Karpathos. The small town with a calm atmosphere is important in the past and present of Karpathos in several ways: for centuries, Diafani served as the port of the town of Olympos, famous for its traditions, and today it is a ferry stop.
In the beginning, the town of Diafani was simply considered by the inhabitants of Karpathos to be only the port of Olympos, which is relatively far from the southern part. The reason for this is that for centuries there was no good-quality, asphalted road between the southern landscapes of Karpathos and Olympos in the north, so the famous traditional town could only be reached on a narrow and in many places steep shepherd’s path, or from the sea, through the port of Diafani.
Nowadays, this has already changed, because a gravel and gravel road was first built from the south towards Olympos, which was asphalted about a decade ago – we still travel on it today if we visit here by car or by local bus.
With the help of the road connecting the north and the south, the way has been opened for those exploring the Karpathos by car and motorbike to discover Diafani and it is no longer possible to get here by boat. It is worth knowing that the distance between Olympos and Diafani is only seven kilometers, which is not much on maps, but in real life it may feel a little more due to the rather winding, hilly route.
In recent years, the popularity of Diafani has noticeably increased among visitors to the island, this beautifully situated, cozy little town has become more and more popular, and today it is not only the proximity of Olympos that attracts holidaymakers, but more and more apartments for rent, restaurants and cafes await their guests in Diafani.
Diafani what to do and see
Despite this, Diafani has not lost its relaxed atmosphere, as a bit more life is concentrated only on the port and its surroundings, where most of the sights are located – the rest of the small town has remained as it was. Most of Diafani’s taverns and cafes are located next to the beach, near the port, on the promenade that runs along the coast.
You can expect more bustle when a tour boat full of vacationers arrives from Pigadia. The main goal of the optional programs starting from the capital of Karpathos is the nearby Olympos, where the passengers are taken by bus, but sometimes there is time to explore the streets of Diafani itself.
The main attractions of the town include the interesting sculptures on the seaside promenade and the church in the center. Its own beach, Diafani beach has a gray pebble bottom and is a partially developed beach directly in front of the pedestrian street parallel to the beach. It’s easy to find, we practically run into it, it might just be suitable for refreshing yourself in the heat.
The other beaches in the area can be reached from Diafani by a dirt-gravel road of varying quality, they are often recommended for hiking. In the north, Vananda beach (Paralia Vananta, Παραλία Βαναντα) is a small undeveloped bay two and a half kilometers away, with a small church called Agia Anargyri next to it. In the south, Kampi beach is a very small, also undeveloped beach seven hundred meters from the city, then approx. four kilometers away, Apokapos beach, is a medium-sized bay with a bottom covered with gray pebbles.
Of course, before visiting Diafani, it is recommended to look for a detailed presentation of Diafani in the downloadable guidebook, so that we can get to know this interesting small town of Karpathos better.
