Karpathos Diafani

More about Diafani

Today, the local economy is mostly based on agriculture, stock breeding and fishing. Visitors will find plenty of tourist facilities, including restaurants, cafes, small hotels and rental apartments. Many of the best sights in the village are situated near the seaside promenade, where there are picturesque colorful houses, as well as nice sculptures. Notable among them is the statue of a Karpathian woman in traditional costume gazing at the sea, as well as Diafani’s most famous fountain, which is adorned with dolphins and mosaics. In the village center, there is also the church of Zoodochos Pigi (the Life-giving Spring), which is adorned with beautiful frescoes.

The best thing to do from Diafani is, first of all, to visit the nearby mountainous village of Olympos, an open-air folklore museum that has retained its age-old customs, traditional architecture and natural beauty. Equally worth visiting is the neighboring islet of Saria, where visitors can still see the ruins of a medieval Arab settlement and hike along the small spectacular gorge while marveling at some of Europe’s rarest birds of prey. Boats for Saria leave from Diafani port on a daily basis.

Moreover, one can visit the ruins of the ancient Vroukounta on the island’s northwestern tip. In the vicinity of the ancient site, the most adventurous will also find the secluded village of Tristomo, which lends itself to a journey through time, as it has no electricity or any other kind of infrastructure and is not connected to the rest of the island by road.

Along the seafront of Diafani stretches a nice pebbly beach which is well-organized, while within an hour’s walk, there are plenty of other secluded beaches like Vananda, Philios and Agnontia. Boat tours of the northern coast’s pristine coves, many of which are only accessible by sea, also depart from Diafani Port. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a Mediterranean monk seal on one of these beaches.