Karpathos Spoa

General information

Driving north to Olympos, you will pass by the traditional village of Spoa, which is located right in the center of the island. Set against a backdrop of imposing mountains, it is built at an altitude of 490 meters above sea level and affords stunning views of the Karpathian Sea.

Inhabited since antiquity, the wider area of Spoa used to be one of the southernmost territories belonging to the city of Vroukounta and traces of an ancient settlement have been discovered in the present-day location of Marathos. It was a fishing and farming village, which also served as an important trading station. It flourished during the Roman times, and one of the major surviving monuments is the ruins of the early Christian basilica of Eftampatousa with its adjacent baptistery, which is among the best-preserved ones in the Dodecanese.

Though the area was subsequently abandoned as a result of Arab raids, it was gradually repopulated following the Ottoman occupation of Crete in 1669 AD, which brought some peace to the Aegean shores. It was then that the village of Spoa was established, with its whitewashed houses sprawling irregularly on the mountain slopes. Around its narrow alleys, visitors will also find some quaint chapels that testify to the importance religion played in the lives of the locals. Don’t miss visiting the Chapel of Saint John, which is built inside a cave. Moreover, of particular interest is a series of stone-built pre-industrial windmills which still adorn the slopes, despite the wear of time.

In the vicinity of Spoa stretches the charming bay of Agios Nikolaos, which boasts inviting pristine waters and a few nice taverns.