Travel Guide Arkassa

Arkassa and the neighboring village of Finiki offer a tranquil base on the southwest coast of Karpathos. These two small seaside resorts face the sea and offer magnificent sunsets on uncrowded beaches. Backed by the Homali mountains, the first foothills of Mount Kali Limni, this ever-changing region can be gentle and welcoming, or sometimes a little unsettling. To the west, you can't take your eyes off Kassos. In Arkassa, you can visit the ruins of the ancient acropolis of Arcesia or Arcesine, perched on a peninsula jutting out into the sea: a well-signposted, if somewhat arduous, path leads up to the ruins in 15 minutes. At the entrance to the peninsula, you'll find the small Byzantine church of Agia Sofia. Nearby, don't miss the remains of5th-century mosaics, some of which have been transferred to the Archaeological Museum in Rhodes-City. Arkassa is home to the pretty beach of Aghios Nikolaos, renowned for its fantastic sunset. Further south, the beaches of Trachanammos and Aghios Theodoros are magnificent. We'll opt for Trachanammos for its meters of solitary but windy beach, and prefer Aghios Theodoros for lunch in one of the island's good tavernas, sheltered from the wind. Heading north, we settle into the small fishing port of Finiki. Beyond, the energetic waves of the lonely bay of Kamarakia take your breath away.