Island Ikaria, renowned for its wonder working therapeutic hot mineral springs and unequaled natural beauty, has about 8,500 permanent inhabitants and is divided into three municipalities. Ikaria and her over 200 villages cover an area of approx. 270 km2. The many villages of Ikaria produce excellent olive oil, marvelous grapes, wine, raisins, nuts, almonds and delicious apricots. Ikaria is also renowned for its scented honey, its abundant fishing grounds, and its finest quality slate which it exports.
Ikaria, together with her villages, with its virgin and wild nature has many pleasant surprises in store for its visitors. The wonderful climate, the landscapes of exquisite beauty, the deep shaded gorges with the crystal clear running waters, the attractive beaches, and the cool clean sea compose all the elements that make it an excellent place to make a holiday and live healthily. Finally, every visitor to Ikaria must be ready to accept the warm Ikarian hospitality and the simple Ikarian kindness so that he/she can enjoy and appreciate the traditions, customs and rich cultural heritage of this unique land.
Xilosirtis lies to the west of the capital after the monastery and belongs to the municipality of Agios Kirikos. It is called the village of apricots and is especially beautiful and picturesque as it is hidden in the sweet shade of apricot trees. On the 26th of July a traditional feast takes place i...
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Christos Rachon is situated approximately 500 meters above sea level in the northern part of Ikaria and has about 350 permanent inhabitants. This impressive large village of the Raches plateau is built amphitheatrically amidst pines, oaks, fruit bearing trees, and vineyards. Its picturesque square w...
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At the eastern tip of Ikaria lies the settlement of Fanari also known as Faros. Faros is located on a small plain with many vineyards and is home to a growing number of houses, most of them summer cottages used by the inhabitants of Agios Kirikos and Perdiki. Faros' coastline, with its two mile long...
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Built amphitheatrically, Evdilos is situated in the northern part of the island, 40 km northwest of Agios Kirikos. It is a new seaside settlement built after 1830 when piracy was completely stamped out in Ikaria. Evdilos was a temporary capital before Agios Kirikos during the second Turkish Occupati...
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Kampos lies in the northern part of the island, west of Evdilos. The village is built in a beautiful plain, "kampos" in Greek, with ample water from whence its name. The gentle lake abounds with reeds, thickets, and moss. The Voutsidis river flowing down to the shore, the enchanting beaches and well...
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Therma, situated 2 km east of the capital and celebrated since ancient times for its therapeutic radioenergic hot mineral springs, is the main spa town of Ikaria. It has a picturesque bay with a small inlet and a lovely beach for swimming. The white-washed houses, some lower others higher standing o...
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Agios Kirikos is situated on the southeastern coast of the island and was founded over three hundred years ago by local sailors who dedicated the city to Agios(Saint) Kirikos. It is the capital of Ikaria and the main gateway to the island by land, sea, and air. Most of the public services of the isl...
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The old settlement of Vrakades lies to the west of the island, about 260m above sea level. This picturesque village is spread out in an area of lush vegetation below the bare mountaintops of Atheras. Its well cared for houses both old and new, the typical terraces filled with the villagers' cultivat...
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The village of Plagia is built at the foot of a mountain slope where it gets its name from. It is a vast pasture land which drops steeply in abrupt cliffs. The houses of the small village are scattered over the area and the center is a beautiful village square with a large church, primary school, an...
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Armenistis is a small sea-side settlement in the northern part of Ikaria west of Evdilos and just past Gialiskari. It belongs to the prefecture of Raches and has about 70 permanent inhabitants, a number which increases substantially in summer. Locally speaking, Armenistis is a small fishing village ...
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The settlement of Prospera is situated in western Ikaria south of Nas. In Greek its name means westwards. Together with the sea side settlement of Kato Prospera, they belong to the community of Raches and have about 120 inhabitants. Prospera is of particular interest with its pretty houses scattered...
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Avlaki lies west of Evdilos and just after the village of Kampos. It is a seaside settlement belonging to the community of Frandato and has about 100 permanent inhabitants. The village has lush vegetation and its pretty houses are hidden away in dense pine forests with trees that stretch down to the...
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Almost in the center of the Ikaria and at an altitude of over 500 meters lies Frandato. The village has about 500 inhabitants whose number is multiplied in the summer. It is built on fertile ground with abundant vegetation and is one of the prettiest villages of Ikaria. The houses, both old and new,...
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North of Agios Kirikos after Mavraton lies Oxea, one of the oldest villages in the southern part of the island and one of Ikaria's highest village at nearly 600m. Besides its historical importance, the village has unequal scenic beauty. Its neat houses, both old and new, are spread in harmony over t...
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Gialiskari is a small seaside settlement in the northern part of the island west of Evdilos. It belongs to the community of Christos Raches and has about 165 permanent inhabitants. This pretty fishing village with the picturesque inlet, attractive beaches, the church of Agios Nikolaos, and surrounde...
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Chrisostomos is situated to the west of Agios Kirikos after Xilosirtis at an altitude of 350 meters. It belongs to the municipality of Agios Kirikos and numbers about 300 inhabitants. This pretty village forms a wonderful white and green ensemble with its houses built amphitheatrically among the lus...
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Langada lies in the western part of the island and belongs to the community of Christos-Rachon and has about 15 inhabitants. This lush green valley almost completely hidden from view was once the sacred ground of the Ikarian people's survival during the century of obscurity. Now desolate, it is cult...
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The old settlement of Kouniadi lies west of Christos-Rachon. It belongs to the community of Raches and has about 45 inhabitants. Its name originates from the settler "Kounias." The village is built amphiteatrically on the mountain side of Atheras overlooking the sea. The houses are scattered in the ...
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The settlement of Pezi is situated on the plateau bearing the same name in the western part of Ikaria. It belongs to the community of Christos-Rachon and has about 20 inhabitants. It is built on a plateau amidst a flat imposing landscape which impresses the visitor who is accustomed to Ikarian villa...
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Kosikia, belonging to the community of Evdilos, is the highest of the Messaria villages. Its name derives from the word "kosifikia" dwellings of the Kosifikia as it was situated at a very high altitude. Today it has about 100 inhabitants. This quaint village with its houses spread over the mountains...
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Nelia lies in the northern part of the island and belongs to the community of Perdiki and has about 30 inhabitants. This small settlement has generous vegetation and ample water. Among the pine and cypress trees appear the pretty long and narrow houses with their traditional roofs covered with Ikari...
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Magganitis is situated in the southwestern part of the island. It belongs to the community of Agios Kirikos and has about 150 inhabitants. The entry to the village is impressive, passing through a tunnel cut into the gigantic granite bluffs that surround it. Magganitis is also imposing as you view i...
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Akamatra lies to the south of Evdilos and belongs to the community of Evdilos. Together with the villages of Dafni, Steli, Petropouli, and Kosikia it forms the region of Messaria. Today it has about 150 permanent inhabitants. This beautiful village is one of the gems of the island. It encompasses pr...
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From Armenistis a 3.5 km long paved road continues west to the small settlement of Nas which belongs to the community of Raches and has about 50 permanent inhabitants. The name Nas probably derives from the Greek word "Naos"(temple) or by alteration of the godesses' ancient name "Ma," as Artemis was...
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Perdiki is situated in the northern part of Ikaria and belongs to the municipality of Agios Kirikos. It has about 400 inhabitants. Its name originates from the first settler, Perdikis, who is mentioned in a 1681 contract. Perdiki is a large village spread over a plateau. Its beautiful houses are hid...
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The beautiful village of Dafni is spread out amphitheatrically on a lush slope with Cyprus trees appearing like thousands of green spears aimed at the sky. Inside the village picturesque houses both old and new reveal their flowery gardens and the parish church dedicated to Agios Dimitrios sits secl...
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Karavostamo is a large beautiful seaside village stretching out from upon the mountain. It is composed of an upper and lower village and is situated in the northern part of the island east of the municipality of Evdilos. It has approximately 485 inhabitants and is a must see for any visitor owing to...
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The picturesque village of Karkinagri stands solitary by the promontory of "Pappas" in the southwestern tip of Ikaria. It has about 300 permanent inhabitants, but in summertime the population increases substantially. In a landscape of wild grandeur this pretty fishing village, "the village of silenc...
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