Trekking in Karpathos is a choice that, it has to be said, is made on the spur of the moment. One only has to climb any peak to realize that there is no other way to fully enjoy the beauty of this Dodecanese paradise. The summer here is windy so as to mitigate the seasonal mugginess and allow long walks without fatigue.
From the top, the landscapes are overpowering, invading the view and addictive. From the rough cliffs of the north, one glimpses beaches bathed by crystal-clear waters that can only be reached by boat or through narrow, steep, winding, bumpy roads; driving along them one is too focused on driving and risks missing those views that only such a wild island can provide. One can venture out on one’s own without any risk, except to miss the most remote corners of the wild peaks where little gems such as spontaneous lakes and ancient little churches are hidden that only the most experienced guides know about. How to choose it? In our case, it was Minas who chose us. All it took was a brief exchange to get to know each other and realize that it was not chance that brought us together. Minas Foundis lives in Diafani, a small village in the northeast from where we embark to reach the uninhabited island of Saria. Only those who have never seen Karpathos can be surprised to discover that Diafani is also his hometown and that never moving was a conscious choice. As a child he developed a great love for walking in the mountains that brought him into close contact with nature. As time goes by, walking becomes his true passion and he decides to turn what until then was just a hobby into a profession. This is how he founded Trekking Karpathos, a brand with which for 20 years he has accompanied travelers from all over the world along the island’s trails at any time of the year, designed ever new itineraries to give his clients unique experiences, offered alternative tourism including mountain biking as well as experiential tourism to get closer to beekeeping and learn how to cook traditional dishes. With his wife and children, for the past few years he has been running a small hotel just a breath away from Diafani beach, his lifelong home; here the quiet is broken only by the sound of boats and chatter in the seafront taverns where discerning travelers and locals alike build friendships that last.
Minas’ is a life on the road. Diafani is his home as the paths of Karpathos are his feet, a way of life he longed for since childhood, happy to have realized his dream on theisland that never bores.
To rely on his deep knowledge and love for his land is to help him preserve its pristine nature and discover every remote corner of this beautiful Aegean pearl where every past walker has left his heart.
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If you are looking for light trekking in touch with nature and the sea and want to help Minas preserve this wonderful island, check out our sustainable trips:
