Olympos, Karpathos: One of the best preserved cultures in Greece #karpathos #travel #greece

Built on the spine of a mountain along sheer sea cliffs, Olympos, Greece is remote by design. After a slew of pirate attacks at their original settlement of Vrokounta, this ancient culture moved their seaside village to the mountaintop in the 8th century. They remained fiercely independent and virtually inaccessible until 2011 when the first paved road connected them to the rest of Karpathos. After so many centuries without outside influence, Olympos’ unique culture flourished and remains intact. They still speak their own dialect, wear traditional dress, bake in communal wood-fired ovens, and have their medieval windmills at the ready to grind grain.

We were planning to just visit Olympos for the day but were so charmed by this village that we dropped our city plans and literally booked a guest house on the spot. We had a feeling that if we stayed longer, more magic would unfold…and it certainly did! Watch this video (above), complete with impromptu cooking classes, a traditional dress-up party, and some of the most breathtaking scenery from a village frozen in time.

To plan your own Karpathos adventure, see our in-depth travel guide: https://www.honeytrek.com/karpathos-greece/

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