Ikaria is a large island in Greece’s Northern Aegean. With its 255 km2, it takes several days to visit. Long and mountainous, it takes about 2 hours to get from Fanari to Karkinagri, located at both ends of Ikaria . Here is our travel guide for Ikaria, a few tips and tricks to help you prepare your stay on this authentic island. How do I go to Ikaria ? Where stay to get around the island? How to get around? Where to eat and drink ? What to see? We tell you everything you need to know to visit Ikaria in Greece and make the most of your stay on the island of centenarians.
How to get to Ikaria?
By plane
The island of Ikaria or Icaria has a small airport called “Ikaros” (JIK) and a landing strip in the short width of the island. Located at the eastern end of the island, 12 km from the island’s capital Agios Kirykos, the airport mainly operates domestic flights from Athens, Thessaloniki, the neighboring island of Samos … From Athens, for example, the flight takes between 50 mins and 1 hour. Flights are operated by Greek airlines such as Sky Express or Aegean Airlines for example. Personally, we use Aegean regularly and are very satisfied with the company’s services.
Flying is obviously the quickest solution.
By ferry
Ikaria has 2 ports: Agios Kirykos (to the south) and Evdilos (to the north). Both welcome ferries from the mainland (Athens, even Thessaloniki and Kavala) and other Greek islands. You can find all the ferry connections on the website Ferry Hopper. This practical site gives a quick overview of the possibilities and rates, at no extra cost.
From the mainland :
Connections to the mainland are generally made from Piraeus in Athens, and take between 6 and 7 hours by direct boat. Connections are usually operated by Blue Star Ferries. There are also connections to Northern Greece (Thessaloniki and Kavala), which require between 17 and 20 hours by boat.
From other islands :
You can take advantage of your trip to stop off at another Greek island. From Rafina, for example, you can take a ferry to Mykonos and enjoy a day on the island, before leaving the same day to finish the journey to Ikaria. There are also several links to Samos, Syros, Fourni, Lesbos, Kos, Kalymnos, Patmos, Leros… An opportunity to get a glimpse of other Greek islands!
Moving around the island
Ikaria is a fairly large island, and although walking is the most pleasant and environmentally-friendly way to visit points of interest, it’s not the quickest!
By car
To get around the island, we recommend a car. The island has an extensive road network, although not always very practicable. As usual, we rented our car with Rental Cars. At the airport, we were met by a perfectly English-speaking employee of the Agios Kyrikos agency. He immediately warned us about the state of Ikaria’s roads, with a tourist map of the island to back it up (pictured below). GPS or Google Maps can show certain roads as passable, when in fact they are dirt roads with large potholes, in the middle of the mountains… To be on the safe side, use this map as a guide and follow the main orange roads and secondary yellow roads. With our low-slung car, we tried to follow our GPS, which linked Frandato to Steli, but we had to turn back.
Tip: When in doubt, look on Google Maps in satellite view: if it’s grey, okay, it’s a tarmac road; if it’s more earthy, unless you have a 4×4, turn back!
By cab
Cab drivers know their island. If you don’t plan to drive on Ikaria, or if you plan to rent a car or scooter there, you can also contact them for your travel arrangements. In fact, you can find the numbers of several cab drivers on the Visit Ikaria website.
On a 2-wheeler
Scooters and motorcycles are also a good way to explore Ikaria’s roads. You’ll find several rental companies in the ports of Agios Kirykos and Evdilos, as well as in Armenistis and Therma. List of rental companies.
By bus
Ikaria also has a bus network serving the airport, the ports of Agios Kirykos and Evdilos, and towns such as Armenistis and Christos Rachon. But not very often…
Where to stay in Ikaria?
The size and configuration of the island mean that it takes several days to visit Ikaria. To avoid fatigue and wasted time due to long car rides on sometimes difficult roads, I advise you to stay in 2 different places. For example, a drop-off point on the southeast coast towards Agios Kirykos and another on the northwest coast towards Armenisitis or Evdilos, or inland at Raches.
At the seaside resort of Armenistis
We stayed at Armenistis at Electra and had a great stay. Located in a pretty family home, the large apartment has a separate entrance, 3 bedrooms, 1 office space and, above all, a terrace with a superb sea view. I’d have been happy to telecommute there! And as an added bonus, communication with Electra, who is Franco-Greek, is very pleasant and easy. There’s also a charming little cottage for 2 people.
Near the port of Evdilos
We spotted but didn’t test this renovated vacation home in Evdilos, House of light, which is ideally located opposite a small beach and has all the necessary comforts.
In the island’s capital, Agios Kirykos
If we return to Ikaria, the villas at Pyrgos Traditional Village make an excellent base. Traditional, stone-built accommodation with sea views and a swimming pool to boot!
In the mountains at Raches
Aria Monte Villas and Aelio are ideal for a more inland stay, in a quiet location close to hiking trails!
Agrotourism in Pigi
Finally, after a visit to the Theoktistis monastery, here’s a nice discovery: the Bio Karimalis winery, a farm inn with 4 accommodations in stone houses dating from 120 to 500 years ago. It also has a restaurant serving healthy, organic food where everything is homemade, preferably using local produce. Add to that a superb view of the valley and attentive hosts, and we were obliged to share this little gem with you! They also offer courses in Ikarian cuisine, tastings of their own organic wine and conferences on longevity in Ikaria. Find out more on the Karimalis Winery website.
And even more accommodations available with this selection on Booking: hotels, apartments and houses rented by private individuals. There’s something for everyone! You can also find other accommodations on Airbnb.
Where to eat and drink? Our good addresses
On vacation in Greece, I love to sample local culinary specialities sip my freddo cappucino overlooking the sea and, above all, take my time… Here are a few addresses we tried out or places we would have liked to stay:
In and around Armenistis
- Mary Mary: A restaurant we really enjoyed, modern Greek cuisine with a touch of international flair. My favourite dishes are pitarakias, small pitas with herbs, and sitokoulouro, a Greek salad revisited with Dakos bread and shrimps!
- O Kialaris in Gialiskari: a fish tavern with a charming terrace overlooking the harbor. Unfortunately closed during our stay, it’s the kind of place we particularly like.
At Evdilos
- Koralli on the port of Evdilos. We dined there before taking the ferry to Samos. Perfect place to sip ouzo and dine. Try katharopita (turnover with kathoura, the local goat’s cheese) and soufiko, also known as magirio (vegetable poélée with olive oil). Very good food at a very fair price.
In the small village of Karavostamo
- To Steki: 3 tables set up on a small square opposite a café-restaurant that doesn’t look much, but where we ate very well. Little choice as dishes are made fresh daily. Very good kroketes with seaweed and pork in tomato sauce.
- Mantouvala: A fish tavern with a terrace we really enjoyed, but unfortunately it wasn’t yet open in low season.
- Maresia cafe bar is the ideal place to relax with a view of the harbor, enjoy a coffee, cocktail or breakfast.
Therma
- Meltemi: Grill tavern serving delicious daily specials such as gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers, tried and tested), as well as soufiko.
At Pigi
- Karimalis Winery: Farm Inn located on a wine-growing estate. A splendid setting, with an outdoor terrace overlooking the vineyards and valley and a distant view of the sea. Add to that a healthy diet where everything is homemade, even the fresh pasta and cheese! A delicious meal served with a glass of organic wine from the vineyard… In short, a moment of pure happiness!
What to see and do in Ikaria?
To make the most of your stay in Ikaria and find out what to visit on this North Aegean island, take a look at this article Top 10 must-sees in Ikaria.
Finally, in all subjectivity, here’s our “plus or minus” on Ikaria.
| OUR FAVORITES | NEGATIVES |
|---|---|
| The hot spring at Therma | Road conditions |
| Nas beach and the temple of Artemis | Taverns and cafes closed in low season |
| Karimalis Estate in Pigi | |
| Theoktistis monastery and the view from above |
And you’re all set for your stay on the island of centenarians!
Virginie W.
Updated February 9, 2024
