Diafani Chalki ferry

Diafani Guide

Located on the Greek island of Karpathos, the second largest of the Dodecanese group of islands in the Aegean Sea, is the town and port of Diafani. Karpathos lies roughly 50 km to the south west of the island of Rhodes in the part of the Mediterranean Sea called the Carpathian Sea. There are 11 villages on the island, one of which is Diafani which is located in the north of the island. The island is characterised by rugged mountains in the north and fertile fields in the south with an abundance of flowers in the winter and spring months. Visitors to the island can find amazing beaches, sometimes without crowds, nestling between the island's craggy cliffs.

The island has managed to retain its charm mainly because of its relatively remote location. The island has managed to preserve many of its traditional forms of dress, customs and dialect.

Karpathos is connected to neighbouring islands and to the mainland by ferry. The ferries provide transport to and from Piraeus, via Crete and Rhodes.

Chalki Guide

The Greek island of Chalki lies in the Aegean Sea and forms part of the Dodecanese group of islands. It is situated around 6 km to the west of the island of Rhodes and is the smallest inhabited island of the Dodecanese with a surface area of 28 sq. km and a coastline of around 34 km. The island's name is derived from the copper mines that used to exist on the island (Chalkos is Greek for copper). The island's economy was doing well at the end of 19th century, when Chalkites, the island's residents, developed navigation and a lucrative sponge industry. Chalki followed the historic course of Rhodes and was officially united with Greece in 1948. The world's youth nominated the island as the "Island of Peach and Friendship" in 1983.

The port, where the ferries arrive, is called Nimborio and is the only village on the island of any size. The port is shaped like a horseshoe around the bay.