Kyra Panagia

On the eastern coast of Karpathos, roughly 15 kilometres northwest of the island's capital Pigadia, a small cove opens onto the Aegean at Kyra Panagia. The beach takes its name from a modest chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary that sits on the cliff above its southern end, its red-tiled roof visible long before the shoreline itself comes into view. Sheltered by steep, pale cliffs on either side, the bay combines a mix of fine white sand and smooth pebbles with clear turquoise water, and its enclosed, semi-circular shape keeps the sea calm for most of the sailing season.

The setting has made Kyra Panagia one of the more photographed spots on Karpathos, and the terrace beside the chapel is a popular vantage point for looking back over the water. On land, a beach bar and a handful of tavernas serve visitors who arrive along the Aperi–Spoa road, while by sea the cove is reached directly by boat, which is how most sailing itineraries prefer to approach it. Karpathos sits roughly midway between Rhodes and Crete, and many gulet cruises in Greece call in here as a quiet counterpoint to the archipelago's larger, busier harbours.