In Karpathos Apella beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the island, where magnificient beach of the Aegean Sea is surrounded by breathtaking natural scenery, high mountains and lush pine forests. As you can see on the photos, the entire area looks like a painting! If you visit Karpathos island and you are looking for the best beaches, one of your trips should definitely lead you to Apella beach.
- Also known as: Apela beach, Paralia Apella, Παραλία Απέλλα
- Coordinates: 35.604541, 27.156564
- Location: 20 kilometers from Pigadia
Where to find Apella beach in Karpathos, Greece?
Apella beach (Paralia Apella, or Παραλία Απέλλα in Greek language) is located on the east coast of Karpathos island, about 20 kilometers away from Pigadia and 32 kilometers away from the airport. The area of this great beach offers one of the most mountanious and scenic routes, which is famous for its amazing panoramic views and lookout points.
There are several options to visit Apella beach, because it can be reached by car, by motorbicycle or by daily boat trips either, each of these offer quite different experiences.
How to get there
If you would like to admire the best views to Apella beach from the heights, it is recommended to arrive by car, by scooter or by quad. The main road which leads here is winding, but wide enough for the cars and for the local traffic. The route which leads to Apella beach is one of the most beautiful areas in Karpathos, especially between Kyra Panagia village and Spoa.
This road section was built in a height of 200 to 300 meters above sea level, leads in the side of the high mountains, and offer exceptional views to the Aegean Sea and to the mountains of Karpathos island both. If you arrive from south, the direction of Pigadia, you will meet the best lookout point to Apella beach direcly next to the main road.
Most of Apella beach photos are taken here, because there can be seen not just the beach, but the entire coastline 3 kilometers long. The final road section, which lead down to the beach is well signed, but the road gets much narrow, so you have to pay attention for the last kilometers.
If you are lucky and there is no traffic at that time, even on the last section there are also some great panoramic views, where the entire beach can seen from behind. The parking lot of Apella beach is located about 2 kilometers away from the junction of the main road, where the cars, bikes and quads can be parked beside the road.
The end of the road may be crowded with cars during high season weeks, so it’s worth to arrive in the morning hours. From the parking lot you have to walk down on some stairs and climb across some large rocks, but that’s all, you have arrived to the magical Apella beach, a breathtaking gem of Karpathos, Greece!
The other way to visit Apella beach in Karpathos island is to catch a daily boat trip, which depart from the port of Pigadia in the morning hours. The largest excursion boats in Pigadia always offer daily boat trips to this exceptional beach during the summer months, just walk around the port in the evenings or just ask one of the local tour guides or tourist offices.
Unlike some other beaches most of the boats dock here, so guests of the excursion boats can disembark, not just swim on the open sea around the boat.
What you should know about Apella beach
The scenery of Apella beach (Παραλία Απέλλα) is breathtaking, beause the beach is surrounded by high mountains, steep cliffs, giant rocks, and lush vegetation. Behind the beach there is a pine forest and some tamarisk trees, which offer natural shade for the first visitors. The charm of the area is amazing, many people think it’s just like on postcards or paintings.
When the sea surface is calm and there are no waves, the water is incredibly clean here, with millions of emerald and turquise colors. The marine life of the seabed is usually vibrant, Apella beach is one of the best places in Karpathos for diving and snorkeling. The seabed is filled with coarse sand and pebbles, making ideal conditions for snorkel.
As you see on the photos and also you will see in real life, Apella beach is one of the largest beaches of Karpathos island. The shore is wide and long, and usually it is enough for most of the visitors even during high season periods.
The area of the beach is organized with parasols and sunbeds, and there is a restaurant near to the entrance which offer meal and cold drinks, called Apella Taverna (Ταβέρνα Άπελλα). From the beach you have to climb some stairs to reach the restaurant, because it was built on a hill.
Behind the beach there are some natural shade under the pines, but these places are quite popular and fills up in the morning hours. Approx between 4 pm and 5 pm the sun goes slowly behind the mountains, and the backside of the beach slowly falls into shade.
On the southern site of Apella beach there is a small secluded bay, it is well hidden from the crowds. The only way to reach this tiny beach is a narrow hiking trail that leads on the southern hillside. This hidden gem is called on maps just simply as Small Apella, or as Mikri Apella.
Apella beach is not so well protected from the strong winds than some other beaches of Karpathos, but it is not always windy. Usually the strength of the wind can be seen from above, just stop your vehicle at the famous lookout point on the way to the beach, and watch the waves of the sea surface. When you see clearly the waves on the blue sea, the wind blows on the beach too, but when the sea surface looks like calm, there are no significant winds on the beach.
From this lookout point you can see an another interesting beach of Karpathos, which can be reached only by boat, and as visitors say it is a hidden gem. This beach is called Vasilis Paradise beach and it is situated just a few hundred meters away from the north part of Apella.
Final Thoughts
Apella beach is definitely one of the best beaches in Karpathos island, and also in Greece. The area of the beach is a beautiful postcard that comes to life, and make your time here unforgettable.
It can be accessed by car or by boat both, and despite it’s organized area it looks like almost untouched. If you spend your holiday on the island, don’t miss to visit the amazing Apella beach in Karpathos!
If you fell in love with great place through photos, before travelling just click here to find an accommodation!
Additional info
- Sea water color: turquoise, emerald, blue
- Sand type: coarse sand, pebbles, some rocks
- Depth: normal
- Sea surface: usually calm
- Crowds: can be crowded in high season
- Facilities: parking lot, tavern, parasols and sunbeds for rent
- Accessibility: asphalt road, by car and by daily boat excursions
- Wind conditions: sometimes windy
- Beaches nearby: Vasilis Paradise beach (1 km, access only by boat), Kyra Panagia beach (14 km), Agios Nikolaos beach of Spoa (12 km)
- Apella Karpathos, 857 00, Greece
Apella beach Photos
Photos and images of Apella beach in Karpathos island.
