09 Traditional ways

Dropped into the inky Aegean between Crete and Rhodes, Karpathos feels like it belongs to a different age. This pristine, far-flung spot in the Dodecanese is locally renowned for its white-sand beaches, hugged by pine trees up until the water’s edge.

Nestled atop a cliff, you’ll find one of Greece’s best-kept secrets. Olympos has held onto its traditional ways thanks to its remoteness. Here, local women still sport the colourful, traditional folk dress — embroidered waist coats, full skirts and leather boots — that’s long since been abandoned in the rest of the country. It’s a chance to experience a part of Greece as it once was, and worth the drive.