Karfas

Location

Karfas is the harbor (Skala) of Thymiana. It is situated five kilometers from the city of Chios and, due to its beautiful beach, it has become the largest tourist resort of the island.

Every summer thousands of tourists come on this sunny beach to enjoy the cool water and play with its fine-grained sand. The beach of Karfas has some large hotels that will satisfy the most demanding tastes, but it has also a many inns and rooms to rent. As it is common for tourist centers, Karfas has also a very intense nightlife. The different hotels organize 'Greek evenings' almost every night. Beside that, numerous bars, pubs and discos will become the favorite places for every dance-lover, as there are many discos which play modern music until the next day dawns. Some of the nightly events are the musical evenings with live bands at the hotels or the nightclub. Of course it is possible to spend the night at a more quiet place, like the numerous bars and pubs that are spread throughout the entire area.

Karfas is also an ideal place for swimming and fishing, but the beach has also many other sports facilities. The beaches of Agia Ermioni and of Megalos Limnonas are near Karfas. Apart from this, the town offers the visitor a great variety of restaurants, fish taverns and fast-food parlors. Close to Karfas, there is the church of the Virgin Krina (Panagia Krina), one of the most dazzling examples of 12th century religious architecture in the island. The walls inside the church are covered with many layers of mural paintings. The upper layer is the work of "Michail Chomatis", one of the last artists of the 18th century Cretan School. The Byzantine tower of Agelastos, situated in the same area, is also worth a look.

Karfas' transportation is also very helpful for the inhabitants and the tourists, since the village is served by a regular line of regional buses. Taxis and chartered vehicles can also be obtained upon request. There is also a gas station that serves the needs of the local population and of visitors.