Akamatra, Ikaria: A Village of the Rahes Highlands

July 3, 2026 by Yannis Divramis

Akamatra is a small, traditional village set on the Rahes plateau in the western highlands of Ikaria, an island in the north Aegean. Stone houses stand among pine and oak forest, near the larger settlement of Christos Raches. The village shares the unhurried, late-running rhythm that makes the Rahes region famous. Springs, gardens and orchards … Read more

Christos Raches, Ikaria: The Village That Wakes at Night

July 3, 2026 by Yannis Divramis

Christos Raches sits high in the western mountains of Ikaria, the main settlement of the Rahes region. Pine and walnut trees shade its stone lanes at roughly 700 metres above the coast. The village runs on a rhythm most travellers find startling. Cafes, tavernas and a well-known bookshop-kafeneio open in the late afternoon and stay … Read more