Ikaria is an island in the North Aegean Sea and one of the East Aegean Islands. Ikaria is west of Samos and south of Chios. Its capital is the town of Agios Kirikos. Tourism on Ikaria is unimposing for all and reflects an "Ikarian Balance" between nature, freedom, time, and development.
The island is world famous for being one of the five Blue Zones, places where people reach extraordinary high ages. The island has the highest population of people 90 years and older in the world.
The Hybrid Hydro-Electric Plant, an electricity generating plant combining wind and hydraulic power, was inaugurated in 2019. It will provide 50% of the island's electricity needs.
The population is about 8,400 (2010), with an area of 660 km².
Villages and small towns include:
Another destination to visit is Thymena.
Ikaria can be reached year round by air and has an airport, located on the south eastern part of the island, 12 km from Agios Kirikos village. There are flights directly from Athens by Olympic Air (dead link: January 2023) (c. 35 minutes), and from Crete during the summer via SkyExpress.
Ikaria has 2 harbours, Evdilos and Agios Kirikos. There are daily ferry rides from the island of Samos (c. 2½ hours). A weekly ferry via Nel Lines also runs in the summer connecting Ikaria to Limnos, Lesvos and Kavala.
You can bring a car using the boats, or you can rent one there. Bus services are infrequent. For example, services to Armenistis from Evdilos only run on alternate days. To explore the island, car or motorbike rental is necessary - although hitchhiking is really common for younger people to get around. There are several car rental companies in Armenistis, but in peak season you may have to reserve a hire car a few days in advance.
For swimming, head to the beaches of:
Ikaria has multiple museums which house objects from Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine time periods. The museums are free to the public and vary in open hours. The museums include:
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division