The island of Icarus is famous for the longevity of its inhabitants, its unhurried pace and its traditional festivals, yet it also has many hidden gems worth discovering.
Icarus must be the most misunderstood hero of Greek mythology. A symbol of youthful recklessness, he flew - so the story goes - too close to the sun, with the wings his father made from feathers and wax. The sun melted the wax and the daring young man plunged into the open sea and drowned.
The real story is probably something like this: Icarus was a trailblazer. A pioneer of technology. And as is the fate of all bold explorers, in the quest for his personal limits he paid the ultimate price: his life. Or at least, thats how the Ikarians will tell it...
A different kind of island
Ikaria is, first and foremost, its people. Stunning, diverse, with wild beauty and picturesque villages, it could resemble any other Aegean island. But here, the everyday mindset is very different. And the willingness of the people to help you settle in is truly exemplary.
The idea of life’s simplicity, without alarm clocks, rush, and stress is a universal rule on Ikaria. Shop hours are merely indicative and no one seems to take them too seriously. What everyone here truly respects is each person’s need to live a genuinely rich life, as our ancient ancestors understood it. "Rich" is not the one who has property but the one who has "ploun", a course, a heading, and a destination.
Ikarias many faces
As for the island itself - it’s an adventure in its own right: lush greenery, wild vegetation, tiered rock pools, rivers and waterfalls, trails, lakes and hidden beaches. Ikaria has it all.
Halaris Gorge with its rushing river, the lake, Ratso Waterfall and the old watermills is one of the hiking routes they will recommend here. In the center of the island, the age-old Randi Forest with its centuries-old holm oaks is considered by experts as one of the most important forests in Europe. And the Raches circuit, along an easy 25 kilometers trail, will let you explore Ikaria’s most significant sights that you wouldn’t imagine could fit on such a tiny island.
The devoted visitors of Ikaria, those who come and come again, belong to two main categories. The first set off early for the ancient paths, the picturesque Xylosyrtis with its rare birds, the slopes of Pounta for climbing, Karkinagri, Magganitis or Agios Isidoros for bouldering, Lake Selini in Chrysostomos for canoeing and swimming.
The others set off at about the same time... for their hotel. Another night of traditional all-nighter revelry has preceded, at beach parties spontaneously organized by the “grouvaloi” (as the locals call the free campers) at Mesakti, alongside the surfers, at tiny Ammoudaki, at Livadi with its golden sand, in Armenistis and at Nas, or at Seychelles with its enchanting underwater world. At some point the two tribes meet. And both declare themselves equally in love with Ikaria and the freedom it exudes.
Traditionally, visitors make sure to discover the island’s archaeological sites, such as the Tauropolion on the banks of the Halaris river, the Tower of Drakanos, Therma with its thermal springs, the museums of Kambos and Agios Kirykos and the monastery of Saint Theoktisti in Pigi. Nor do they forget the island’s landmarks: Faro, the wider Raches area with its rollicking festivals, and the beautiful cluster of small islands lying directly opposite, the Fourni.
And at midday, without the stress of quick orders and food on the go, they savor local fish, sofiko, and rasko (boiled wild goat always served at the festivals), together with Pramnian red wine, the pride of the Ikarians.
The secrets of longevity
Ikaria is famed for its good and inexpensive food. It is also renowned for its honey, spoon sweets (the rose is a true revelation), the infusions from herbs, the local Rasko goat meat and the unique goat’s cheese "kathoura". As for the catch, here you will eat truly fresh Aegean fish, always depending on the season.
A recent study placed the Ikarians in first place for longevity, among all the peoples of Europe, with ten times greater chances of celebrating their ninetieth birthday. The scientific findings report that the secret is good diet, exercise and sex. They themselves will tell you that you can find all of that in other parts of Greece too. What truly sets them apart is their laid-back attitude. "Let life take you where it wants to. In any case, whether you like it or not, that’s what will happen in the end". Wise words from an Ikarian, aged 94...
