Overview

The island of Ikaria was named for Icarus who was banished to Crete along with his father Daedalus, after Daedalus revealed the secret of the Labyrinth for which he had designed. Icarus, with a pair of wings made from feathers and wax, attempted to escape from by flying away, however not heeding the warning of his father, Icarus flew too close to the sun causing the wax to melt and the wings to disintegrate which in turn caused Icarus to plunge to his death on the rocky shores of Ikaria.

Ikaria is situated in the Aegean Sea between Mykonos and Samos. It is the southernmost island in the archipelagos referred to as the Northern Aegean Islands. Ikaria is a long, narrow island with an area of approximately 255 sq. km and a coastline of 102 km. With a resident population of about 8,000, Ikaria is 142 nautical miles (8.5 hours by ferry) from the mainland gateway port city of Piraeus and is part of the Prefecture of Samos.

The Highlights
The Monastery of the Evangelistria.
The ruins of ancient Oinoe in Kambos.
The temple of Taurus Artemis.

We Recommend
Visiting the Archeological and Folklore Museums.
Spending a late night in the village of Christos Raches.
Going to the beaches on the north side of the island, especially Mesachti and Nas.