Location & accommodation in Ikaria

All our programs are given at Ikarian Centre’s headquarters, on a wooded area, 1,5 Km outside the mountainous settlement of Arethousa and 3Km away the coastal village of Karavostamo. Participants are welcome to stay in a private room, alone or with a fellow traveler.  The rooms are all located adjacent to the course venues. Each of them includes private bathroom and kitchenette. The Centre’s mini bus, with a driver, is available for short excursions to the island, to visit nearby beaches or to go to Evdilos, the port and central village of North Ikaria, 8Km away.

Life at Ikarian Centre’s guesthouse

Accommodation at Ikarian Centre is perfect for those who wish for an experience off the beaten path. Here you can enjoy a course or simple holidays combined with a healthy dose of nature and community, not to mention the opportunity to become better acquainted with the local Ikarian culture (which may make have you believing you just stepped out of a time machine). Although participants will have their own private space, the larger areas of the facilities – the patio, classrooms, and common kitchen – provide a place for teachers, students of Greek language students (or participants of other activities) to come together for learning, for discussions, for meals, and for enjoyment. During our language courses, the scheduled afternoon/evening activities, like traditional dance lessons, learning to sing Greek songs, film screenings and slide shows, create a learning environment outside the classroom that makes the students’ stay more productive, interesting and fun. Additionally, spontaneous activities such as hiking, going out to authentic local tavernas, ‘cooking evenings’ or film screenings, occur during our free time, according to the mood of the group.

Food

There is no canteen, restaurant or grocery store in the guesthouse.  Starting from 2023, breakfast and simple meals ARE ALSO served in some of our programs. However, our guests may always use the kitchenette in their room or the common kitchen in order to prepare their breakfast and meals. In the nearby villages of Arethousa (15 min by foot) and Karavostamo (less than 10 min by car) there are small grocery stores, cafes, and tavernas.  The cost of living in Ikaria is still quite inexpensive: A meal at one of the local tavernas costs about €15 (including wine).

Facilities and amenities of the guesthouse

All rooms are twin occupancy, with two single beds that can be joined without leaving a gap in the middle. Each room has a separate external entrance and includes a kitchenette and a private bathroom. All rooms are all well heated. The guesthouse facilities also include a small library-reading room, a common kitchen and several courtyards and covered areas where one can sit alone or meet with other guests. All areas have good wifi access. In summary, in the guesthouse you will find:

• twin occupancy rooms,
• separate external entrance for each room
• two separate beds in each room (however you can connect them without leaving a gap between the mattresses)
• fully equipped kitchenette (with stove and refrigerator in each room
• bathroom in each room,
• heating,
• bed sheets and towels,
• fast Internet and wifi in every room and yard
• free use of washing machine,
• common kitchen,
• common reading – study room
• private parking

“Off-campus” accommodation

“Off-campus” accommodation is also an option in some of our Greek language courses. Students who want to stay close to a beach or the port of Evdilos, and enjoy the comforts of a hotel with a swimming pool or an airbnb apartment, can do so. Greek language students may also rent an airbnb in the village of Arethousa, which is in a walkable distance from the Centre. Note that  if you DO NOT stay in one of Arethusa’s airbnb, you WILL HAVE to rent a vehicle to come to the classes. The village of Arethousa is the only settlement easily accessible from the Center (15 minutes walk).

We suggest hotels Atheras & Kerame. Both hotels belong to the same company. Atheras is located in the heart of Evdilos, very convenient if you want to be 5 min away from the cafeterias, tavernas and shops of the village. Kerame is an apartment hotel (there are cooking facilities in every room or apartment of the hotel) but it is a bit more isolated. There is a restaurant in the hotel, however, there is nothing around, apart the beach, a small grocery store and houses. You must walk 15-20 min (1,5 Km) until the center of Evdilos, if you want to find a bar, a taverna or a kafenio. In the area there are several airbnb apartments and some small pensions. It might also be possible to stay with a family. For more information, please contact us