Gavdos is the amazing island where the shipwrecked Odysseus was welcomed the Calypso, the anchorage of travelers and traders from Africa and the pirates, the place of thousands of summer visitors. Gavdos is the southernmost part of Europe, 32 nautical miles away from Paleochora, 22 from Sfakia and 170 in Tobruk, Libya. It is a small island belonging to Chania prefecture, just 30 km squares with triangular shape, with a maximum length of 10 km and width 5km. Karave, Korfos, Lakkoudi, Tripiti, Fetife, Sarakiniko, Agiannis, Lavrakas, Pirgos and Potamos beaches are some of the finest pearls of coast of the island. Kastri, Xenaki, Vatsiana and Ambelos are some of the picturesque settlements here.
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A few residents live on the island throughout the year and the infrastructure for tourists is very basic. According to the census of 2001, Gavdos has 98 permanent residents. The truth is that fewer than 50 live permanently here, but when the census was done, 98 people were on the island. In summer, the total population reaches 3500, most of whom are campers. The port of Gavdos is Karave. It’s capital village is Kastri, while the southernmost inhabited village is Vatsiana with 23 residents. Gavdos is a fishing place, with few but good-hearted people who with patience wait for better days of summer to see their island swarmed with visitors.
Potamos beach in northwestern Gavdos is formed at the outlet of various small streams. Their soils are mainly clay, which makes them create special formations as they are dissolved by rain and wind. Some of the formed streams pass through harder rocks, creating deep canyons with waterfalls of amazing beauty, which, however, can be seen by someone with water even in winter relatively rarely.
The folklore museum of Metohi - Sgoudiana is located near Korfos beach at Gavdos Island and was founded by the priest Emmanouel Bikogiannakis, who collected all Gavdian day life tools, agricultural and shipbuilding equipment, traditional costumes, household items, etc.
The lighthouse of Gavdos is built a few meters south of the village Ambelos at an altitude of 368m, at the west coastline. Constructed in 1880 by the French Company for Lighthouses and was visible at a distance of 42 miles (the second longest distance in the world since then, after the lighthouse of Tierra del Fuego).