Arriving in Karpathos by ferry is a different experience from arriving by plane. The plane puts you in front of the island in ten minutes from Rhodes — a hop, an arrival. The ferry lets you approach slowly: first you see the mountains, then the white houses, then the pier, then the fishermen watching the ship come in as if they were watching something ordinary. That slow approach is already part of the journey.
The harbour of Pigadia is active all year round, although in summer the traffic intensifies. There are regular lines to Rhodes — the nearest big city — and less frequent connections to Crete, to Santorini, to Piraeus. The ships of Blue Star Ferries and ANEK Lines take turns. In summer there are also fast ferries to the closest islands.
I took the last ferry of the season to go back to Rhodes. The harbour was almost empty. The sailor who cast off the mooring lines waved goodbye to me as if he knew I would come back. I hadn't told him. Maybe he could just tell.
The quay of the harbour is also the evening gathering spot in Pigadia — families stroll, children run, fishermen mend their nets in the light of the street lamps. It's the kind of harbour that hasn't forgotten it's a place where people live, as well as a place from which they leave.