Ikaria Panigyria by Car: How to Enjoy the Village Festivals

A panigyri is a village festival held on a saint's name day, and in Ikaria it is something special. Long tables, local wine, goat stew, live violins and lutes, and the Ikariotiko dance going round and round until sunrise. Visitors are welcome, and many people plan their whole trip around one or two of them. Most take place in summer, in villages spread across the island, often up in the hills. That makes the car part of the plan, and also part of the responsibility. Here is how to enjoy a panigyri properly and get home safely.