Pigadia is the capital and main port of Karpathos — a working town with ferry connections to Rhodes and Piraeus, car rental agencies, and a reasonable concentration of tavernas and kafeneions along the waterfront and up the hill behind the port. It is functional rather than beautiful, but it has a relaxed rhythm that grows on you.
The harbour waterfront is the social centre, particularly in the evenings when the fishing boats come in. Boats to Diafani and Olympos depart from here each morning in summer — check the schedule at the ticket offices near the ferry pier. The town beach, Vrontis, is a short walk south along the coast road.