Samos
General Information
Samos is one of the most beautiful islands of Greece in the east
Aegean, Samos is a green island with forests and with many places to
visit. It is very close to Turkey, only about 1km, and has become many
peoples favourite Greek island.
It is a fairly large island, and the people on the island live off
tourism and agriculture, mainly olives and fruit. The local wine is well
known and worth a try. The ouzo also from Samos is one of the best in
Greece. Samos is famous as well for its shipbuilding of Greek fishing
boats the kaikis or trehantiria.
Most holidaymakers stay in Pythagoreon (which was the ancient capital of
the island)
or Kokkari. Both places have many shops, restaurants and bars but they
have still not been over commercialised. The latter is considered a very
good spot for surfing since it is situated at the windy north coast.
Because of its past, Samos has many places of interest, and it is a very
good idea to rent a vehicle and explore the island on your own.
History Samos is historically a
very interesting place. It was an important island during ancient times
since it was a rich island that traded with the rest of Greece, the
Phoenicians and Persians.
According to mythology, the goddess
Hera was born here, and there are still ruins of her temple to be
seen, the Heraion.
It was also an intellectual center with various famous people living and
working there. One of ancient Greece's best known scientists,
Pythagoras, was from this island, but
Aristarchus,
Epicurus,
Herodotos and
Aesop also lived here. The island flourished economically and
culturally during the 6th and 5th century, but had a drawback when it
tried to revolt against Athens in 440 BC to which it was forced to pay
yearly tributes.
Later on, Samos was to be a Roman province, and during Byzantine years
the island kept its prosperity. When the Turks invaded in the 15th
century, Samos lost its freedom and was uninhabited for a century. The
island was not to be Greek again until 1931, even though the Greek
revolution had started in 1821.
What to See in Samos :The
capital of Samos, Vathy, is very beautiful, situated in a bay, with
neoclassic architecture, historical churches like Ag Spyridona and Ag
Irini, a painting exhibition and little, winding streets, an
archaeological museum with many artifacts from the excavation of the
temple to Hera , as well as a Byzantine museum.
Pythagoreon is the third largest village, and is in itself worth
visiting. Here, there is a small archaeological museum, as well as some
interesting churches. There is also a Venetian citadel here, and a
little further away you can visit the monastery of Panagia Spiliani (The
Virgin Mary of the Cave). Ancient ruins of the old town can be seen
here, as well as the water tunnel/pipe of Eupalinus from the 6th century
BC.
You can also visit the ruins of the Hera temple, Heraion. What you see
today dates back to the 6th century BC, but the first temple built to
her honour here was actually constructed in the 13th century BC and was
made of wood.
Where
Mytilene stands today, the ancient city Hissia lay. There is a very
interesting paleontological museum here.
The villages Pyrgos and Marathokambos as well as the town Karlovasi,
where there are some waterfalls, are well worth visiting. The fishing
village Ireon is very picturesque. For nature lovers, the Valley of the
Nightingales is a lovely place.
What to Do
:Try to explore the villages on the island, especially the ones in the
mountains. You'll also find watersports on the island as well as great
opportunities for snorkelling and fishing. Boattrips to Turkey are also
offered, as well as to neighbouring islands. There is a daily hydrofoil
that connects the island with the Dodecanese islands of Patmos, Lipsi,
Leros,Kalymnos and Kos ,so you can make a day trip to one of those
islands. Samos Beaches
Surfers love the north side because of its winds, so most go to the
village Kokkari. It is not well suited for children since it is stony
and the waves often are high. For families it is better to go to the
beaches Psili Ammos ot Potokaki. Samos's beaches are either pebble or
sand ones. Although not a beach, the waterfalls near Karlovassi are
wonderful for swimming.
Samos Nighttlife:For the most
bars and discos Samos town Vathy is the best place to go. There is also
a quite good nightlife in Karlovassi and Pythagorion.
Food:Samos has both international and
Greek restaurants. The widest variety is in Vathy. Give the local wine a
try. There are also many traditional taverns in the smaller villages, and
they often have their very own specialties. Sometimes you'll have to ask for
them since they are not on the menu.
Shopping:The local wine and Ouzo is
a nice souvenir to enjoy during cold winter nights at home. Samos also
produces a lot of ceramics, but also religious items like icons are good
buys. The island also has quite a lot of art and antiques, as well as
clothes, leatherware and jewellery. Samos also has a special kind of rugs
which are called Flokati.
Getting Around Apart from the
possibilities or rent a car or a bike, you can also get around fairly
easy with the local buses. There are also boats that can take you to
some of the beaches, as well as the little island Samiopoula.
Getting There:Samos has its
own airport. If you are travelling on your own you can also take from
Athens a ferry boat from Piraeus, there are about five a week,
during high season daily. From Samos you can also get to other islands
like Paros, Naxos, Leros, Kalymnos, Patmos and Kos. The hydrofoils run
mainly during high season. You can also go to Turkey.
| Facts about
Samos*
| Phone numbers*
|
| Size: 470 sq. km |
International code: 0030 |
| Population: about 50
000 |
Local code: 22730 |
| Cash machine: Yes |
Hospital: 27426 |
| Internet cafe: Yes |
Port Police 27890 |
| Highest Mountain:Kerkis
1440mt |
Tourist Information:
61389 |
| Airport: Yes |
Tourist Police:
27333 |
| Tour Operators:Libra,
JMC, Apollo, Ving |
Telephone company (OTE) |
|
Taxi: 28404 |
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*The info displayed may be inaccurate. If changes have been made, please let us know.
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