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.

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