Destinations in Samos Island
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Samos is a green, mountainous island in the eastern Aegean, separated from the Turkish coast by a strait only about a kilometre and a half wide at its narrowest point. In antiquity it was one of the most powerful city-states of the Aegean, and it was the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras and the philosopher Epicurus. Its greatest monuments, the Heraion, a huge sanctuary of the goddess Hera, and the Tunnel of Eupalinos, an aqueduct over a kilometre long dug through a mountain in the sixth century BC from both ends at once, are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the ancient town at Pythagoreio. Today Pythagoreio is a charming harbour town with a lively waterfront. The island is famous for its sweet Muscat wine, produced on terraced vineyards in the mountain villages, and its interior is covered in pine forests, olive groves and springs, with Mount Kerkis rising above 1,400 metres in the west. Picturesque villages such as Manolates and Vourliotes lie on the green slopes, while Kokkari is a pretty fishing village turned resort. The beaches range from Potami and Tsamadou to the long pebble beaches of the south. With an airport and ferries, Samos suits families, couples and hikers.
Quick facts
LOCATION
North Aegean
KNOWN FOR
Heraion & Muscat vineyards
BEST FOR
History, Archaeological sites, Wineries, Hiking, Near the airport
Transportation
Samos "Aristarchos" Airport
Port of Samos (Vathy)
Port of Karlovasi
Port of Pythagoreio
Beaches
Tsamadou Beach
Lemonakia Beach
Psili Ammos (Samos) Beach
Potami (Samos) Beach
Votsalakia Beach
Mikri Lakka Beach
Religious Sites
Monastery of Megali Panagia
Museums & History
Archaeological Site of Heraion of Samos
Tunnel of Eupalinos
Pythagoreion (UNESCO site)
Castle of Lykourgos Logothetis
Archaeological Museum of Samos (Vathy)
Archaeological Museum of Pythagoreio
Other
Pythagoras Cave
Kokkari Village
Manolates Village
Vourliotes Village
Nature
Potami Waterfalls
By air
Samos International Airport (Aristarchos), near Pythagorio, has flights from Athens and Thessaloniki all year and direct summer flights from several European countries. Vathy, the island’s capital, is about 20 minutes away, and Karlovasi about 45.
By ferry
Samos has three ports. Vathy and Karlovasi have ferries to Piraeus, Ikaria, Fourni and Chios, while Pythagorio has summer boats to Patmos, Leros and Kos in the Dodecanese. Boats also cross to Kusadasi on the Turkish coast, handy for Ephesus.
Getting around
Recommended. Buses link Vathy, Pythagorio, Karlovasi and Kokkari, but services are limited. Samos is large and green, and its mountain villages, wineries and beaches such as Potami and Tsamadou are far easier to reach by car.
