Birthplace of ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagoras, Samos is a large mountainous island with many vineyards, long sandy beaches, popular family resorts and ancient sites. Samos is in the north Aegean Sea, just off the coast of Turkey, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese Islands. Although it has endured the ravages of mass tourism and forest fires, many areas still retain their traditional charm.
Samos Town, or Vathi, is built on an amphitheatre of green hills, the old district a cluster of red-tile roofed houses. The Archaeological Museum houses the largest (finished) ancient Greek statue of a youth (kouros) standing tall at 5 metres. Pythagoreio is Samos’ biggest resort. Tourism has taken away some of its traditional charms but nearby ancient fortified port (Pythagoreion), Eupalinian aqueduct, engineering marvel of the ancient world, and Temple of Hera are classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Kokkari, 10 km west of Vathi, is a fishing village with a beautiful beach and further away pebbled Tsamadou is partly nudist. Marathokambos and Hrissi are also some of the island’s best beaches. Karlovassi, is Samos’ second city, once a booming tanning centre, today a mix of old and new with fine mansions, churches, neoclassical and island architecture and a variety of restaurants. Samos is wine country and local wine tasting is recommended.
