The 9 things to do in Samos

Going to the Greek islands of the Aegean? Discover with us 8 things to do when visiting Samos!

What to do in Samos, this small Greek island off Kusadasi in Turkey? Situated only 70 kilometres from Izmir, Samos had 30,800 inhabitants (2001) and was seated on a gold mine and numerous resources: art craftsmanship with bronzes, jewellery, construction wood, tobacco, vine (Money vine), fruit productions, rose cultivation and olive oil production. The island is populated from Neolithic and is experiencing rapid economic development in the 6th century before our era.

During Antiquity, the inhabitants of Samos began much with the rest of Greece, the Phoenicians and the Persians. The remains of ancient Greece are therefore numerous. The island belongs only to present Greece since the First Balkan War in 1912, when it was taken to the Ottoman Empire.

Between sea, beaches and mountains, Samos – the native island of Pythagoras – is a green island with many forests. Samos offers very pleasant beaches, surf spots, cultural tours to offer and nice neighborhoods to go out to party. To visit Samos well, you should rent a scooter or a car.

What are you looking for in Samos? We have compiled a list of things and activities that cannot be done by visiting Samos. From the capital – Vathy – to Pythagorion, typical villages of the island to the beaches, here is what can be seen and done on the island.

1. Visit Vathy

Vathy is the capital of the island of Samos. The city had 12,500 inhabitants in 2011, rolled around the main port of the island. The agglomeration is divided into two parts: Kato-Vathy (the "low city") and Ano-Vathy (the "high city") and mainly draws its resources from tourism.

Its Mediterranean climate makes it possible to visit Samos all year round, it averages 15°C in December. In the city centre, arriving near the port, some hotels allow to stay in Vathy. Passing to Vathy, do not miss visiting the archaeological museum of Vathy and the Samos wine museum on the west side of the rade. The old town and its steep alleys are to be seen.

2. Livadaki Beach

On the second day, go to the north and the peninsula and Livadaki. A very beautiful beach offers you, with a Mediterranean setting and turquoise and clear water as in a pool.

It is a tourist beach and very well appointed with free sun loungers, bar and restaurants, but still described as quiet.

3. Visit Karlovasi

Located on the north-west coast of the island, Karlovassi counted in 2011, 9,855 inhabitants. The second port of Samos is located there and you will find more bars and restaurants along the seafront than in Vathy. Not far from the city center – a few hundred meters to the west -, enjoy being there to visit the ruins of the Venetian castle.

If there is in itself no other tourist interest to visit Karlovasi, sleeping one night can nevertheless be a good point of fall to explore the west of the island.

4. Visit Potami

The beach of Potami is one of the jewels of the island of Samos: a turquoise sea, free decks – for those who eat in the bar – but be careful, it is, as often, a pebble beach. The most cozy will not forget their sea shoes!

5. Do the Kerkis

What to do to Samos other than bathing? Of course, hikes! The island is one of the most mountainous in the Aegean Sea and has a regional park: the Kerkis massif, or Kerketeus. His highest point, named Vigla at an altitude of 1,433 metres.

This is the second largest summit of the Aegean Sea. Monasteries and caves – including the cave of Pythagoras, where it would have been hidden there to flee the tyranny of Polycrates – scatter the mountain.

6. Hiking on the Oros Karvouni

Another interesting massif to gravir, the Oros Karvouni, also called “Les Ampelos”. The massif is located east of the island, its highest point peaks at 1,160 metres above sea level. The visitor hikes on green hills overlooking the sea and the plain of Samos.

The Samos campaign is home to biodiversity whose wealth is unknown: more than 1,400 species of rare plants, many of which are endemic and dozens of species of birds.

7. Visit Pythagoreio

Here is the city where you will certainly sleep when you arrive to visit Samos by plane: Pythagoreio is located southeast, close to Samos International Airport. You will surely not miss the statue of Pythagoras in the harbour radius. The seafront and the port give an impression of a small Italian or Croatian fishing village and yet here, it is neither Italy nor the Adriatic coast.

In Pythagoreio, make the tunnels of Eupalinos, an underground aqueduct of the 6th century BC, 1 036 meters long, making it one of the masterpieces of ancient civil engineering. A prowes that gives to stop presenting the ancient man as less learned than today! Another must-see activity coming to visit Pythagoreio: the archaeological museum of Pythagorion.

8. Visit the Heraion of Samos

Finally, we can’t visit Samos without making the Heroion. This great Ionian sanctuary on the UNESCO World Heritage List, of which there is only a large standing column, located south of the island, would have been the greatest Greek time ever built in Greece. The site evokes the legend of Hera, native of Samos.

9. A boat ride

There is another step that you should not miss under any pretext during your visit to Samos: the boat ride. Indeed, visiting Samos is also enjoying its coastline!

There are very nice excursions to be made by boat, which will allow you to discover the island otherwise, from its crystal clear waters. It would be a shame not to rent a boat in Samos , and fail to discover this heavenly setting.

So let yourself be guided by a skipper or take the command of your own boat to go to the collision of sublime remote corners and unknown tourists!

How do I go to Samos?

To get to Samos, two means of transport are available to you: the boat and the plane. If you opt for the boat, you just have to go to Athens where a hydroglider from Piraeus will take you to the island (count 1h to 1h30). In high season, the flow is fairly regular with five boats a day.

For those who prefer airlines, know that Samos has its own airport. You will find a cheap flight on our partner's website Ulysses .

Finally, on site, the island has public transport and offers you the possibility to rent a scooter or a car to enjoy its landscapes. You can compare car rental prices in Samos on the site Rentalcars .

Where to stay in Samos?

The small island of 476 kilometers is very popular in high season, so hotels and feet on land do not miss . You can find a cheap hotel in Samos by doing a search on this Compare hotels . For those who wish to rely on local life, why not opt for housing Airbnb ? Quiude and paradise will be in every case at the rendezvous.