Samos Island

Samos: the wine paradise, the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras, and a land full of colours.

All that is the island of Samos with its 34 thousand permanent inhabitants and the area of nearly 500 km2, ranking among the largest islands of the Aegean Sea. It definitely cannot complain about lack of green vegetation, and with its gold-and-white beaches and turquoise sea, it creates an idyll like from a travel agency catalogue. The island of Samos is close to Turkey, divided only by a 2 km wide canal. The bearest Turkish resort where you can get from the island is Kusadasi.

Samos: Weather and climate

Despite its quite mountainous surface and the devastating fires that hit the island in the past, Samos is an extraordinarily green and fertile island. On its hills, there grow pines and different kinds of bushes, while in the lowlands you will find a picturesque scenery and large vineyards. The local wine is one of the important export articles of the island; it is even ordered by Vatican. Other productes that are very sought after are the local honey, lemons, olives, olive oil, dried figs, and almonds.

The successful growing of all the plants is helped by the Mediterranean climate, i.e. hot summers with low precipitation, and mild and humid winters. The typical plant of the island are the olive trees - olives are added to the traditional dishes or used to produce olive oil. But you will also see citrus and plane trees and cypresses. For detailed information on the island climate, see the section Samos: Weather and climate. 

Have you visited the island? Help us with the content of the website!

There is never enough information about Samos Island. And who would be more familiar with the island than those who have spent there their holiday? We would like to ask you to dedicate a few minutes of your time evaluating your holiday on the island, telling us what you liked there and what Samos means to you, or possibly also to give us tips and advice that could be useful for other visitors who are interested in the island and are thinking of going there for holiday.  

WRITE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SAMOS ISLAND

Our user Jirka Malík wrote about Samos:

I think Samos is the most beautiful of the Greek islands I know. It is a rock plants paradise! Imagine a beautiful 60 km long rock ´, all covered with vegetation. The island has amazing harpins, and great people, half empty beaches and many restaurants where you never sit alone, and delicious food.

Tours to Samos: Recommended travel agencies

Samos is a very popular destination. You can find most travel agencies and tours here in Samos: Tours centre; the tours can be purchased with one of our special bonuses (a discount, a travel guide or a map), but some travel agencies also offer a discount for an online reservation or have different offers that couldn’t be included in the price list. Therefore it is highly recommended to see also the offer of the travel agencies listed in the Recommendation of a Travel Agency chart. You can find a complete overview of the hotels, suites and studios offered in the destination in the section Hotels, suites and studios on Samos.

History of Samos

You will see the rich history of the island literally on every step. And it is not surprising, since Samos used to be a developped city of the Aegean region, especially under the rule of the cruel Polycrates, as evidenced by the many preserved historical sites. One of the remembrances of the bloom of that times is e.g. the Eupalinian Aqueduct,constructed to bring water to the capital. Another one is Heraion or the temple dedicated to the goddess Hera, Zeus’ wife, and the supreme of all goddesses. Samos is associated with Hera due to the mythological stories, according to which she was born on this very island. And last but not least, the island became famous because of the mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, called Pythagoras of Samos, whose famous theorem is learnt at schools all over the world till nowadays. In 1992, the already mentioned Heraion but also Pythagoreion were put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Samos beaches

Besides historical sites and beautiful nature, visitors come to Samos mainly to rest on its beaches. The more than 150 km long coast is fringed by a line of resorts from which you only need to choose the one that fits the best into your mosaic of a perfect holiday. The resorts accessible by one of the island roads are: Chrissi Ammos (a sandy beach boasting the EU Blue Flag for quality, offering enough comfort), Kerveli (a pebble and sand beach with a phantastic scenery and peace), Kokkari (a pebbly beach and a popular target of all lovers of water sports as it is quite windy), Lemonakia (a famous sand and pebble bech offering some of the services for tourists), Potokaki (a long pebbly beach where you can rent deckchairs and umbrellas), Psili Ammos (a nice beach away from the wind, surrounded by hills gently sloping to the water), Tsamadou (one of the nicest beaches on the island with pebbly surface and limited offer of services) and some more beaches.

Places of interest and historical sites

Samos Island

The island can offer more than the beaches and stay in the capital though. One of the places you definitely shouldn’t miss, is the port of Pythagorion, with the Lykourgos Logothetis Castle rising above. You will find there three museums: a paleontological, folk and an archaeological one, where you will certainly not be bored. Yet of you get weary of looking at the showcases with rare findings, you can go outside to see for example the Temple of Hera only a few kilometres from the town. 

If you are tempted by the beauties of the Samos nature, there is nothing easier than going to the third port of the island, Karlovassi, as you will find the small Potami  Lake nearby with its waterfalls. Besides that, the islands is scattered with many churches, monasteries, remains of ancient buildings, and charming secluded places you can watch in amazement.

Map of Samos Island

If you want to know where resprts and beaches are located on the island and how you can get there, see the section Map of Samos Island.

The town of Samos

The largest port and at the same time the island capital, Vathy (old town) / Samos (new town), can be found in a bay on the north-east of the island. A walk through its charming little streets full of flowers and heady scents will certainly be an unforgettable experience. Besides restaurants, tavernas, cafés and other tourist facitlies, you can see there a rare, more than 5 m tall temple statue in the local Archaeological Museum. To learn more about the town, see the section Town of Samos.

Where to go to Samos

Travel agencies offer tours mainly to the resorts of Balos, Ireon, Kalami, Karlovassi, Kerveli, Kokkari, Limnionas, Mesokampos, Mykali, Possidonio, Pythagorion, Samos town, Votsalakia.

Places nearby