Samos

Samos is an island in the North Aegean Sea and one of the East Aegean Islands. Its capital is the town of Samos, formerly known as Vathi. The Samians still call their capital Vathi instead of Samos. If you need oral directions ask for Vathi, but if you look on the map or at the road signs, you should look for Samos. In this guide the name Vathi is used for the capital of the island.

The island lies very close to the Turkish mainland (the Mycale Strait, the channel that separates the island from the Dilek Peninsula of Asia Minor, is less than 2 km across) and is a popular stopping off point for travellers between the two countries as it lies on the route between Athens and Izmir. Tourist season in Samos, when you can expect much higher prices, begins the first week of May.

History
Samos has been inhabited since the 4th millennium BC; its history is both long and interesting. The earliest inhabitants were Pelasgian tribes, before the invasion of what became the classical Greeks.

The first mythological king of Samos was Ancaeus, a hero of the Argonautic Expedition who, following an oracle of Delphi, colonized the island with Arcadians and other Achaeans. Ancaeus build the first wooden temple and placed in it the golden status of goddess Hera. According to mythology, Hera was born on the banks of the river Imvras and was the protector of Samos.

Around the 11th century BC another Greek tribe, the Ionians, came to dominate the island.

During the reign of Polycrates (546 - 522 BC) Samos reached its pinnacle. Polycrates built a fleet of one hundred penteconters (known as Samainas), strengthened the army, expanded city’s fortifications and founded colonies, establishing naval supremacy in the Aegean Sea. Samos’s strength and the imposing temple of Hera attracted relationships and gifts from all the kingdoms of the known world.

After Polycrates' death, Samos was taken by the Persians. In 499 BC Samos joined the general revolt of the Ionian city-states against Persia, which failed with heavy consequences for the Greeks of the East. Then came the Persian Wars, with the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea, during which Samos was already enslaved to the Persians. On the same day of the battle of Plataea, was also carried out the naval landing of Mycale (479 BC) in which, Samians were both the instigators of the battle and the fathers of the victory, averting the Persian threat forever.

Then the Delian League was founded where Samos participated in able parity with Athens due to its naval supremacy. This supremacy annoyed Athens which, for an insignificant cause, organized an expedition led by Pericles against the Samians who, after a protracted siege, were forced to capitulate. The Athenians imposed forcibly a democratic regime and from then on, violent confrontations started between the oligarchs and democrats which lasted for generations, weakened Samos and led to a gradual decline. Plans and efforts for dominance of Athenians, Spartans, Macedonians, Hellenistic kingdoms and Rome, included also Samos for its excellent port and its position.

The new order came with the gradual dominance of Rome in the second century BC, the inclusion of Samians into the subjugated of Roman Empire, the moving of cultural treasures of Samos to Rome and the transfer of island's defense to the will of a central sway which in many crunches was absent.

From the 4th century AD, Samos was incorporated into Byzantium becoming the seat of the namesake theme, named also "theme of the sailors" as it served chiefly to provide ships and troops for the Byzantine navy.

Following the disruption of the empire by the 4th Crusade in 1204 (Frankokratia), the island was attributed to the dominance of Genoa and the economic exploitation of Maona which was the first historical colonial trading company. Under the ruling of Genoa, the island was hard hit by several attacks and sacks by invaders and pirates, mainly Saracens. Genoese, unable to cope with piracy decided in 1475 to quit the island and retire in Chios. The coastline of the island devastated and the inhabitants either migrated to adjacent islands or pulled off in mountain areas by establishing settlements that were (and still are) not visible from the sea. As a result, travelers, navigators and pirates believed that the island was completely abandoned.

In 1562, the corsair nicknamed Occhiali, a Calabrian renegade to the service of Turkish navy, prompted by his helmsman Nikolaos Sarakinis, asked from the Sultan to take Samos as fief for the services he had offered, with the proviso that only Christians would be allowed to re-inhabit the island. Special privileges were also to be conceded and especially a kind of self-government under the rule of the Sultan. The Sultan accepted, considering perhaps that the island was uninhabited and therefore useless in terms of taxes. Some years later, when the Sultan demanded to take the colonization records to Constantinople, the ship that carried them sank into the sea. Many descendants of migrated Samians returned to the island. The privileges attracted also settlers from other parts of Greece and especially unsubdued remains of Byzantine soldiers who were constantly displaced, with their families, towards any territories were still free.

In 1821 the island participated in the Greek revolution but when the independence of Greek state was recognized in 1830, according to the treaty establishing the Greek State, Samos was not included within the limits of Greece. Instead, it was declared as an autonomous Principality tributary to the Sultan.

Finally in 1912 following a last revolution, the union of Samos with Greece was inflicted. Economy and social life of the island, begun flourishing again, and today, despite the destruction due to forest fires which happen almost every year, it remains green and inviting.

By boat
The principal port of Samos is at Vathi, also called Samos. The other two ports are Karlovassi and Pythagorion. Ferries from Piraeus and the Cyclades usually stop at both Vathi and Karlovassi. There's a daily overnight ferry, the 'Nissos Mykonos' to Karlovassi and Vathy from Athens (Piraeus port), Syros, Mykonos and Ikaria.

At Samos town (Vathy) there are two places ships dock, which are 3km apart and takes about 30 minutes by foot. One is the "Samos Ferriboat dock" on the west of the harbour, which domestic ferries dock (Blue Star etc). On the east side of the harbour is the "Vathy Port" which contains customs controls and is where ferries to and from Turkey dock.

Hydrofoils to the Dodecanese islands depart regularly from Vathi and Pythagorion.

There are foot-passenger ferries daily Apr-Oct from Kuşadası in Turkey operated by Meander Travel. These leave around 09:00 for a one-hour sailing to Vathi and return around 17:00, so a day-trip is possible from Kuşadası to Samos but not the reverse. In 2022 a day-trip is €36 adult and an open return is €47. Hellenic Seaways and Dodekanisos Seaways no longer longer sail this route. See Turkey for entry requirements at Kuşadası.

Mooring facilities
Every port is suitable for yacht berthing, however Vathi and Karlovassi are getting swell when north winds blow while Vathi is exposed to the strong southern winds. Apart of Pythagorion port itself which provides good shelter at any weather, the bay where Pythagorion port locates provides good shelter from the prevailing summer north winds and is suitable for staying on anchor (the muddy bottom provides excellent holding). Also, Samos Marina located eastern of Pythagorion in a walking distance of 900 m (0.5 mi), provides good all-round shelter.

By plane


Airlines/destinations:
 * Austrian Airlines seasonally flies from Vienna.
 * Blue Panorama Airlines seasonally flies from Bologna
 * Condor seasonally flies from Berlin–Schönefeld, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hannover, Munich, Stuttgart
 * Corendon Airlines seasonally flies from Amsterdam
 * Edelweiss Air seasonally flies from Zurich
 * Eurowings seasonally flies from Dusseldorf and Vienna
 * Neos seasonally flies from Milan–Malpensa and Verona
 * Olympic Air flies from Athens and Thessaloniki.
 * Sky Express flies from Athens, Chios, Lemnos, Mytilene, Rhodes, and Thessaloniki
 * SmartWings flies seasonally from Prague
 * Swiss International Airlines Zurich
 * Transavia flies seasonally from Amsterdam
 * TUI Airways flies seasonally from Amsterdam, Brussels, London-Gatwick
 * Volotea seasonally flies from Venice

Flights arrive near the old capital of Pythagorion.

Get around
The island has buses although these will not operate on some public holidays e.g. May 1st. There are numerous rental agencies near the port in the city of Samos which rent out cars, motorbikes, scooters and quadbikes. Many of these are open late and so it is possible to rent a motorbike from early morning until 21:00 or 22:00 for €10 per day. With your own transport, you can explore much of the island in a day or two. There are also taxis.

The main town of Samos can easily be explored on foot although there are some steep roads/steps away from the sea front as the town reaches the foot of the hills.

The archaeological sites around Pythagorion can be explored on foot or by bike. Also, the airport is walkable from Pythagorion town.

See
Most archaeological sites and museum are closed on Tuesdays.

Ancient engineering
As Herodotus described, three of the greatest engineering feats in the Greek world were achieved in Samos during the 6th century BC.:

Other archaeological sites




Old Monasteries




Architecture
The island's highland villages maintained satisfactorily their architectural character. From the coastal villages, Pythagorion and Kokkari maintain in full their architectural tradition as it is protected. Vathi, although a modern city, has some interesting buildings, concerning history and architecture, like the Samian Parliament. At the square near Vathi waterfront there is the "Lion" marble monument, more than 2 meters high, which is an exact replica of the lion of Amphipolis and the other lions built by Philip II of Macedon. Some other villages worth visiting are the old town of Karlovassi, Marathokampos, Platanos and Ampelos, where you can find a path through the mountain with some nice views and great small waterfalls.

Festivities
There are numerous festivities in the island’s villages held all over the year, especially in the summer. These are either religious fairs or fests related to local food or beverage products, like the Mitilini fried dough (tiganita) fest or Pythagorion fishermen fest. Their religious or local character is accompanied by traditional food, music and dances that last until the early hours. There are also three pan-Samian festivities which are organized in August as follows:

Swimming and sunbathing
There are beaches, both sandy and shingle, all around the coast so swimming and sunbathing are popular activities. The water is very clear but cold up until May.

Walking and hiking
There are innumerable places of exceptional beauty at the beaches and on the mountains of Samos, including cultural heritage places. Many of these are easy to access and there are a lot printed guides at souvenir shops in many languages with the help of which one can reach these places.

Watersports
There are watersport facilities in the beaches of Potokaki, Kokkari, Votsalakia and Mycale.

Yachting
Either from the ancient port of Pythagorion or from the adjacent modern marina, there are many options for a sailing itinerary depending on the time available. One direction is the westbound sailing tour that includes the islands of Ikaria, Fourni and Thimena, as well as several beaches of Samos which are only accessible from sea or from steep trails. The other direction is toward the numerous islands to the south, up to Patmos, up to Kos, or even up to Rhodes.

Daily sea excursions
Swimming in the crystal clear waters of inaccessible Aegean beaches is a captivating and unique experience. Traditional Greek sailboats (kaiki) and other kinds of boats organize daily excursions where there is plenty of time for sunbathing, swimming and photography. In certain excursions food is provided, cooked by the crew. Tickets can be bought from the previous evening or even the same morning if there is availability.
 * Depart from Pythagorion to Tsopela beach or Samiopoula islet.
 * Depart from Karlovassi to Megalo Seitani beach which has been declared a Special Protection Area for the seal Monachus monachus.

Buy
Wine is the main product of the island. The famous muscat wine is exported all over the world. The sweet Samos Vin Doux, a muscat wine, is a very popular dessert wine. Have one after diner and you will probably take some bottles home. Being a sweet wine one must drink carefully. Superior qualities are the Nectar and the Anthemis, the last being aged for five years before bottling.

Eat

 * The Garden restaurant serves good value Greek and western food and is very close to the centre of Samos. It's on, Manolis Kalomiris Road, the second street back from the sea front and is well-signposted. The restaurant is outdoors under vine leaves with a fountain and some songbirds and traditional Greek music to add atmosphere. Children will enjoy being photographed on the concrete donkey in the corner too. The Greek Salad for two is good value at €6 and a generous glass of wine is the cheapest drink on the menu at €1.50.
 * The seafront has a range of restaurants with typical Greek fare as well as pizzeria.

Drink
Although the town of Vathy is the capital of the island, there's no doubt that Karlovasi town is the place to be when it comes to drinking and partying. And that's because of the almost 2,000 students that study in the university there - especially during the winter. You can find a big variety of cafes, taverns, bars and clubs there.

Also, if you want to find a place to "dance the night away", in Greece people go to night clubs usually after 02:00.


 * There are numerous places to get a drink along the seafront and these get very busy in the evenings.
 * The main square of the town has open air cafes where you can get a coffee and enjoy the sun.



Sleep
Off season (i.e. Oct-May) you can bargain rooms down to as little as €20 for a double.





Go next
Ferries to other Greek islands are numerous including many to Piraeus (for Athens). Usually, there's an overnight ferry leaving at 22:30 and arriving in Piraeus 9 hours later via Ikaria and Mykonos. Prices for Piraeus start at €42.50 on the comfortable Hellenic Seaways boats. Travel agents clustered around Samos port can sell you tickets.

Take the ferry to Kusadasi in Turkey and admire the ancient monuments of Ephesus, one of the major and best preserved Greco-Roman sites in Turkey,