Samothrace



Samothraki (population: 2,859 in 2011) is a small island that is basically the conical tip of a mountain rising out of the sea.

Understand
The island was a sanctuary from the Bronze Age to Roman times. There are two main towns; Kamariotissa and Chora. Between them, they provide most of the facilities one small town would normally have. Among young domestic visitors, the island is an especially famous camping spot, with a youthful vibe with people staying and partying together on the pebble beaches. The island is surprisingly lush and green for an Aegean Island, due to the rainfall caused by the central mount 'fengari'. The goat population (estimated at approx 100,000) outnumbers the inhabitants by 33 goats to every person.

Because the land rises steeply out of the sea, there are not many large beaches with the possible exception of the beach known as 'Fat Sand' which is located at the far end of the island from the main centers.

Samothraki is an ideal place for a rural retreat, it is very unsophisticated and lacks almost all tourist infrastructure. There is no nightlife, except during the annual music festival. The inhabitants are extremely warm, friendly people who will go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Get in
Samothrace has no air service. Zante Ferries sail once or twice a day from Alexandroupolis, taking just under two hours. An adult foot passenger is €9 each way and cars are carried. There is no ferry from Kavala or other nearby islands.

Ferries land at in town centre. Sailing boats can also dock in the harbour here.

Get around
There are buses connecting the different locations but it is advisable to rent a car or motorbike in Kamariotissa because its very time consuming to reach most places by public transport. In the summer buses runs every second hour connecting important locations such as the port with Chora, Therma, and the camping grounds.

The island is usually referred to as a hitchhiker friendly place. For solo travellers especially it is relatively easy to hitchhike. Especially between the camping ground and Therma. However, it is not advisable to count on hitching a ride longer than that.

See












Beaches


There are many more beautiful beaches to explore. Since most of them are coarse gravel beaches, you should take umbrellas and beach loungers, or camping chairs. Lying down on a pebble beach with only a towel is uncomfortable.

Do

 * Swim in the waterfalls and pools of the river Fonias, affectionately called 'the murderer' "Phonias" (Greek: Φονιάς) (avoid it when it might rain for obvious reasons). There are more pools upstream if someone is willing to do some climbing.
 * Visit the hot spring/baths at Loutra.
 * Swim at the sea. There are 2 excellent beaches, in the west and east end of the island. The road running across the island is ending on both of them.
 * Visit the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and the Ancient City

Buy

 * Some goat bells.

Eat
Almost anywhere, the food is delicious with a hint of the hot peppers used in northeastern Greece. Goat meat is especially good in Samothraki and is offered in many restaurants. A variety of small restaurants are available in all locations. The choice is greatest in Kamariotissa, Chora and Therma.



Sleep
Most of the accommodations are listed in the well-known Internet booking portals with prices and ratings. Because of the departure times of the ferries, it may be advantageous to stay in Kamariotissa. In addition, there are the most restaurants to go out in the evening. Also popular is the place Therma, because of its beautiful location. The area around Therma is also a popular meeting place of young people camping in the woods or campgrounds and indulging in a kind of later hippie culture. You can get rooms in one of the many small pensions but only few larger hotel complexes are on the island. The biggest ones are:



Outside of hotels, you have three options.
 * 1 Camp. There are 2 campings, both run by the municipality. Close to Therma is the biggest campsite where it is free of charge and has public bathrooms and showers as well as small cafe. Rough camping outside of designated areas such as near the river is common but have in mind that it is illegal. The local police does raids every now and then.
 * 2 Rent an apartment or house (best done beforehand but possible by asking in a bar or cafe.
 * 3 Stay in a domatia, best done by asking someone when you get there. For those unfamiliar with Greek accommodation, domatia are rented rooms, sometimes adjoining locals' houses, sometimes in separate buildings. A word of warning, the accommodation in the delightful old town or Chora is fairly limited and one woman called Chrisoula seems to have appointed herself unofficial co-ordinator of accommodation. She has two rooms that are small but cosy and are worth the cost, if you want more than two, beware offers of a third or fourth they will be on her sofas in her small living room. You will know her if she comes to greet you as you enter the town.

Cash
It can be difficult to find an ATM on the island, so make sure you have enough for your stay. As of August 2020, many places accept credit cards, but most still don't.

Go next

 * Unless you have your own boat, the ferry back to Alexandroupolis on the mainland is your only option.