Samos holidays | tourist travel guide to Samos Greece

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Alvi, Apovadro, Christos, Dias, Kolami, Steps, Zens

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Samos Town

Noted for its beauty when approached from the sea, SAMOS TOWN, also called VATHY or VATHI, sits at the end of a long horseshoe bay. Pastel houses and weathered red tile roofs tier down the dark green hillside to a long and deep waterfront promenade. On landing, the beauty fades quicker than your tan.
The long waterfront is a noisy snarl of tourist shops and tavernas, noteworthy for tacky decor, measly portions and high prices. Just behind the waterfront is a steep rise of streets, full of hotels that are mostly block-booked by package tour companies.

Samos is a provincial town of some 6,000 people but with surprising little to offer given its size. In the middle of the waterfront is the main square, guarded by an imposing stone lion and full of tree-shaded cafes. Further inland is a tiny, but attractive municipal gardens.

The town's main point of interest lies nearby at an exceptionally good archaeological museum. Exhibits are arranged in two buildings. The modern one was specially constructed to house the largest surviving example of a kouros statue. It stands 5m tall and dates from 575BC. The older building has many ancient Egyptian, Turkish, Cypriot and Syrian artifacts testifying to Samos' ancient trading wealth. Most notable are a dozen or so bronze griffin heads. All the exhibits are well displayed with good explanations in English. There is also a Byzantine museum in the Bishop's Palace which is, while not as arresting, still worth a visit to see the icons, some 18th century silver bibles and a bizarre cast of St George's footprint.

The road south out of Samos town heads off to the hillside village of ANO VATHI. In Samos town's heyday as a tobacco port, Ano Vathi was a pirate refuge and the town below is sometimes, though rarely, still referred to as Vathi. The two were once quite separate but there is not much to divide them now except for the greater visual appeal of the hill town.

The bottom of the hill is marked by a bunch of lively and atmospheric tavernas well worth a visit, though the recent arrival of a clutch of package holiday hotels nearby is ominous. The higher you climb the more picturesque it gets as narrow streets thread their way between fine neo-classical houses and a few, sadly neglected, medieval churches.

Gagou Samos

The road north out of Samos Town leads almost immediately to the upmarket KALAMI suburbs where most holiday hotel accommodation can be found. The best beach area on this part of the coast is the thin and rather mediocre town beach at GAGOU or GANGOU.

There is a narrow strip of stone and shingle backed by a few decent restaurants and behind that several squadrons of hotels and apartments. Despite the numbers of nearby hotels the beach at Gagou is relatively quiet - a great contrast to noisy Samos Town yet within easy walking distance.

Sun beds line the back of the shingle beach which slopes fairly gently into the sea. A line of low trees at the back of the beach provide some natural shade and sunbathers can watch the ferries sailing in and out of Samos harbour. A couple of tavernas at the northern end offer food, drink and more shade.

Agia Paraskevi Samos

The road runs north out of Samos Town, goes past Kalami and Gagou then round the headland to the north facing beach at AGIA PARASKEVI, about 6km from Samos Town. A long and ugly road runs right along the back of the beach which is no more than a thin strand of sand and shingle with barely enough room to lie down in places.

Facing north, it tends to attract rubbish and, although there is a pretty chapel and small attractive harbour at the eastern end, it generally feels rather bleak and unwelcoming. There is parking along the road and stone steps leading down from the beach wall but no shade or any sun beds.

A couple of nearby tavernas have live Greek music most weekends and the countryside around here is also known for the wide variety of butterflies. There is another shingle strand west at ASPROCHORTI, found down a track off the main road before you reach Agia Paraskevi, but again there is no shade and no facilities.

Mourtia Samos

To get to MOURTIA you must take the winding east road out of Samos through the village of KAMARA. A left turn soon afterwards invites a steep climb to the 18th century monastery of ZOODHOKOS PIGI. set in thick woods on sea cliffs. A right turn descends to the fishing hamlet of Mourtia, about 7km from Samos Town.

The small beach of steeply banked shingle is outstandingly beautiful with great views across the straits to the Turkish coast. Palm tress overhang the beach and occasional stands of tamarisk provide shade. The bay and the tint harbour always seem to be packed with small boats.

The water is particularly clear on this part of the coast and Mourtia is a great place for a picnic as there are no organised facilities here, although a beach cantina may open in the high season.

There are small, deserted coves to be found to the south notably at MIKRI LAKA and MEGALI LAKA. The latter has a small chapel and a beach cantina in the summer and a few sun beds are sometimes put out on the stony strip, a welcome extra on a beach with little or no shade. Both beaches are down dirt tracks and are best reached on foot.

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Kerveli Samos

The other notable resort of Samos east coast is at KERVELI. Here you must take the south road out of Samos Town, though Ano Vathi up to the hill village of Paleokastro, then down through a long valley to the small, quiet and strikingly pretty seaside resort which lies about 8km from Samos Town by road.

A line of large shady tamarisks line the shingle beach to give plenty of natural shade. The beach is long and deep, though it narrows at the northern end where tavernas line the shore.

The resort has grown in popularity in recent years and a clutch of quite ugly squat apartments have been built behind the beach but they are hardly intrusive. This is very much a resort that lies off the busy, beaten tourist track.

Kerveli is a quite, secluded spot for those seeking an out-of-the-way holiday but not too remote. The village has a couple of good tavernas but a car is needed unless you intend to crash out on the beach every day.

There are some fine walks to be had in the area with the mountains of Profitis Ilias to the north and Siharos to the south.

Kerveli Samos holiday reviews

Posidonio Samos

South of Kerveli and about 10km from Samos Town and south facing is the beach of POSIDONIO or POSIDHONIO. The drive is one of the best on the island through wooded hills with panoramic views along the way. Posidonio itself is more harbour than beach.

There is a splendid line of shady tamarisk at one end with a small stretch of shingle beneath them and a number of very small pebble coves dotted around the bay. There are sun beds here, several tavernas - some at the water's edge, and a few cafes. Windsurfing is popular here in the shallow bay.

Just west across the headland, about 1km away, is the small beach of SIDERA or SIDERAS. It can hardly be called a beach, just a small scar of pebbles and rock but it is very peaceful.

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Psili Amos (east) Samos

Further west things pick up at the attractive sandy cove at PSILI AMMOS where there are a clutch of good tavernas. Psili Amos translates as 'fine sand' and that is just what you find here. There are actually three beaches on Samos with the same name.

However, this splendid beach is by far the most popular and quickly fills up with day trippers from Samos town. It gets even more crowded when the excursion boats arrive.

The sea is very shallow in the bay and you can wade out quite a distance, one reason why the beach is popular with families. There are tavernas here and sun beds along with plenty of shady trees. The islet of Vareloudi gives offshore interest. Watersports are popular here as well but there are strong offshore currents out in the straits and notices warn of danger if you stray too far from land.

There is an area of salt marsh and a lake to the west, which dries out into salt pans in the summer. This is a good bird spotting area and flamingos can be seen early in the season.

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Mykali Samos

West of Psili Amos are 3km of windswept sand and shingle at MYKALI. The south facing resort has attracted three large package holiday hotels despite the large salt lake area on the headland to the east being a protected nature reserve where storks, herons and flamingos are frequent winter visitors.

The beach is a mixture of stone, shingle and sand but turns to sand under the water. Sun beds and beach cantinas appear in the most popular spots during the high season.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Basilico, Bira, Brothers, Marco Polo, Meltemi

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Kokkari Samos

Once a quaint fishing village, KOKKARI has seen huge expansion into one of the premier tourist resorts on Samos. It is now the third largest resort on the island after Samos Town and Pythagorio with rows of new apartments and low-rise hotels thrown up to meet ever growing demand.

Like Samos town, the waterfront is lined with tourist grabbing restaurants, cafes and bars. Traditional tavernas are now making way for the more lucrative cocktail bar and nightclub trade as the locals cash in on the growing trade. That said, Kokkari is nowhere near as raucous as other 18-30 Greek resorts and appeals more to the middle aged with families than young 'up for a larf' lager louts.

Don't expect a traditional Greek atmosphere here - you won't find it - but Kokkari does cater to the needs of less discriminating visitor pretty well. A bypass has relieved the place of the heavy traffic that once plagued the village centre and all you can hear is the soft tread of parading tourists as they browse the trinket shops and street cafes where cups of cappuccino are much more evident than glasses of ouzo.

A couple of picturesque rock outcrops either side of the bay makes for a charming vista that has cameras clicking and the narrow beach causeways that lead to them are heavy with small boats and lounging sunbathers. The main rock outcrop separates the old village of Kokkari from the modern resort to the west with its long stone and shingle beach.

The main beach is not particularly pleasant, it has to be said. Banks of stone and shingle drop sharply to the sea and apartments overlook most of the beach, with the occasional taverna here and there to offer refreshments. Exposed and windy, the north facing beach is a favourite venue for windsurfers and there is some serious surfing done here.

Those looking for quieter beaches can head southeast where there are a couple of smaller coves, both shingle but they tend to be quieter and more sheltered than the main beach and have a decent taverna on the hill behind. A further 4km southeast is KEDROS where a signposted turn off the main road drops down to a couple of shingle coves, though there are no facilities here.

The steep wooded hills behind Kokkari have some of the most attractive landscape on Samos and it is inland that more traditional Greek village delights can be found, with many splendid walking trails through the woods.

Kokkari Samos holiday reviews

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Lemonakia Samos

Those looking to escape the commercial surroundings of Kokkari often head 2km northwest to the sand and pebble beach in a sheltered bay at LEMONAKIA.
The beach is about 100m off the main road and is smaller and narrower than its popular neighbour Tsamadou just around the headland. As a result it often gets pretty crowded but is nevertheless less a pleasant beach.

A couple of rows of sun beds line the shore and there are tamarisk trees behind to give good shade. A large beach taverna sits at the western end of the beach. It is mostly pebble, both onshore and underwater, with a little sand here and there. There are regular buses to Kokkari and Karlovasi.

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Tsamadou Samos

Northwest over the headland from Lemonakia is TSAMADOU, a beautiful long sickle of sand and pebble that features on almost every advertisement for Samos. Difficult access fortunately left it relatively unscathed and it has managed to escape the civic 'improvements' enjoyed by so many other beaches.

It is set in a beautiful bay at the bottom of a very steep path. There are a couple of excellent tavernas shaded by trees and a beach cantina opens in the high summer. It is mostly pebble and shingle but slopes very sharply into the sea, so it's not a favourite with families.

Tsamadou is also the only official nudist beach on Samos with the eastern end set aside for naturists.

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Vourliotes Samos

The hills inland in this area of Samos are noted for wine growing. The hills rise to the village of VOURLIOTES, at 340m, where there are wonderful panoramic views to the sea over fields of rolling vineyards. Fresh springs here keep the landscape lush and green and this village is noted for producing more wine, mostly Muscat, than any other area in Samos.

Vourliotes is full of atmosphere with flower decked walls, brightly painted doors and shutters and a very pretty central square lined with tavernas serving local delicacies. The village also has a few sites worth visiting such as the little country church of Agios Ioannis, the monastery of Panagia Vrodiani dating from 1428 and one of the oldest on the island, and the Kastro Lazaros medieval castle.

Also nearby is The Pnaka spring, just below the village and a favourite picnic spot with shady plane-trees, fresh spring water and a picturesque little taverna.

Manolates Samos

The neighbouring village of MANOLATES is not as pretty at Vourliotes but it does have a magnificent situation at the head of a steep canyon and it is a popular starting point for treks up Mt. Ambelos. There is a marked trail to the top at the end of a dirt track beyond the village past some charcoal pits and a convent. It is not a particularly difficult climb and you are rewarded with some stunning views.

The road to Manolates passes through the Aidona Gorge, a popular picnic spot where tourist pavilions have been built among the ivy covered trees and nightingales are said to sing on spring evenings. The village itself is set among rolling vineyards and has some excellent tavernas.

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Avlakia Tsambou Samos

Back on the coast is the sheltered and peaceful resort of AVLAKIA. This is a tiny resort, usually bypassed by tourists. Only about 150 people live here and the beach is only a thin strip of white stone backed by large tamarisk trees for shade and a wall of bamboo for added shelter. The houses hug the shoreline beyond the beach and there are a couple of good waterside tavernas that sit between the beach and an impressive rock outcrop headland.

The road snakes north around the headland to another north facing stone and pebble strip at TSAMBOU or TSABOU, only a short walk from Avlakia. The pretty beach is mostly large white pebbles that are quite difficult to walk on and it is hemmed in between steep cliffs. There is little in the way of shade if you don't have a sun bed, and you will probably need one as the large stones are quite uncomfortable to lie on.

There is easy parking at the back of Tsambou beach and a small taverna. There are regular buses to Avlakia.

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Agios Konstantinos Samos

AGIOS KONSTANTINOS is a pretty coastal village sadly marred by a shoreline esplanade that is a dreary monument to the concrete mixer. The rocky beach is walled in like a D-Day beach and now so ugly that even the locals apologise for it.

However the village itself is a delightful mix of attractive stone houses and large tavernas. The village was named after a church, built in 1890 and is built on the long waterfront. There are actually two settlements: Ano Agios Konstantinos(upper) and Kato Agios Konstantinos (lower), about 500m. apart and surrounded by vineyards and orchards. The beach is a very long strip of steeply banked shingle with little shade.

Just to the east along the coast is the hamlet of PLATANAKIA, which takes it name from the huge plane trees that dominates the main square. Several large tavernas make this a favourite with the organisers of 'Greek Night' tour buses.

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Agios Nikolaos Samos

Just east of Karlovassi is a long stretch of attractive but fairly inaccessible coastline, mostly steep cliffs, but the minor resort of AGIOS NIKOLAOS stands out.

This is a small fishing port recently 'discovered' by upmarket tourist firms and now peppered with new apartments. It is still a very attractive coastline with houses dotted around the dramatic headland and a small shingle beach strip to the east. The village has a couple of excellent fish tavernas.

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Karlovassi Samos

The island's second largest town of KARLOVASI or KARLOVASSI is much overshadowed by the other main island resorts of Samos Town and Pythagorio. It is also less obviously attractive, though far more peaceful and a good base for exploring the fine beaches along this part of the coast.

More a cluster of villages than a town it can be roughly divided into four parts each with its own character, but all spotted with some of the most absurdly large churches I have ever seen.

The busy waterfront is lined with tavernas and bars and has all the trappings of a rapidly growing resort. The town beach is a poor affair, a couple of shingle strips between long rocky breakwaters.

The new district (Neo Karlovasi) is an untidy mess of derelict factories and warehouses - a hangover from the days when Karlovasi was a major industrial tanning centre. They are worth a look if you are interested in industrial archaeology, otherwise it's best avoided although it has a bustling urban centre of shops, schools, libraries and a medical centre.

The middle district (Meleo Karlovassi) is a sprawling suburb of modern housing, redeemed in part by a fine attractive main square with a huge fountain and some good restaurants perched beneath the shady trees.

The old district (Paleo Karlovassi) is to the west, behind the harbour, and a picture postcard town, topped by a hilltop church, with some attractive old red-tiled houses horseshoed around the end of a lovely green valley.

Potami Samos

The attractive beach at POTAMI, about 3km the west of Karlovasi is an excellent sweep of pebble and some sand, well shaded by trees, providing welcome shade for several good tavernas, nestling in the shrubbery.

The proximity of the large town of Karlovassi means the beach can get crowded in the high season and at weekends. It is easily accessible by car or on foot and a very attractive spot with a couple of attractive rock outcrops to add interest.

Potami is an area well known for rock pools, waterfalls and tour buses. A sequence of bitterly cold pools tumble down the hillside. If you don't mind being frozen, then by all means wade into them - but you have been warned. It is quite a steep 2km climb through the series of waterfalls and there are ropes strung down some of them to haul yourself up.

The track following the pools eventually leads to the 11th century church of Metamorfis believed to be the oldest on Samos and beyond that is a narrow and precipitous path leads to a small Byzantine fortress whose poor condition makes it hardly worth a look but does offer splendid views back down the valley.

Seitani Samos

The northwest coastline of Samos is wild, remote and dominated by Mt. Kerkis, the island's highest mountain at 1,473 metres. There is a neat but uninteresting farming village at KALLITHEA and small cove beyond at VARSAMO, signposted from the road down a rough dirt track. The beach has multicoloured pebbles formed from volcanic ash, a couple of small caves and a beach cantina in the summer.

The road runs out at the village of DHRAKEI but tracks lead down to a couple of wild and beautiful beaches on the north facing coast. This area is a refuge for the rare Mediterranean Seal Monachus Monachus, the protection of which has done much to help preserve the area's outstanding natural beauty.

The first of the wild beaches is MEGALO SEITANI which, as the name suggests, is the larger of two. This is also the more dramatic, sitting at the mouth of the Kakoperato Gorge, and the more popular mainly because of its calmer waters.

The next bay hosts MIKRI SEITANI a small sand and pebble cove, windier and more exposed but still protected by rock outcrops. Nearby is the 11th century Byzantine Church of the Transfiguration.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Anna's Garden, Esperides, Faros, La Strada, Nereades. Pythagorio, Pine Tree , Riva, Symposium, Verena, Viva

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Pythagorio Samos

Tarted up for middle market tourist tastes PYTHAGORIO or PYTHAGORION is about as Greek as a Sandals' holiday village. Renamed in 1955 to honour its most famous native son Pythagoras it was originally called Tigani, Greek for frying pan. The name almost certainly refers to the shape of the harbour than the summer temperatures, though the south facing port will sizzle in July.

The are owes much of its popularity to the nearby airport, built with an inexcusable lack of foresight, near some of the most valuable archaeological sites. In the town centre cobbled streets and walled mansions make up the centre, while the waterfront is an uninterrupted queue of tavernas, bars and cafes, all crammed with tourists paying heavily over the odds.

Despite the crowds, and a twee harbour heaving with fishing boats and leisure craft, Pythagorio still manages a relaxed atmosphere, helping to make it the island's premier resort for the past 30 years. Once a big tobacco growing area it turned to olives but today there are more tourists than trees. The place is mercifully free of English 'yoof' but bus services are poor and most trips must be made via Samos town.

There is a museum, disappointing given the local archaeological heritage, which has some sculptures, ancient statues, Roman busts and 6th century BC grave reliefs. Unfortunately a large number of finds are routinely hidden way in storerooms so you won't get to see them. A not very imposing 19th century Logothetis castle sits on a hill to the south west, built mostly with stone pilfered from ancient temple sites.

There is a small sandy beach by the harbour, known as REMATAKI beach. It is sheltered and shallow with sun beds, showers and tavernas nearby. A spread of big hotels is parked well down the beach to the west taking advantage of the huge swathe of shingle and coarse sand that stretches for several kilometres, though the beach is overflown by aircraft as it is very close to the airport behind.

The village of CHORA, to the north, was the capital of Samos until the 1850s and it is still a lively place with plenty of good tavernas. Further north still at the village of MYTILINI is a remarkable palaeontology museum, housed in the village hall and containing fossilised remains of a 10 million year old giraffe-like creature. Other exhibits include the skulls and teeth of prehistoric hippos and lions and what claims to be the fossilised brain of a 13 million year old horse. Not really what you expect to find in a Greek hillside village but there it is.

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Potokaki beach Samos

The beach at Pythagorio stretches west into the distance for as far as the eye can see. About 4km away is the beach area of POTOKAKI where a hefty clutch of holiday hotels hug the shore.

They include the weird Doryssa hotel complex of air conditioned bungalows, all laid out like a fake Greek village, complete with street names and artificial village square. Hardly the authentic Greek experience but holiday hotel types seem to like this sort of thing The only thing authentic are the prices and the low flying airliners.

The beach is mainly pebble, with odd scraps of sand here and there. The hotels at the back of the beach ensure that the best part of the beach are rarely uncrowded and sun beds are laid out in regimented rows over every spare patch of decent sand. If you are the hotel-pool-beach type of tourist this could well be your cup of tea, though you might prefer the hotel pool to the beach, which is unremittingly long, straight and without character.

Potokaki Samos holiday reviews

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Agrokali, Vuros, Yanni

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Ireon Samos

Once a tiny, dust blown fishing hamlet, IREON is now a minor resort with a small gaggle of hotels and tavernas and a somewhat shabby harbour area. Large hotel building is prohibited so this is a quiet spot that begins where the long sands from Potokaki eventually run out.

The beach that heads east to Potokaki is scruffy and stony here but does have Blue Flag status. The beach is near the archeological site of Ireon and has several large trees for shade. Access is along paths from the parking area off the main road.

There are a couple of smaller beaches nearer the resort, most notably PAPA BEACH which is a small cove of shingle and stone with a splendid taverna above hidden in the shade of the trees. There are sun beds and showers - even a small changing cubicle. Another cove to the east is just as pleasant but the stone dips steeply into the sea here and it is very rocky underfoot.

A rash of new buildings in the resort have failed to shake off the edge-of-the-world atmosphere at Ireon, though some will find this an attractive relief from the more commercial resorts to the east.

Ireon may be a little off the beaten track but the locals here are especially welcoming and the place has a relaxed feel you can soon get used to, especially if you are looking to escape the busy areas around Pythagorio.

The area is most noted for the huge archaeological site at nearby Hera Temple (see Highlights) and many visitors to the site fail to follow the road for another 500m or so to discover the delights of the village and beach.

Tsopela Samos

West of Ireon the road climbs towards Mt Bournias then drops south through a magnificent gorge to the scenic sand and shingle cove at TSOPELA. A couple of shingle beaches sit east and west either side of a rock headland with a small islet sitting just offshore. A cantina opens and sun beds come out in the summer months.

It also attracts a good many day trip boats from Pythagorio in the high season. The beach is stone and shingle in a beautiful setting with trees behind for shade.

Inland, the countryside still bears the scars of the forest fires, though every year they lessen and there is still quite a number of hillside villages around here that are worth a visit if you have arrived overland and not by boat.

The large village of PAGONDAS is worth a stop, if only for the astonishing views over the surrounding countryside. It is a traditional village on the slopes of Mt Bournias, with an impressive pubic fountain in the large main square, narrow whitewashed alleys and some good cafes.

MYLI, just north of Ireon, owes it's name to the many watermills that were once here. The mills have gone, but the thick lemon groves and cool streams are still there to enjoy.

Balos

West of Tsopela an unmade road winds along the coast beneath the looming Mt Bournias behind. There are a number of small coves along here, most worth a visit with a few homes, the occasional cantina or even taverna and some quiet, out-of-the-way shingle beaches.

There are small coves at Sikia, Pavlou, Avandi and Vergi before you reach the lovely shingle beach at Limnonaki. Beyond there the road climbs inland again and drops back to the shore at Kalogera, Kambos, yet another Psili Amos, Kambos and then the long beach of shingle at BALOS or VALLOS. The coast here is also called ORMOS KOUMEIKON. Its relative remoteness makes it a favourite with naturists.

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Ormos Marathokambos Samos

A few kilometres west are long stretched of sandy beach that are fast emerging as tourist resorts. The first is ORMOS MARATHOKAMBOS, more a working fishing village than a tourist haunt. It is busy but friendly, with a good range of tavernas.

The beach is as stony as it is undistinguished, but it has a relaxing little port and there are some small coves to be found further along the coast if you prefer sand. Above all, it has more of a Greek atmosphere than most of the other resorts along this part of the coast put together. This is a very pleasant place to enjoy a relaxed sunset meal at one of several good tavernas along the shoreline.

Above lies the lovely village of MARATHOKAMBOS, perched among the vineyards and overlooking a steep valley. A word of warning - park your car on the outskirts of the village. The streets are so narrow you will have no option but to reverse your way out.

VISITORS RECOMMEND

Best eating:

Angelos, Bonita, Evinos, Kostas, Muses, Nostos, Ostria, Rinas

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Votsalakia - Kambos Samos

The island's longest sand beach is found at VOTSALAKIA, also known as KAMBOS at it's eastern end which is a fast growing tourist resort. The beach is of fine, flat sand with a few stones and runs for about 3km.

The straight road that follows the coast closely at the back of the beach has triggered a ribbon development of small hotels and apartments interspersed with tavernas and cafes. Behind is the glorious backdrop of Mt. Kerkis.

The beach is so big it rarely gets crowded. Sun beds are put out by back-of-the-beach tavernas which spring up every now and then. A cluster of tavernas, bars and shops at the western end of the beach give the illusion of a village centre but there is no village here as such.

This is very much a tourist resort and, although the sands are splendid, fine, golden and gently shelving into the sea, Votsalakia has little in the way of atmosphere or character. The hills behind give every reason to go hiking off into the surrounding countryside where there are many fine walks.

Samos Photos Kambos Votsalakia by DABS BANNER

Psili Amos (west) Samos

Just around the headland west of Votsalakia is a fine beach at PSILI AMMOS, not to be confused with its more popular namesake in the east and another narrow shingle strip near Kalogera (and even more confusingly near yet another beach named Kambos). The beach is approached off the main road down near a taverna.

A steep bank drops down to a cafe and pool hidden in the tees and then to the beach. The east end of the beach is large stones and shingle but this gives way at the western end to a large area of fine sand.

The high cliffs behind offer shelter and seclusion and the sea is quite shallow here so families will enjoy it although it is a steep climb down to the beach and then a long trek over steeply banked stone to get to the sandy area.

Samos Photos - Psili Amos by CARA NADEN

Limnionas Samos

The road turns inland west beyond Psili Amos and a left turn drops down to the sheltered cove of LIMNIONAS. Smart villas are dotted about the hillsides and the faintly preposterous Samos Yacht Club (given there is hardly ever a yacht to be seen) is based here, giving the place a slightly sniffy upmarket air.

There are sun beds and a taverna, even pedaloes on the stone and shingle beach. A popular spot for day trip boats Limnionas is nevertheless a quiet and unassuming place. Rocks shelves gently down to the shore and into the sea but beyond them the swimming is good.

Pythagorio archaeology

The Pythagorio area is also the centre of the island's archaeological heritage - at least what sorry traces of it are left. The place thrived under the rule of the tyrant Polykrates in the latter half of the 6th century BC.

With the aid of a gifted engineer Efplinos and around 4,000 slaves from Lesbos and Naxos, he ordered some astonishing building work. He built 6km of defensive wall, bristling with 35 towers and 12 gates, stretching all the way to Cape Fornias. He also built a huge harbour mole on which the modern jetty still stands. And he drilled a 1km tunnel through the mountain to bring water in and provide a secret escape route out should his walled city, as it was then, come under siege.

Slaves dug from both sides of the mountain to meet bang in the middle, a supreme technical achievement given the primitive tools and lack of scientific equipment at the time. Today, paying visitors are allowed around 100 metres inside to see their handiwork. Unfortunately much of this heritage has been lost over time. It is not unusual to see hotels built in the middle of archaeological ruins and the island airport was built right across one of the most notable archaeological sites in Greece.

Hera Temple

The tyrant Polykrates' greatest work was to the west at the end of a 7km marble-paved Sacred Way said to have been lined with around 2,000 statues from Pythagorio to Ireon. At the Ireon end of the road was a magnificent temple to the mother goddess Hera, supported by 134 columns and believed to rival the Parthenon itself.

Had it survived it would have been a wonder. But the glorious temple has been long lain to waste as fire, invasions, earthquakes, pilfering and out-and-out neglect. Excavation didn't begin until 1985 and the remains are, quite frankly, a sorry site.

Ninety per cent of the Sacred Way is now buried beneath an airport runway, a road and a fine crop of holiday hotels. The remarkable tunnel is collapsing and all that remains of the temple is a single tottering pillar standing in an incoherent maze of scattered rubble.

Nevertheless, the place crawls with visitors and there is plenty see over several acres if broken pillars and scattered ruins are your thing. Nearby are the remains of some Roman baths, said to have been used by Anthony and Cleopatra The baths are a good size but pretty dull with a few unimpressive standing columns and hypocausts.

Photos of Hera Temple by DABS BANNER

Samos Archaeological Museum

The Archeological Museum in the town of Samos is one of the most important in Greece. Rare archaeological findings on show include the statue of the Kouros (young man), the largest 'kouros' statue in Greece. This sculpture, three times life-size, is carved from a single piece of marble, weighing 4.5 tonnes, though it was in fragments when it was found.

The exhibits are housed in two buildings, the Old Museum, which as built in 1912 and the New Museum which opened in 1987 and contains the sculpture collection. As well as ancient sculptures the exhibits include pottery, bronzes, ivory carvings and clay figurines. Also of note is the marble statue of a draped female figure which date from around 560BC.

Pythagoras

Samos' most famous son Pythagoras didn't actually spend much time on the island. Known today mainly for his geometric theorems he was, during his lifetime, equal parts mathematician, philosopher, magician and mystic Surprisingly, he left absolutely no written records himself and what we know of his teachings comes only from his students, who did.

Pythagoras exerted a profound influence on later Greek philosophers, including Aristotle and Plato and he established a 'Pythagorean' way of life - noted for its vegetarianism, abstinence and the renouncing of all money and wordily goods.

It was a way of life that would endear the Pythagorean sect to the people, and its members were noted for honesty and incorruptibility. It also earned them enemies and Pythagoras was banished and many of his followers executed.