Holidays to Samos

Holidays In Samos

The north and west attract many walkers in early and late season. Springtime and early summer see carpets of wild flowers. Pine-forests clad the lower mountain slopes – the highest peak being Kerkis in the west at 1437m – and tracks link village to village. Gentler walking can be found through the olive groves and vineyards lower down.

Wherever you go you will find good beaches. They range from peaceful little pebble bays, with few people and one taverna, to longer stretches of sand or shingle with watersports and sunbeds for hire. Those on the north-east coast, picturesquely backed by cliff and pine, are popular and feature on all the postcards, those in the south are more sheltered and sandy towards the west. In common with all Aegean islands, Samos can be windy in the high summer months.

Turkey is so close – less than two miles at one point – that you feel you could touch it from Samos’ eastern coast, and excursion boats ply the channel daily from Samos Town to Kusadasi, from where you are taken to famous Ephesus.

Samos has a fair amount of history of its own, as evidenced by remains in the environs of Pythagorion (which is itself named after the island’s most famous son, Pythagoras). The most impressive of these are the ancient Temple of Hera and Evpalinus Tunnel, both dating from the 6th century BC. The former was a very important sanctuary indeed – vast but never actually completed; the latter an aqueduct over 1000m long bored through the mountain rock – an amazing feat of engineering.

Finally Samos is known for its wine (the Golden Samena in particular is excellent). Perhaps that’s why the temple remains still unfinished!