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Samos or Kato Vathy: This is the administrative centre and main harbour of the island, and its largest centre of population. A picturesque town laid out like an amphitheatre on the hillside, it has retained its traditional character, while the beautiful waterfront and neoclassical buildings attest to its prosperity in times gone by. This is an ideal place to enjoy good food and an evening stroll. You should walk up to the old town, Ano Vathy, and visit the Zoodochou Pigis Monastery on Mt. Rambaidoni to admire the fabulous views across the Mykali Straits to the coast of Asia Minor and, inside the church, the superb altar screen.

Karlovasi: This large, but sparsely populated market town lies 32km west of Samos, and is the island’s second administrative centre. It is a picturesque, sprawling settlement which combines five communities: Palio Karlovasi, Messaio Karlovasi and Neo Karlovasi, Limani and Ormos, popular with young people. Its characteristic features include the old tanneries, which brought considerable affluence to the island in the pre-war period. You should take a stroll along the cobbled streets of Palio Karlovasi, and visit the Profitis Ilias Monastery, 3km south of the town at 200m above sea level.

Pythagoreio: This is a beautiful village laid out like an amphitheatre around the old harbour on the south coast of the island. It received its name in 1955, in honour of the great mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, who was born on Samos. It is a lovely setting in which to stroll through the picturesque, narrow streets, to admire the remains of the old walls which protected the town, the remains of the palace of the tyrant Polycrates, the castle of Lycurgus Logothetis, who led the islanders in the War of Independence, and the Roman baths.

Tunnel of Eupalinos: The ancient aqueduct of Samos was built in the 6th century BC and was a technological marvel of its time. It is a tunnel 1,046m long cut at a depth of 80m and joining both sides of the mountain to bring water from the north of the island to the more barren south. Work was begun simultaneously on either side and the workers digging the two halves managed to meet in the centre of the mountain only 5m apart.

Samos Archaeological Museum: This, the second most important archaeological museum in Greece in terms of its contents, is located in Vathy and features wonderful finds of ceramic ware, small craft items and coins from the Archaic period to late antiquity. One of the most remarkable exhibits in the sculpture collection is the imposing Kouros (580 BC), 5.5m tall, one of the most important finds in the whole field of archaic Greek sculpture.

Temple of Hera: This is one of Greece’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, located close to Pythagoreio. It was built in the 6th century BC and, according to Herodotus, was the largest temple in Greece. It originally had 155 Ionic columns, although only one has survived. One feature of the temple complex is the Sacred Way, paved with stone, which led to what was then the capital town of Samos and is now the town of Pythagoreio.

Aegean Museum of Natural History: The museum is located in the village of Mytilinioi and its collection includes many bone fossils between 3.5 and 7 million years old, rare rocks and a large selection of examples of the flora of Samos and the Aegean more generally. One of the exhibits is the original kaplani, which inspired the novel Kaplani tis Vitrinas by the Greek novelist Alki Zei. This was a kind of wild cat which passed over to Samos from the coast of Asia Minor 150 years ago.
Information: www.nhma.gr

Beaches: On a large island like Samos there will of course be dozens of beaches famed for their beauty and the quality of their water. The beaches with organized amenities, little tavernas and beach bars include Gangos, close to Vathy, Lemonakia, Tsambou and the impressive Tsamadou, near Kokkari, Psili Ammos, Iraio and Pythagoreio. For many people the island’s finest beach is Potokaki, just 1km from Pythagoreio, a huge stretch of pebbled shore with calm clear waters. The beach is close to the flight path above the island and you can watch the planes landing and taking off. Quieter beaches include Kerveli, with its tamarisk trees providing welcome shade, Limnionas, Mourtia and Klima. At Karlovasi the most popular beach is Potami, while a half-hour walk will take you to the impressive and very peaceful beaches of Mikro and Megalo Seitani, a sanctuary for the Mediterranean seal and an area protected under the Natura 2000 programme.

Waterfalls: The beach of Potami lies close to Karlovasi and is a wonderful place to swim. But what makes the beach unique is the little river running into the sea; you can explore its course by following the path running alongside the riverbed. As you enter the forest you will come to the first waterfall, and perhaps find some enthusiastic visitors enjoying the cooling waters of the natural pool. Why not strip off and join them? The truth is, to explore the streams and see the other waterfalls there are many points where you will have to get into the water and wade up the stream!

Samos is famous for its vineyards and one of its most famous products is the Mikrorogo Moschato Lefko Samou. The wines produced by the Samos Wine Producers Cooperatives (www.samoswine.gr) are exported to many countries and have won many international awards. The most popular labels include the sweet Samos Nectar, the Samos Vin Doux, Samos Grand Cru, Anthemis and others. There are a number of other traditional products you can buy on the island, including thyme honey, excellent ouzo and wine, and a very good local cosmetic soap. In Pythagoreio there is a traditional maker of musical instruments, and across the island there are many stores selling craft items like fabrics and beautiful gold and silver jewellery. In Vathy you will find folk art and crafts, ceramic ware, wood carvings, replicas of statues, engravings and decorative items for the table or the walls of your home. There are also a number of ceramics workshops in Karlovasi selling traditional items in beautiful designs.

Samos has a large number of Greek and international restaurants, while every town and village has Greek tavernas serving traditional mezedes. The island’s cuisine includes many local specialties, such as traditional pies filled with wild greens, meat and fish dishes. And of course any meal here is enhanced immeasurably by the superb island wines! You should try the vetouli, meat from a young kid cooked in the oven as a stew with a tomato or onion base. Many of the dishes, particularly for festive occasions, feature meat cooked in a gruel of wheat. Make sure you sample the wild greens, used in various recipes, and the bean purée. 

For lively nightlife we recommend Pythagoreio, which is full of little bars, while Karlovasi is also fun with lots of young people attending the University of the Aegean.

• Iraion Music Festival: Every August the island holds a music festival featuring a large variety of events and concerts by Greek and foreign musicians. The events are staged at the Iraion archaeological site.
• Manolis Kalomoiris Festival: Throughout the summer a number of interesting musical and theatrical events are staged at various points around the island, in honour of the eminent Greek composer, whose family came from Samos.
• Wine Festival: Every summer there is a wine festival in Vathy, with music and dancing, feasts, theatrical performances, folk events and – of course – great quantities of local wine!

Transport from the airport

Aegean flights land at the international Aristarchus Airport, a small but modern airport with duty-free shops, restaurants, cafes and car rental agencies. The airport is just 4km west of Pythagoreio and 15km from Vathy. If you don’t have a car, there are taxis to bring you into town.