Samos is a Greek Island with fine views of Turkey, beautiful countryside, culture and a relaxed Nightlife. Samos is a friendly place and is a popular choice for couples looking for a quiet and relatively low key holiday.
Known as ‘The Green Aegean Island’, Samos shimmers like an emerald, surrounded by the sparkling sea. Samos has plenty of waterfront bars and tavernas serving Greek specialities, excellent fish and local wine. The Samos beaches are long stretches of sand and shingle bays on the south west of the island. It rarely gets crowded which makes it a great romantic getaway for the most romantic of couples.
Things to do
This beautiful island is great for varied walking and great excursions. Its countryside is filled with vineyards, olive groves, green farmland, rolling hills and mountains. Recommended are the pretty hillside villages called Myli and Kervali, as they make a lovely excursion out and about.
Other sightseeing around Samos includes a trip to ancient remains, fine museums and atmospheric monasteries. The capital Pythagorion is very picturesque and well worth a visit.
For those who are looking for a more action packed holiday, there are opportunities to go mountain biking, rock climbing and take part in some fun watersports. There won’t be time to sit still in Samos.
Shopping
The capital of Samos, Pythagorion and also Karlovassis have a pretty good range of shops. There are designer boutiques to more traditional craft stores, as well as weekly food markets.
As is traditional of Greek islands, the typical souvenirs include ceramics, leather goods, lace and linen and of course jewelry. For those who like to ferret around for something special and/or a bargain, you may find interesting curios and antiques.
For the most authentic handicrafts, it’s worth heading for Mavrarzei or Koumandarei, where you’ll find plenty of good folk art shops, selling all kinds of pottery and woven fabrics. Samos is also famous for its ‘flokatis’ – hand-made rugs which are often included in brides’ dowries and usually become treasured family heirlooms.
Nightlife
There is a great selection of waterfront bars to enjoy whilst the sun sets and the night draws in. There are also nightclubs so you can dance throughout the night. For the more traditional Greek night out there are several bouzouki bars where you can explore the arcane culture of Greek popular music.
In the summer months, Karlovassi, Pythagorio and Kokkari have enough buzzing bars to keep everyone entertained. Also in the summer there is a fun open air cinema in Pythagorion where they serve complimentary loukoumadhes pastries in the interval!
So from bars to clubs to cinemas, there will be plenty of places to explore and have a fun night out.
Eating out
Samos has the usual international restaurants, pizzerias and fast food joints in the main towns, but in the villages, things are more traditional. You will find the usual classics such as moussaka, souvlaki, keftedes and mezes in most places you’ll visit.
The fresh fish and seafood is always excellent and it’s always worth asking what the catch of the day is, regardless of what is on the menu. They are happy to serve you whatever you fancy. Beware though, foods like lobster are sold by their weight, so it’s worth checking the price first!
The food is generally cooked fresh and is of fine local quality, which you can wash down with fine ouzo at your leisure.