KOKKARI
Kokkari is the most picturesque seaside village in Samos. Although it’s a popular tourist resort, it has kept its charm with its scenic harbour and nice architecture.
It is located on the north coast, about 10km from Vathy port and 18km from the airport. It is the best place to stay as it combines a beautiful pebble beach and a scenic harbour with plenty of restaurants and cafes; everything within walking distance. The only problem is that sometimes it can be quite windy when the northern winds blow, but that shouldn’t spoil your holiday.
It’s well located to explore the rest of the island and close to the beautiful beaches of Tsamadou & Lemonakia, and also a great place for windsurfing.
Fishing boat at Kokkari harbour
Best things to do in Kokkari
- Relax at the beach
- Stroll at the harbour and narrow streets behind it
- Enjoy some food and drink at one of the restaurants by the harbour
- Have a cocktail at Boa Vista bar while enjoying the view
- Try windsurfing
- Visit Tsamadou & Lemonakia for a swim
Photo Tip: For a birdseye view of Kokkari & surrounding area climb the small rock by the harbour. More info for the best photo spots on the island see here.
Photo Gallery
PYTHAGORIO
Pythagorio is a beautiful seaside village and probably the most popular tourist resort in Samos. It’s located in the south coast of the island next to the airport and 13km from Vathy Port. Its name comes from the famous Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras.
Its beautiful harbour is lined with bars and restaurants facing the sea. During high season there are more yachts anchored at the harbour than fishing boats.
Fishing boats at Pythagorio harbour
Best things to do in Pythagorio
- Stroll at the promenade and see the statue of Pythagoras
- Visit the tunnel of Eupalinos
- Walk around the Castle of Lykourgos Logothetis
- Visit Panagia Spiliani for a nice view of the coast
- Enjoy some food and drink at the one of the restaurants by the harbour
- Relax at Pythagorio or Potokaki beach
- Visit the ancient ruins & archaeological museum of Pythagorio
Photo Tip: For the best views of Pythagorio harbour visit the statue of Pythagoras. More info for the best photo spots on the island see here.
Photo Gallery
VATHY (OR SAMOS TOWN)
The capital of Samos is built amphitheatrically around a natural harbour. It’s the largest town in the island and the main ferry port. It’s located at the north coast and it’s about 16km from the airport.
It’s a lively town with many tourist facilities and some nice neoclassical buildings. It certainly feels more like a town than a tourist resort. The main highlight of any visit is a walk at the pedestrian promenade by the harbour enjoying the beautiful setting and a visit to the Archaeological Museum.
Jetty in Vathy Harbour
There is also Ano Vathi, the old settlement built at the hill slopes with steep narrow streets. Recently the refugee camp has also been located at the steep slopes above the town. As a result there you can see a lot of refugees walking around Vathy; this has created some tensions with the locals, but it shouldn’t cause any major reason for concern.
Best things to do in Vathy
- Stroll at the pedestrian promenade from the old port to the marina
- Visit Pythagoras Square and the narrow streets at the back leading to the Town Hall
- Visit the Archaeological Museum
- Taste the Samian wine at the Wine museum
- Swim at Gaggou beach
- Climb to Ano Vathi
Photo Tip: There are some good viewpoints of the whole Vathy harbour and bay from the road approaching Vathy. More info for the best photo spots on the island see here.
Photo Gallery
KARLOVASI
Karlovasi is the second largest town and commercial centre in Samos. It is located in the north coast, 35km from the airport and it has its own ferry port. The town is quite spread out and consists of the Old, Middle & New Town and the area by the port. Therefore it’s not ideal for walking; from the port to the main square is about 30min walk without anything exciting in between.
It’s not the prettiest place to visit and it feels quite run down in places. The best part is around the central square with some nice neoclassical buildings. Another nice spot is the small promenade by the port with some nice cafes for a quick drink. This is where the main hotels and tourist facilities are located and also a small beach, which is not very good considering you have much better choices for a swim in the vicinity. The beautiful beach of Potami is about 5min away by car from the port. There is a nice little tanning museum for the history of leather making in Karlovassi and also two nice churches: St Nicholas & the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
One of the highlights of any visit in the area is to hike to the Potami Waterfalls and also climb to the Monastery of Agia Triada for beautiful views of Karlovasi and surrounding area.
View of Karlovasi from Agia Triada Church
Best things to do in Karlovasi
- Have a walk around the main square
- Enjoy a coffee at the promenade by the port
- Visit Potami Waterfalls
- Swim at Potami beach
- Climb to the Monastery of Agia Triada for best views
- Visit the tanning museum
Photo Tip: Climb to the Church of Agia Triada for beautiful views of Karlovasi and surrounding area. A slideshow of the best photographs of Karlovasi and a map with best photo spots on the island can be found here.
Photo Gallery
MARATHOKAMPOS
MARATHOKAMPOS VILLAGE is built amphitheatrically on the slopes of Mount Kerkis and provides great views towards the south coast of the island. It has some nice narrow streets and attractive stone built houses and it’s worth stopping for quick walk.
Marathokampos Village
Near Marathokampos lies the cave of Pythagoras, where you can drive from the village via a scenic route that provides great views.
ORMOS MARATHOKAMPOU is the port of Marathokampos, located 4km from the village. It’s a nice little resort with good restaurants by the bay. It’s a more relaxing place than the resorts of Kokkari and Pythagorio.
Ormos Marathokampou
There is small pebbled beach by the port, but i would recommend going further west to Kampos Marathokampou and Votsalakia beach for a swim, as they are much nicer. The port is lined with yachts and fishing boats at summertime.
Finally KAMPOS MARATHOKAMPOU is located to the west of ORMOS and it’s the main tourist resort at this side of Samos. It is located by a large sandy beach and it has many tourist facilities.
Best things to do in Marathokampos
- Drive to the Cave of Pythagoras
- Enjoy a meal at the seaside tavernas in Ormos
- Have a walk at the narrow streets of Marathokampos village
- Relax at the beach of Kampos Marathokampou or Votsalakia
- Visit Psili Ammos beach or Limnionas
IREO (OR HERAION)
Ireo is located 8km to the west of Pythagorio. This small seaside village has become a popular tourist resort, especially with foreign tourists. There are mainly small hotels and rooms for rent here, and some nice restaurants and cafes by the sea to enjoy a relaxing meal. The beach is ok, quiet small and narrow serving mainly the tourists staying in the village. There is also a small jetty at the far side of town with fishing boats that provides a nice view towards the village & coast.
Fishing boats in Ireo
For something different you can visit Papa beach, a small rocky beach further south with mainly big pebbles and a nice beach bar that provides sunbeds and umbrellas for rent. The place is nice for a quick photo stop and the water is crystal clear.
The main attraction is the site of Heraion with the famous Temple of Hera. More information can be found here.
Best things to do in Ireo
- Visit the ancient site of Heraion
- Enjoy a drink (Varka Cafe Bar) or a meal (To Kyma) by the sea
- Enjoy a walk to the small jetty
- Visit Papa beach for a quick photo stop
Photo Tip: There is a small jetty at the far side of town lined with fishing boats that provides a nice view towards the village & coast.
MANOLATES
Manolates is one of the nicest inland villages of Samos. Located 12km from Kokkari, it lies on the slopes of the mountain within lush vegetation and provides nice views to the north coast and the sea.
Traditional Street in Manolates
It’s a very small settlement, but it’s worth visiting for a walk on the narrow cobblestone streets with the traditional houses up to the Zoodochos Pigi church. You can then enjoy a cold coffee in the tiny village square under the shade of trees.
The area around Manolates is a great place for hiking. Vourliotes is also a nice small village nearby.
MITILINII
Mytilinii is another traditional inland village of Samos, located about 13km from Vathy. It is one of the largest mountainous villages and it’s named after the residents of Mytilini island that settled here around the 18th century after an earthquake. It has some nice narrow streets and stone built houses. It’s worth visiting for a quick walk and a coffee on the big village square under the shade of the plane trees.
Street at Mitilinii Village
There is a nice little Museum of Palaeontology & Natural History that exhibits from fossils, rocks & minerals to stuffed animals, shells, and even local costumes; worth seeing if you have kids.
DRAKEI & AG. ISIDOROS
Drakei village is located at the far west part of Samos and it’s literally the end of the road. It lies on the slopes of Mount Kerkis and it has great views to the west coast of the island.
Drakei Village
The main reason for a visit here is to enjoy the sunset and the scenic drive through this part of the island.
You can also visit the small seaside settlement of Ag. Isidoros through a dirt road to see the old shipyard and enjoy the mountain backdrop.
POSIDONIO
Posidonio is nice little fishing village located in a natural bay with views to the turkish coast. It’s worth visiting for a quick walk at the harbour or to eat in one of the traditional fish tavernas.
Posidonio harbour
The beach mainly serves the tourists staying in the few small hotels close to the sea. It’s a nice beach, but quite narrow and shallow with few umbrellas and sunbeds.
AGIOS KONSTANTINOS
Agios Konstantinos is a nice seaside village located in the north coast, 20km from Vathy port. It has some pretty old houses facing the sea and a mountainous backdrop. Not a lot to do here but it’s worth stopping for a photo at the small port.
Agios Konstantinos
MAVRATZEI
Mavratzei is another traditional mountainous village, 20 km south west of Vathy, famous for its pottery making.
MAP OF SIGHTS
Check attractions & practical information for each village & town in Samos on the following map.
FURTHER READING
You can check the following posts:
TRAVEL RESOURCES
- Flights: I always use Skyscanner as my first choice as it’s so easy to use and you can search best deals by month. Momondo is another very good search engine as well as Google Flights.
- Accommodation: I always use Booking.com as my first choice, as it offers great choice of accommodation in affordable prices and it’s so easy to use. TripAdvisor and Kayak are the best search engines to check deals from different websites; however not as good for checking the actual properties & rooms. Airbnb is a great alternative to find out homes and apartments to rent by real homeowners.
- Ferries: Ferryhopper is one of the best websites to check ferry schedules and buy the cheapest ferry tickets while in Greece.
- Car Rental: I always check Skyscanner for the cheapest car rental options.
- Public Transport: There is no booking site to check bus timetables and book buses online in Samos.
- Day Trips & Tours: Viator provides the most comprehensive list of day trips and you can book directly with them. TripAdvisor is also a great place to search for tours & activities to do.
- Travel Insurance: I always check travel insurance quotes on MoneySuperMarket or GoCompare.