A tunnel through a mountain, 2,500 years ago
In the 6th century BC the engineer Eupalinos dug an aqueduct more than a kilometre through Mt Kastro, with two teams starting from opposite ends and meeting in the middle.
Σάμος · Island of Hera, Pythagoras and Muscat wine
Samos, green mountains, golden wine and ancient wonders
Swim in emerald coves under pine-covered mountains, walk through a tunnel dug 2,500 years ago, and toast the sunset with the honeyed Muscat that Byron wrote verses to.
Greetings from Samos
Vourliotes, Samos
This morning I walked through a tunnel that two teams dug by hand, from opposite sides of a mountain, 2,500 years ago, and they met in the middle. This afternoon I swam in water so green it looked lit from below. Now I'm in a mountain village with a cold glass of Muscat while the nightingales start up in the valley. Byron was right about the wine.
Hour by hour
A perfect day on Samos
From an early swim on the north coast to a 2,500-year-old tunnel, Hera's temple and dinner among the vineyards.
- 08:00
First swim in an emerald cove
Before the beach bars open, Lemonakia is all pine shade, pebbles and water so clear you can count the stones.
- 10:30
Walk through a mountain
Duck into the Tunnel of Eupalinos, dug through Mt Kastro in the 6th century BC. Book your slot ahead: the visits are small and fill up.
- 12:30
The goddess's birthplace
At the Heraion a single column still stands where one of the largest temples in Greece once rose. Go quietly. It's that kind of place.
- 14:30
Lunch on Pythagoras's harbour
A long lunch and a cold white on the waterfront of Pythagorion, watching the boats ride the same harbour the ancient fleet did.
- 18:30
The Valley of the Nightingales
Climb the lanes of Manolates as the light turns soft, past potters' workshops and doorways full of basil.
- 21:00
Dinner in the wine village
End in Vourliotes with village cooking under the plane trees and a glass of sweet Samian Muscat, poured from the vineyards around you.
Where to stay
Where you'll wake up on Samos
Kokkari
Wake above Kokkari with the whole north coast at your feet
Arion Hotel · 4-star hotel · €€€
Pythagorion
Sleep a stroll from the ancient harbour of Pythagoras
Doryssa Seaside Resort · Seaside resort · €€€€
Karlovasi
A seaside hideaway near the Potami waterfalls
Anema by the Sea · Boutique guesthouse · €€
Only in Samos
The things you'll tell everyone about
Why Samos stands out among the islands of the eastern Aegean.
The Temple of Hera
Hera was said to have been born here, and her sanctuary was among the largest temples in the Greek world. One column still stands among the foundations.
Muscat of Samos
The island's sweet white Muscat has been prized for centuries and is made from grapes grown on high mountain terraces. Taste it at the Samos Wine Museum or in the villages.
Birthplace of great minds
Pythagoras, the philosopher Epicurus and the astronomer Aristarchus, who first proposed that the Earth goes around the Sun, were all born on Samos.
“Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!”
Towns & villages
Where you'll fall for Samos
01
Vathy
Kokkari
Former fishing village on two little bays
Kokkari's waterfront of cafés and tavernas faces the sea on a small headland, with pebble beaches and the windsurfing bay of Lemonakia and Tsamadou just to the west.
- Seafront tavernas
- Lemonakia and Tsamadou beaches
- Base for north-coast hikes
02
Pythagorion
Pythagorion
Ancient capital on a pretty harbour
Built over the ancient city of Polycrates, the harbour town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the old mole, the castle of Lykourgos Logothetis and the Eupalinos tunnel in a single morning.
- Eupalinos tunnel
- Archaeological Museum
- Harbour-front dining
Things to do
Moments to collect
Culture
Walk through the Tunnel of Eupalinos
Choose the short route or the longer tour deep into the mountain. The passages are narrow, so skip it if you're claustrophobic.
Pythagorion
Beach
Swim at Lemonakia & Tsamadou
Two of the island's prettiest bays, framed by pines, with clear green water. Tsamadou is quieter at its far end.
West of Kokkari
Hike
Hike the Valley of the Nightingales
A shaded path climbs from the coast through plane and oak forest, full of birdsong in spring, to lunch in Manolates.
Platanakia to Manolates
Good to know
Before you fall for Samos
Samos was one of the richest states of ancient Greece, home of the philosopher Pythagoras and of the colossal Temple of Hera. Today it is one of the greenest islands in the Aegean, with pine-covered mountains, vineyards on terraced slopes, stone villages and beaches that run from busy Kokkari to the quiet coves under Mt Kerkis.
- Area
- 477 km²
- Population
- ≈ 33,800
- Highest peak
- 1,434 m
- UNESCO listed
- 1992
- Ancient history
- Beaches
- Wine
- Couples & families
When to go
May, June and September are ideal: warm seas, green hills and quieter beaches. July–August is busiest.
Getting around
Hire a car to explore the mountain villages and western coves. Buses connect Vathy, Pythagorion, Kokkari and Karlovasi.
How long
A week covers the main sights and beaches. Add a few days for hiking or a ferry hop to Ikaria or Patmos.
Getting there
Direct summer flights to Samos airport near Pythagorion, flights from Athens all year, and ferries from Piraeus to Vathy and Karlovasi.
Flights & ferries
3,000 years of Samian history
A sea power that rivalled Athens, an autonomous principality under the Ottomans, and the home island of Pythagoras, Epicurus and Aristarchus.
Walk through the story