Samos Off The Beaten Path

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A few km along the coast easterly from Pythagorion, you will find Ireon, a very pretty little fishing village with enough there to ensure a peaceful & enjoyable 1 or 2 week stay. There are several restaurants, a nice promenade walkway along the seafront, several small hotels & guesthouses, a large kiddies play area, a small jetty & of course a stretch of shingle beach to relax on.

We only had time for a fleeting visit on our way around the island by car, but I would have loved to have spent at least a few days here. In my pics you can see the local's octopus catch of the day - the jetty was filled with these creatures drying in the sun in all shades of pink, grey & white!

Google Earth was right. The slip road to your left, after you pass "Skorpios" hotel on your way to Kalami, does go beyond Evangelistria church. It stops rather abruptly, you park and then you walk along a paved path, the last hundred metres or so of a seasonal watercourse. And there you are, at the heaven of my childhood. Lakka beach, currently unfrequented, the first clean beach near Samos town. My kids enjoyed it and appreciated the fact that I learnt swimming in that very beach.

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When staying in the summer season on Samos it is rather easy to make a day trip to the holy island of Patmos. From mid May till mid October there is a ferry service operated by a ‘flying dolphin’. This boat is leaving from Pythagorio at 8.00 am for a one hour crossing and back from Patmos around 5.00 pm.

There is enough time to visit the highlights of Patmos during the day:
- visit the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of St. John;
- stroll around in the old town of Chora with its narrow alleys and whitewashed houses; nowadays an Unesco World Heritage Site;
- have a lunch in one of the cafés in Chora with wonderful views of Skala and Patmos;
- walk back from Chora to Skala using the old Byzantine path;
- stroll around in Skala and do some shopping and finish on the central square having a cool drink.

If you don’t like these (touristy) sights, just rent a car or scooter and discover wonderful Patmos or relax on one of its beaches.

For more info about see also my Patmos page.

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Limnionas is a small village in the green hills in the southwest of Samos with a beautiful sandbeach with in the backdrop the largest and most imposing mountains of the island. In Limnionas there are a couple of restaurants, two mini markets and some hotels, apartments and studios (limited accommodation, so full is full, you are wise to make reservations ahead). Limnionas attracts a special kind of people: the ones that are looking for the old and authentic Greece. They come for the peacefulness and not for the nightlife and the bars. A lot of them are young backpackers and people that like to be a bit more adventurous and like to walk and explore the nature and find quiet (or empty) beaches on the way. A two and a half km long track leads you to the Taverna at the end of the world where there is a secluded private beach. You can get there by 4-wheel drive car, but it is much nicer to make the walk so you can enjoy the beauty of the scenery. You will walk along old olive trees and bushes and you can smell the abundance of herbs like oregano and camille. On the left side you can see the sea, the cliffs and the islands and as you walk you will pass several stunning and quiet beaches (some of them - but not all - quite inpossible to reach though). At the "Taverna at the end of the world" you can have a cool drink or something to eat. The owner is Andreas and he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in Greece. He can tell you the story of the taverna and show you the possibilities for walking in the area. Leading up from the taverna is a path that will take you to a crosspoint where you can take several directions and explore the area. Here you can also get a clear view of the island of Fourni. In case there is a day that you don't feel like doing anything you can walk down to the main beach of Limnionas (a good beach and not as crowded as most other beaches).

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Beautiful sights are everywhere on Samos. It is a photographers dream; the colours, the scenery, the flowers etc. are all around you!

I couldn't resist snapping away each time I came across another amazing sight - these are just some of my favourite pics.

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A lovely tranquil beach with plenty of room to find a secluded spot! Stunning scenery all around & warm clear water. Kerveli Bay is on the most easterly point of Samos.

There is a great restaurant called 'Haravghy' right by the beach which serves a good choice of Greek specialities. (I have put this on as a separate tip.) Customers eating here have use of the restaurant's complimentary sunloungers on the beach which is a great idea after a 'bigger than intended' meal! Parking is a bit limited at Kerveli Bay but having just used the restaurant we parked in their car park! They even had a hose/shower in the car park for after-swimming - always a bonus in my opinion!

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This unusual church caught my eye, not just because of it's interesting modern pure white architecture, but mainly because it is situated in such an unusual place. It can be found near Karlovasi on the northern coast at what can no more be described as a car park at the top of a track that leads down to a beautiful beach!

A look inside it's tiny interior was well worthwhile - simply amazing (see pic)!

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Potami known as one of the most beautiful areas of Samos is located 3 kilometres west of the second largest town Karlovassi. After walking about 2km along the river and through a forest you come upon a small lake where you can swim to the waterfalls. For those of you who can't swim you can get to the waterfalls by climbing many steps which take you up and around to get a glimpse of the Falls and you can also climb down a rope into the river and make your way back.

The southernmost parts of the island are, together with those to the west, among the most unspoilt.
Nice views from villages perched on the hillside, good and hardly accessible beaches, some interesting country roads bordering on the adventurous.
The Apostle Paul is said to have briefly disembarked at a minuscule "port" at the bottoms of those hills but you could hardly tell.
Try the dirt road between Spatharei and Skoureika villages. Both villages have paved accesses to Samos' main southern road (Airport to Karlovasi), but the unpaved bit between them offers magnificent views.

Fair warning...it is a steep climb up some rocky steps to reach the cave from the mountain base! Probably took about 15 mintues to climb up. I think it adds to the fun, but some visitors had to turn around before reaching the cave! So drop that cigarette and hop on a stair stepper before your visit :-P