Samos - Samos Island Gezi Rehberi ve Rotaları • Kişniş vs.

Samos is a unique Greek island with its deep blue and untouched bays, villages where time slows down, hiking routes where you can explore the natural beauties to the fullest, waterfalls, a history of winemaking dating back to ancient times and delightful taverns.

We are in Samos, one of the closest Greek Islands to Turkey, one ferry from Kusadasi or Seferihisar! Flights to Samos reach three different ports. Vathy, Karlovassi and Pythagorion. Our preference is usually Pythagorion but Vathy is also central and close to everywhere. We always rent a car because we want to visit the whole island. It can be visited without a car, but you must have a car to see the most beautiful parts of the island.

How and when to get to Samos Island?

Samos and the Greek Islands in general are ideal destinations for summer, but they are also very pleasant in spring. Keep in mind that both the ferries and the island can be crowded, especially during the summer months and holidays. If you are planning to go during these periods, buy your tickets in advance and make your reservations to avoid any surprises.

Flights from Turkey to Samos depart from Kusadasi or Seferihisar. It takes about 45 minutes. You can buy your tickets from authorized tour companies. You can find the best ticket via Ferryscanner, ferries.gr or IDO’s websites.

Don’t forget to buy your tuition stamp online before you arrive. There are parking options near the port for those passing through Kusadasi.

How many days should I allocate for Samos Island?

On a day trip you can only visit one of the island’s main towns, in which case we think Pythagorion is the sweeter option. We recommend planning a trip of at least 3 nights and 4 days to fully understand the island.

Samos Accommodation:

There are airbnb options for accommodation on the island, although not many. It is also possible to find it in different villages. You can look through Booking or airbnb. Pythagorion, Kokkari, Psili Ammos are our favorite places to stay.

Good Food Guide

Restaurants/Taverns:

•Pergamonto, Pythagoreio
•Triantaphyllos – The Little Square
•To Aperanto – Taverna Endless
•CorTo. Tapas Bar, Vathy
•Akrogiali, Kokkari
•Egxorio Restaurant, Pythagoreio
•Yianni’s Ouzeri, Vathy
•Agkistri, Karlovassi
•Zakore BBQ, Kokkari

Taverns in the villages:

•Restaurant Posidonio, Posidonio
•Loukas Tavern, Manolates
•Taverna Ampelos, Ampelos
•Akamatra, Paleo Karlovassi
•Kallístē, Manolates
•Archontissa, Potami

Cafe/bar & ice cream:

•Luigi Gelateria
•Two Spoons
•Kypseli
•P2 Cafe
•Cavos Bistro, Kokkari
•The Swanky Nomad
•Almyriki
•Boa Vista Bar

Yüzmek için
plajlar:

•Lemonakia
•Tsamadou
•Psili Ammos
•Potami
•Mykali
•Kokkari

Unmanaged bays:

•Kasonisi
•Mikro & Megalo Seitani
•Mikri & Megalo Lakka

Kokkari

We are in the coastal town of Kokkari, 10 km from the island’s main town of Vathy. We continue our guide from here.
It is very pleasant to wander through the narrow streets of this village, which attracts attention with its coffee shops, taverns and souvenir shops.
While walking on the main street, it is essential to walk towards the sea and the waves, which look like a painting framed between the white houses reflecting the low-rise island architecture.

In Kokkari you can visit the mountain villages, swim in the beautiful beaches as you head west, or just sit in a taverna with a view and relax all day;

Kokkari Recommendations:

•Akrogiali
•Zakore BBQ
•The Beer Tavern
•Dionyssos
•Meltemi Restaurant

Cafe/bar:

•Cavos Cafe Bar
•Boa Vista Cocktail Bar
•Peirasmos/Temptation Pastry Shop

Beaches:

•Kokkari Beach
•Lemonakia Beach
•Tsamadou Beach
•Tsabou Beach

Mountain Villages in Samos

Samos is known for its pretty seaside settlements, impeccable beaches and food, but there are also mountain villages with a wine-making tradition dating back to antiquity.

The wine journey that began on the terraces at the foot of the mountain of Ampelos continues in the winery. One of the best things to do in Samos is a vineyard tour where you visit a winery and a museum. Apart from the village of Ampelos, which stands out with its wines, there are dozens of villages you can visit in Samos. Ampelos village deserves a visit with its taverna right in the square and its waterfall, which offers a pleasant walk in spring.

The most popular tourist attraction and the most picturesque of the villages is Manolates. We can summarize it with its colorful windows, narrow streets and taverns/stukkiari with their chairs thrown into these streets.

Our favorite culinary stops in Manolates are Kalliste and Loukas Tavern, which requires a bit of a walk.

Stavrinides and Vourliotes are other villages you can visit in the central part of the island. Stavrinides is quite quiet compared to the other villages; If you go to this village, please note that the mountain roads from here to We recommend that you do not drive a standard vehicle on the mountain roads to Manolates due to the rough terrain. We don’t want you to have a fearful journey like we did.

Blue Chairs Square in this area in Vourliotes is another taverna we wanted to visit but couldn’t make it.

After visiting the island villages, head down to the coast and visit Agios Konstantinos in Stopping for ice cream in Kypseli is a ritual.

Pythagorion

This small town in the south of the island is beloved for its pretty streets. The things to do are definitely to see the statue of Pythagoras and more than just Blue Street.

In ancient times, the first settlement was built as an amphitheater around the bay, where yachts and fishermen stopped. To trace the traces of the ancient city, you can visit the excavation site in the center and the archaeological museum right next to it.

The UNESCO protected archaeological excavation site of Heraion, 10 minutes’ drive from Pythagorion, the monastery of Panagia Spiliani with its impressive view, the engineering marvel of the Efpalinio tunnel are the main sights to see in the immediate vicinity.

There are beautiful beaches for swimming all over Samos. But if you’re looking for a place to swim nearby, Remataki Beach in front of the restaurants is a good choice.

If you want to drive a little further away, you have the option of Pototaki Beach on the Heraion side or Mykali Beach and Psili Ammos Beach when you head east.

In spring, you can see flamingos in the wetlands along the roadside towards Psili Ammos.

Psili ammos is one of the rare beaches with fine sand, so it is quite pleasant even though it is very crowded from time to time. Suggestions for a snack by the beach: Almyriki & Taverna Ανατολή

Pythagorion Recommendations:

#1 @pergamonto_samos

Pergamonto is our favorite establishment here, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. We tried both the breakfast and evening menu, with pleasant seating on the street. It’s a good idea to make a reservation and check the kitchen hours;

#2 To Aperanto – Taverna Endless
Located on the way to Psili Ammos, we can say that this taverna is the taverna where we had the best fried zucchini and fish on the island. (📷: #8)

#3 @enhorio_restaurant
Egxorio is another establishment we love. It has more of a shabby tavern feel; It has fresh seafood and delicious appetizers. The calamari was very successful; As it is located right by the sea on the Remataki side, it also offers beach use.

Bar, for coffee & dessert

•Two Spoons @two_spoons
•P2 Cafe @p2cafe_samos
•Hygge*
•Luigi Ice Cream
•Swanky Nomad @the_swanky_nomad

Karlovasi

Karlovasi is a town on the northwestern coast of Samos, which is mostly developed as a business center and has little tourist attraction;

Normally, the voyages to Samos via Seferihisar arrive at the port of Karlovasi. However, in 2023 these flights were not running. For now you can only cross to Samos via Kusadasi. Since the visa-at-the-door application has not returned, a Schengen visa is a must for burgundy passport holders.

You can climb up to the Church of Agia Triada for a pleasant view of Karlovasi from above. While you are up there, you can visit the streets of Paleo, a sweet little village. We recommend Akamatra, the only tavern in the village, for this place.

Akamatra is a classic Greek taverna where tables line the square at the intersection of the village streets. The menu mainly features grilled meat products, but octopus and calamari are also available. Main courses range from 7-12.5€.

After visiting the village, when you get back to Karlovasi you can stop at Luigi Gelateria for coffee and ice cream.

One of the best options for swimming in Karlovasi is Potami beach. Our suggestion for a daytime stopover/ hangout in Potami: @cafedelmundosamos

Another famous hiking route in Potami is the canyon leading to the waterfalls; You can reach the waterfalls with a 30-40min walk from the beach. However, you have to swim across the last part, and there is a cafe where you can rest or leave your belongings. It’s called Archontissa;

We went to see the waterfalls early in the morning and had breakfast in this place with Greek salad and Bouyiourdi (an eggless menemenemen).

Potami is the most practical option for swimming, but if you want to see the two world-famous beaches of Samos, Mikro and Megalo Seitani bays, you have to continue driving for a while after Potami and complete a walking trail of about 1.5 hours.

Don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen and a hat as you will not encounter any businesses on this route.

Day Trip to Patmos

There are many things to do in Samos, but if you can’t stay put, you can visit Patmos on a day tour.

Patmos, one of the Dodecanese Islands, is the most sacred of the Greek islands; This Greek island, where the Bible was written, is an important destination for the history of Christianity. We can say that this is why it receives the most tourists.

Different companies have direct flights from Samos. The best way to get there is by fast ferries from the port of Pythagorio in the south of the island. It takes about 1.5 hours on Dodekanisos Seaways’ fast services.

There are no direct flights to Patmos from Turkey and a Schengen visa is a must to visit the islands as the visa at the door application has not returned.

Unlike Samos, Patmos is an island deprived of natural beauty. When you look at the island from high up, you can see how barren its rolling hills remain.

Patmos is a tiny island; You don’t need a car to tour the streets full of white low-rise houses, which are pleasant to visit.

The island gained its importance in Christian history when John the Evangelist, who was exiled from Ephesus to the island of Patmos, wrote the gospel in a cave during his years of exile. However, excavations show that construction on the island dates back to the 4th century BC.

The center of the island is 4km from the port in Chora. The town of Chora and the monastery at its highest point have been under UNESCO protection since 1999. Monasteryand Chora kenti, Cave of the Apocalypse and The archaeological excavation site of Kastelli is an important sight to see on the island. You can easily visit the places you want to see with the vehicles departing from the taxi stand in the harbor.

After climbing to the top of the monastery, on the way back you can visit the designer shops in Chora and have a snack at the cafe on the corner to sit and enjoy the view.

In Skala, you can take a break with a frappe at Plaza Cafe or a delicious drink at The Patmians in the small square across the harbor, or enjoy one of the tavernas along the beach. Pantelis and Tzivaeri are two of the delightful restaurants here.

How Much Does a Samos Vacation Cost?

“How much does a weekend vacation in Samos cost?” Here is the answer to that question!

It is not possible to give a valid answer for everyone because all costs vary according to personal preferences. But you can use this content to give you an idea.

One of the costs not included in the video was the car we rented. We paid about 90€ for the car we rented before we left, also for a weekend. If you have any questions, our message box is always open.

You can watch the video on instagram.

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Samos? Chios? Which one to go to?

One of the most frequently asked questions: “Which Greek island do you suggest we go to this summer?”

We couldn’t get out of this business, but we compared Chios and Samos, two of our favorite Greek islands, with their highlights. Here, you can compare with us. You can find detailed posts for both Chios and Samos on our instagram account and among the Greece guides.

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