|
|
Travel Destination Guide - Samos
Samos (North Aegean Islands, Greece) 
Samos Information
Slideshow of Photos
|
Samos Town, at the NE corner of the island, is in a sheltered bay with a harbour. The commercial hub of the island, it has a lively, pleasant centre with both tourist attractions and administrative buildings. A long, developing promenade sweeps around the bay and a maze of steep, narrow streets extends up the hillside from the harbour.
Samos is only 27 mls by 12, with a reasonably good road system, so touring is easy. It has central bare mountains rising above the Mediterranean pine forests and flat coastal plains.
An area for those who are seeking peace and relaxation. Predominantly middlemarket couples although families are catered for also. The accommodation is mainly small, family-run properties, with a handful of larger upmarket choices usually found outside of town. A good range of modest establishments can be found in the tourist settlements around Potokaki and in Kambos, with more sophisticated options near the towns of Samos and Pythagorion.
Locality:
Samos is located in the E extremity of the Aegean Sea, just 1½ mls off the Turkish coast (22 mls NE of the island of Patmos and 12 mls NE of the island of Ikaria). Samos Town is 10 mls NE of the island's airport.
|
The area is most suited to those looking for relaxation. It is suited mainly to middlemarket couples and families.
The beaches are predominantly pebbles, not for those in search of sand. The beaches near Samos are small and sheltered. Kokkari's is long and narrow, and there are further small bays along the N coast. Pythagorion relies on the broad stretch at Potokaki. Kambos' is long and fairly narrow. Other small bays are dotted around the island. Water sports available at major beaches.
Daytime offers archaeological and Byzantine museums, monasteries, including the 11th-century Metamorphosis Sotiros near Karlovasi. Also the area offers attractions such as caves; and churches.
Beach front activities include water sports, walking, Go-karting and cycling.
The Temple of Hera, is the largest ancient temple in Greece (5 miles outside Pythagorion).
Nightlife offers a handful of discos, plenty of bars and cafes, and an open-air cinema.
|
Population: 10.668.400
Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Greece - Athens
Country Dialling Code: +30
Voltage: 220V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
   
|
|
Greece appeals to different types of tourist, and very few could fail to find somewhere to suit their taste. From bustling Athens to blindingly bright islands, ancient fragments abound - the belly button of the cosmos at Delphi, fallen columns galore on the sacred island of Delos, frescoed Minoan palaces on Crete and even, quite possibly, the remnants of Atlantis at Santorini. Greeks are fierce guardians of tradition, but that doesn't mean they don't know how to have fun. In addition, hot sun and limpid seas conspire to make Greece a perfect place to relax. Whether you're supping in a beachside taverna , sipping coffee in a shady plateia or disco-dancing till dawn.
The Olympic Games were spawned in ancient classical Greece, along with democracy and the fundamentals of philosophy, science and mathematics. Modern Greece is better known as a great place to vacation rather than a centre of learning and culture. Today the country attracts by offering simple pleasures: delicious food at reasonable prices, local wine, beautiful beaches, sunshine, quaint villages, a seemingly endless lacework of coastline and little islands full of scenic surprises.
The country exudes traditional charm, particularly on its ever-popular islands, which cling to their stereotypical architecture and way of life despite being often over-run by tourists. Black-clad women still deliver vegetables to island tavernas on panniered donkeys, while bronzed, lined fishermen sit in the sun, drink thick coffee, and play dominoes or dice. The tourist infrastructure has intruded in many respects, but the timeless aspect of whitewashed buildings clustered on hillsides around narrow pebbled alleys has been retained. The myriad islands in the Aegean Sea are easily accessible from Piraeus, the historic harbour of Greece's mainland capital, Athens, by ferry or hydrofoil, offering a unique chance for 'island-hopping'. Many of the larger islands also have airports with connections to Athens or seasonally with major European cities.
On the mainland the city of Athens in the south is sprawling, overcrowded and polluted but nevertheless enthralls visitors, while Thessaloniki in the north is vibrant and modern with a Byzantine flavour. Athens is dominated by its major landmark, the Parthenon: the remains of other wonders of the ancient Greek classical world are to be found mainly on the Peloponnese Peninsula, south of Corinth, the gateway to a veritable treasure trove of history.
Greece and Greeks welcome with open arms the thousands of visitors that flock to admire their national assets every year - no-one leaves without having been warmed, both by the sun and the hospitality. |
|
Local Area Weather
Samos, GREECE |
 |
Fair |
16°C
Feels like: 16°C |
| |
Day |
Night |
| Sun |
 Sunny |
 Clear |
| Mon |
Sunny |
 Mostly Clear |
| Tue |
 Partly Cloudy |
 Cloudy |
| Wed |
Partly Cloudy |
Mostly Clear |
| Thu |
 Mostly Sunny |
Mostly Clear |
|
