We have 5-6 days after the 13 day Turkey tour before flying out of Athens and we were thinking about spending them on Samos Island. Has anyone been there and can you pass on any recommendations of places to stay or things to do? If there are other suggestions as to where to spend that time we would love to hear those also.
Posted by
Centennial, CO, US
2185 posts
What date does your Turkey tour end? When is your flight home? Have you ever been to Greece or is this a first visit? If you can add that information, and then re-post your question in the Greece section of the forum, you'll get lots of advice. But in the meantime, here are some thoughts to get you started.
We've been to Samos, and it's a fine place to spend a couple of nights. You could rent a car and explore the island and its many beaches for a day. Our main reason for going was to visit Ephesus, which of course you will have just done.
Then you have dozens of options. You could fly back to Athens from Samos, and spend the remainder of your time exploring Athens, with possibly a day trip to Delphi or the nearby island of Aegina.
Or you could hop a ferry on Samos and make a quick visit another island on your way back to Athens. Look up ferry schedules from Samos (be aware there are three possible ferry ports on the island -- Vathy, where you'll arrive from Turkey; Karlovassi, on the west side; and Pythagoria, near the airport). Don't buy your ferry tickets on line; just use these sites for research. Buy your ferry ticket on Samos. Spend a couple of days on that island, then fly or ferry back to Athens. Be sure to arrive back in Athens with at least a day to spare before your flight home.
Which island to choose depends on your interests and where you've already been. Buy or borrow a Greek Island guidebook if you don't already have one. Or check Matt Barrett's website https://www.greecetravel.com/
Ikaria is very close to Samos and is getting lots of interest lately for being a Blue Zone. Be aware that transportation to-from Ikaria is limited; we were stuck there once for 2 days by ferry problems, so I'd probably fly back to Athens. But it's a beautiful place.
Many people love Naxos, so that would be another option. Or Patmos, where you can visit St. John's Monastery and the Cave of the Apocalypse (where he wrote the book of Revelation), if that's of interest to you. Or ... dozens of other islands, some of which have airports to fly you back to Athens.
Have fun with your research!
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I should have mentioned that this will be in mid-June. We did spend 6 weeks island hopping in Greece back in the 80's (which did include Naxos), and we did spend a few days in Athens (but I don't remember too much about what we did in Athens). It was a wonderful trip, but we don't feel like we need to do much island hopping on this trip. The idea of Samos was mostly for R&R, but we are open to other suggestions.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3397 posts
dd, it is always a good idea to include dates when asking for good free advice... May is very different from August, or October. Also helps to mention if you've already been to some of the most mentioned places, so people won't be helpfully tryiing to sell you on their appeal.
I've been to Samos 2x, in May & arly June -- the first time, using it as an ideal "Springboard" to other places -- Chios, Patmos, Ephesus. We didn't have a car but stayed in VERY handy cute place just uphill from Vathy port, HOtel Pythagoras not fancy but balconies on that wonderful TEAL-blue bay. Some random memories...
• ANO VATHY -- uphill from the port town, at that time 2006 very unchanged, quiet, you coul hear goatbells & roosters crowing, looking down on town & sea. I hear it has changed, and luxe villas built (a lot of German holiday-makers have bought property on Samos)... hope not too gentrified.
• SURPRISE GEM -- Vathy has one of the BEST museums in the Greek isles... stunning small votive items found at Temple of Hera ... aaaand -- the Largest KOUROS In the entire world (they built a special room for the headless statue, and when it was done they found the head, and had to raise the ceiling; true story!)
• AMAZING SUNSETS -- In May the sun sets right in the middle of the Bay, flanked both sides... I've watched sunsets in more than 25 greek Isles, and this was #1, have photos to prove it. We were at a tiny taverna rigt next to Hotel Pythagoras (if it's still around; it doesnt open til June) -- tables were on a terrace only 1-foot above the water.
• HIDDEN VILLAGES -- I wish we'd had a car because in the far NW of Samos, there are villages where nothing has changed for decades. At dinner in Vathy, we met a group of British "ramblers" who'd walked between these hamlets, and found it like a trip back in time.