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Reviews
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feliciapatrascu 15 Jul 2010A place for allNo matter how many words I'll write about Samos, they will not be able to describe its endless beauty and our surprise to discover such a green island. An island for all...
High mountains, green forests, crowded beaches and villages where the nightlife finds its place or quiet places where nothing will disturb you. Limnionas village is one of them. Even if in the beginning, we had the feeling of a village from the end of the world, Limnionas was the best place for us. Small and silent village, few taverns, one really mini market right across the road, a beautiful beach, an amazing view over the bay were enough for a good holiday.
Well, we had no TV, no internet, no public phone (there is one in the village, but I believe they keep it as a museum piece) and the cell phone network was present just from time to time, enough to forget that we have such a device. But in the end, these were part of the local charm.
Ioanna Studios are a very good choice. Surrounded by flowers that Ioanna cares with love, our apartment was spacious and tastefully furnished. Fully equipped kitchen. A terrace full of flowers allows you to admire the bay and the sea view. Large parking place. And again, amazing flowers in the yard. An apartment for a very good price. But, above all, is Ioanna. Wonderful woman, always helpful, always present to give you an advice or to answer to your questions with a friendly smile, it's enough to see her and start a pleasant day.
Living in Limnionas, you will need a car to discover the island. There are small and large villages situated along the coast or in the hills, large or hidden small beaches with blue green waters, each has its charm, try to find as many you can. Kambos Marathokambou, at 5km, is a large village with mini markets, many taverns and bars, souvenir shops and a large beach. The best place where you can eat here for an incredible low price is Nostos Tavern, where Nikos will be always there to help you and offer his friendship.
There are two Psili Ammos beaches on the island. One is near Vathi, maybe the only sandy beach on the island but surely the most crowded. It has so many sun beds and umbrellas that we couldn't see the sand and sea. It's a good option for kids. The other Psili Ammos beach, near Kambos, large and more quiet, is a mixture of sand and small pebbles and worth the effort to find it.
Posidonio, a small and very quiet village, good taverns, nice beach, crystal waters, a break for Turkish trips. Mourtia, nice beach with a wonderful view but not even a place to buy a bottle of water. Tsamadou, hidden behind a cool forest, it's divided into two parts: a part is a naturist beach and a part is for more or less dressed people... After Tsamadou, you'll find Lemonakia and Tsambou. Potami, large and beautiful pebble beach with the Church of Agios Nikolaos, the white silhouette on the hill. Kokkari and its beach, Samos and Vathi, Pythagorio with the Eupalinos Tunnel and Hera's Temple, Karlovassi... all of them are famous, you will find them easy and all of them deserve your time.
There are at least 3 less known places that you must see: Manolates, a village like a ceramic museum, perched on the mountain. Don't forget to buy a souvenir, you will not find another place as Manolates on the island. Kallithea and its wonderful sunset. An amazing view of Fourni and Ikaria will complete the joy to be there and the beauty of the moment. Be careful and leave your car outside of the village or you'll spend your sunset stuck with the car on narrow streets, moving chairs and flowers to find a way to escape. The End Of The World Taverna, at 3km from Limnionas, has an astonishing view over the sea but you need a four-wheel drive vehicle to find it and a lot of courage to drive.
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sophie090 17 Jun 2010See as much possibleThis was my first trip to Samosand I was completely bowled over by the rich history, beautiful landscapes and fine beaches of the island. I promised I would be back next summer to see more of this fabulous island. In order to explore as much as possible during my week's stay in Samos, I rented a small car, a chevrolet Matiz and was quite pleased with my choice when I had to negotiate some of the narrow hillside roads. The island abounds in car rental agencies, and this is an ideal way to get around helped by the fact that the signposts are all in English. It cost me 120 euros for 4 days and the best part of the deal was I could drop off of the car at the airport.
I visited some of the important monasteries and churches the island is famous for. The monastery of Panagia Spiliani is amazing, with a nice cavern where a holy icon was found. Samos is also known for its nightlife. The discos of Pythagorion (where I stayed) are open late into the night and they offer a mix of popular Greek and international music. If you are up for some live Greek music, you must visit some local panigiria, such as the wine festival in August. The beaches in Samos are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Surrounded by lush vegetation or hills dotted with olive groves, the deep blue water of the Aegean are best for sunbathing, swimming and windsurfing.
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chopin 03 Mar 2010Lovely panigiria and strong wineSlices of history, tradition, sun and fun. That about sums up my experience of Samos, an incredibly beautiful island with its fabulous beaches and endless vineyards in the inland.
I got to experience the best of Samos nightlife in the beach bars and the panigiria of the island. In fact, we attented a panigiri to Prophet Elijah (end July) and a wine festival in a small village near Samos Town: both wonderful and very social experiences. It is nice how small villages in the islands have so strong community bonds and seem like a family all together.
Families in Greece are large and include members of third or fourth generation. My cousin has married a Greek guy, they live in Patras and I have heard a lot about how they spend their holidays and feasts all together.
In Samos, people are friendly, too. Never had a problem to communicate with anyone, even if the other person didn't speak English. Gestures do miracles, you know! For the food, try two things: fresh fish in Kokkari and local wine. I was told that the wine of Samos is the best in Greece. Indeed, it is very sweet and very strong, too!
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mattie 27 Jan 2010Walk in forestsSamos is a big island, so you'd better rent a car and see it all. I say no need to rent a car for your whole stay, just 3 days are enough, and then choose a nice beach hotel to spend the rest of your holidays.
We stayed in the small village of Pythagorio on the south of Samos and it turned a lovely place to hang out. Not a busy resort, but a small summer village with family hotels and a sandy beach for chilly mornings. The beach had many umbrellas and usually it didn't very crowded. Bars and taverns were plenty in Pythagorio, but I think prices were better than on the northern coast of Samos.
The first thing to impress me in Samos was the forests. I was used to the arid and rocky Cycladic islands, so Samos hit me as a small paradise in the inland. There are small forests and mountainsides and beautiful waterfalls. The area near Marathokambos is lush green and you will see many churches and houses here and there, along your way. Walk in the forests and climb up the hills and you will feel refreshed.
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ollieb 11 Dec 2009Join festivals and beach partiesIn Samos, we stayed at a sea facing hotel in Kokkari village. The entire village is surrounded by lush green vegetation. There are plenty of olive plantations, pine trees and vineyards. The white washed houses and the narrow alleys running all around the village render an old world atmosphere. The seafront restaurants are a favourite place for the locals and the tourists. We used to have a hard time finding a place for ourselves over here. Obviously, there are very crowded in August. People seemed to enjoy the various sides of nature both in the inland and the beaches.
Samos has such a laid-back atmosphere. We rented a car to tour the various sights and historical places on the island. In the inland, we found such lovely greenery and many waterfalls.
Vathy, the capital, gets quite busy in the day but in the night, it is a great nightlife spot. In the popular beaches, there are also many beach bars that stay open till late at night. People seem to have much fun there and the music is loud. A few meters further, the music fades out and if you have a night swim, you will experience a very romantic scene under the moonlight. In Samos, we were lucky enough to join a wine festival in Pythagorio. The Greeks know well to have fun!
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Aishling_24 03 Nov 2009Small islets and wine festivalWhat most people don't know about Samos is that there are many small islets nearby, easy reachable with boats. Actually there is a group of more than ten islets, between Samosand Ikaria, but among them, only two are inhabited.
We visited Fourni, as we thought it was the most populated one. The houses and shops are all gathered around the port, with small family run hotels and restaurants, most of them with fresh fish dishes.
Another islet we discovered was Samiopoula, easy reachable from the port Limanaki. In Samiopoula, there is a wonderful sandy beach, called Psalida. The beach is not that big and unfortunately it gets easily crowded in midday in August.
Samos is very famous for the sweet wine, made on the island. Don't forget to try it, it is delicious! There is also a wine festival in Vathy of Samos, lasting for 5 days. It was August when we were there, not sure about the exact dates, but I guess festivals are not hard to find in Greek islands.
During the wine festival, locals offer all varieties of the local wine, especially the famous sweet wine. Traditional music and dancing is an unseperable part of a Greek panigiri.
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gianna 04 Oct 2009Already miss my vacationsSamos is blessed with exotic landscape and abundant vegetation. The lush green mountains, the smell of wines and the mystery of the ancient sites render a unique appeal to this Greek island. We stayed at a resort in the capital town Vathy. The town is filled with Venetian style buildings. Due to the development of tourism infrastructure on Samos, there are a lot of modern buildings also. We visited the Heraion Santuary and the Tunnel of Eupanilus, but it looked too dark, I think you should put more lights there because it may be dangerous. Nightlife in Vathy is extremely addictive. There are a number of music clubs and discos that attract the locals and tourists. Good music and drinks really helped us to unwind after a long day of sightseeing. God, I miss those vacations!
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mark34 06 Sep 2009Protect it from firesSamos was actually our last minute choice as we couldn't find ferry tickets to Ikaria. However, we don't regret it because we indeed had a great time! Beaches were wonderful and very clean. Lemonakia and Tsamadou were crowded but you can still find excellent quiet beaches on the northern side. We had the best meals in Kokkari in a tavern by the water. I suggest you stay in Pythagorion or Heraion which are less developped and prices are better.
Samos is surprisingly green and you will discover many hidden secrets if you rent a car for a couple of days to explore it. You run by chance onto a sign leading to the Cave of Pythagoras and it was a special experience to trek the narrow path up to the cave and enjoy the view from there. There are no castles or museums on Samos, the top is the beaches and the green nature. Walking in the forests is much pleasurable in the middle of a hot summer. Protect Samos from fires because it would be a really pity to destroy such a beautiful island.
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56hj8oli8 07 Aug 2009Get a greener attitudeWe recommend visitors to use Karlovassi on Samos as home base instead of Samos Town or Kokkari, it is far more "Greek" in culture. All beaches on Samoswere nice, all without any exception. My favourite was Lemonakia, although my husband prefered other beaches more quiet. All the food was also exceptional. Our first experience was sharing our table with the owner, who regaled us with stories of his life in Samos and Canada... interesting that the waiters disappear when you want to pay and leave! Our little Hotel Erata was perfect and only 40 euros a night!
The only thing that Greece needs is to get caught with a greener attitude. There are far many lacks in trash disposal. Also clean the beaches from cigarette ends and abandon smoking in public places. I heard there is a recent law that abandons smoking in interior areas, but it didn't seem to work. What about th exterior areas, when the smoke from the next table comes to you??
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heather.shorrock 17 Jul 2009Villa Litsa Kervelli BayMy friends and I booked the Villa Litsa in Kervelli Bay, Samos for a week in July 2009. The Villa was lovely. However, I had emailed the owner to ask if it had hills or steps to it as I am in a wheelchair with limited mobility. The reply was that I should refer to the web site. Nowhere did it mention steps or hills so we booked with confidence. However, the villa was located up a steep hill and up some steps!!! My poor friends had to push me up this hill every time we went to the beach and it wasn't pleasant for either of us. We were limited to one taverna on the beach which has a very limited menu and disappointing food. It closed at 10pm and even earlier!!! (We were told that there were three tavernas) One had been turned into a mini-market and the other was closed. We did eat at the Kervelli Bay Hotel on a couple of occassions and although it was ok, it was very expensive. We took a taxi into Pythagoria a couple of times, which cost us 40Euros each time, and we went to Samos town, to find that it was half day closing. Our own fault, agreed but again disappointing. Kervelli Bay is ideal for a day out. However, the bit of the beach with shade is crowded with occupants from the mainly German hotel behind and the rest is absolutely open to the scorching heat. Do not go here if you have mobility problems and definitely don't go if you have no transport. We learn by our mistakes!!
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federpu 22 Jun 2009What to pay attentionSamos is a very pleasant island to spend vacation on. The island is overall very green and show very different aspects: beaches for sunbathing and swimming, small fishing and mountain villages, antique sites like in Pythagorion. We elected to stay in 4 different places in Samos during our 9 days visit to the island: Vathi, Kokkari, Ormos Marathokampos, Pythagorion. At the end of June, the island was not yet invaded by tourists and we had a very pleasant and peaceful stay. I think this might not be the case aftermid July especially in Pythagorion.
Good overall dining experience particularly in Kokkari where there is a huge selection of restaurants (even a true Italian restaurant!). One very bad experience though on the smal harbour of Ormos Marathokampos were we waited for over an hour at a "taverna" to try and get our main dish after a small tzatziki plate. We finally gave up and decided to leave and retreat to our hotel for a picnic. The restaurant owner had given preference to a party of 15 people rather than to try and squeeze in the kitchen our order. An adventure we had not had in Greece for a long, long time! We did not write down the name of this restaurant as you can guess!
Prevent foreigners fom opening tourism businesses on the island! It is unacceptable to see a lady from Switzerland own a souvenir shop on the road from Karlovassi to Pythagorion, trying to sell products to French / German tourists!! What a shame! We expect a true native to interact with and exchange a few words in Greek!
A few recommendations for visitors:
1. Try at all cost to avoid the very high season on the island i.e. between early July and late August : it could be a real nightmare!
2. Spend a week minimum on the island and stay at 3 or 4 different locations to discover different aspects of it
3. If you travel on your own i.e. not with an organised tour, beware of
traditional hotels which are very expensive for what they have to offer. Prefer the small pensions that you can get recommandation for at the tourism office.
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matina22 29 Apr 2009Beauty in wildnessSamos is still quite wild as tourism is not too widespread. Hotels are certainly many but you do not find the organized beach resorts that exist, for example, in Rhodes or Mykonos. Maybe because Samos is much bigger in size.
I liked Greek food very much on Samos, local people were very friendly and gentle. From the beaches, I liked most Tsamadou, Psili Amos, Tsopela, Sydera, Lemnionas, Kerveli. Extremely clean waters but some get windy in the afternoon. What to expect from an Aegean island?
In Sunset Taverna before Potami Beach we spent some great time. We went through almost the whole island, but Vathi, Kokkari and Pythagorio were the villages that stayed in my memory. These three have a great architecture. Worth a visit are also the Potami waterfalls and Samiopoula Island. -
dhadjis 25 Mar 2009Try this luscious islandRavages of The Great Depression forced my father to leave this beautiful green and luscious island in 1930. Unfortunately, he only made it back once in his lifetime. Surely his spirit has returned. Samos is an ideal place to "R n R" and a great place for singles, couples or family. It is perfect for nature walks, mountain hiking and bike touring.
The island is about the size of Manhattan. The coastal villages that encompass the island are very close to each other. The beaches are nice, but not very sandy. The mountain villages provide picturesque views and lots of green trees. It reminds me of Colorado in summer. Vathy is one main port and capital. The other port is Karlovasi.
Accommodations are plentiful and the food is excellent, of course. Try to find the Galini Restaurant. It sits below Mt. Kerki near Marathokampos on the western part of the Island. It is truly the best value I have found in all of Greece. The island's oh-so-tasty honey is the best anywhere and Samos' wine is also sweet and very unique. Pythagorio is the home of mathematician and philosopher, Pythagorus.
Across the straight in Turkey is the ancient city of Ephessus. Easy day trips to Turkey can be made in Vathy. There is an International Airport on the southern part of the island near Ireo. You can make connection via Athens, Saloniki or fly direct from many parts of Europe.
Once youve visited, you will be longing to return. Samiotisa, poti tha pame sti Samo? -
tasia82 17 Feb 2009Relaxing breakSamos was recommended to us by friends who have visited many times and loved the island... I have to agree, it's beautiful. If you are interested in historical monuments and greek culture, then you won't be disapointed. The whole island is lush green and very clean. The people are fabulous and extremely friendly and helpful. The beaches are mainly shingle around Kokkari with wonderful restaurants and relaxing bars.
If you're looking for nightlife with clubs and people who like to drink excessively (you know the type), well then, Samos would NOT be for you! If you wish to explore the many sights or lay on the beach and enjoy wonderful greek food with a drink in the evening, then Samos IS the place to go. A lovely relaxing break.
If something should be improved about the island, then this would be the local transport. However, taxis are reasonably cheap. Ask local taxi drivers for recommendations to restaurants.... they took us to some amazing places we would never have found on our own! -
rhonarli 29 Dec 2008Loved walking in the townI was going to be in Kusadasi, Turkey and since I had never been to Greece, I thought it would be a good idea to try it by first going to the island of Samos, which is 2 hours off the coast of Kusadasi. Samos is a beautiful island. I loved walking around the town and going into some of the shops. The food was good and much better than what I had been having in Turkey. However, I stayed only for one day and a half, so I can't say anything more about the island.
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RhonaLe 20 Nov 2008A lovely island to exploreSamos is not a huge touristic type of island, compared to Mykonos or Santorini, but its a lovely island to explore if you like, as we do, meandering along the side roads on a motor scooter. Personally, Samos has everything for me. I like greenery, forests, mountains, beaches. The villages are pretty and restaurants very good and plentiful. I never had a bad meal in Samos. Although a lot of the restaurants were still closed in April as the season had not yet started, we were still able to eat very well with a good choice of food. You can't beat a Greek salad and a glass of wine whilst sitting at a harbour side restaurant. My favourite thing in Samos was watching the sun go down sipping an ouzo in Pythagorio.
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laura.arena66 23 Aug 2008Fourni IslandAugust 2008
Im just back from an holidays in Greece, like almost every year.
Tree years ago I went to Fourni, and this year I'm back there, because It was just what I were looking for. Fourni Islands are situated in the North Aegean Islands and are a group of micro archipelagos between Ikaria and Samos.
There is not much life night, none tourist shopping, no archaeological sites, is simply wild and peacefully place perfect for people who love unspoiled nature.
Fourni is mete of a Greek tourism, but in the last years European tourism is speedy increased, and respect to tree years ago lot of things are changed, like new construction, new roads to beaches, (otherwise impossible to reach) houses, new pubs and taverns, despite that, It still preserve Its wildness and serenity.
Apart the far village Khrissomilia, where the longer (and dangerous) road arrive, most of people live in Fournis Port, and in a small village called Kampi.
There are a lots of apartments, studios and rooms most of them are managed by Nikos Kondilas, that despite he's nearly eighty, he's precious source of islands information. But you can find accommodation just speaking with local people at port.
An experience is, visit Fourni island on foot, walking on the road under construction, or reaching beaches through lane or footway. Best beaches are situated at south like Agios Ioannis - Vitsilia and Vlichada are maximum 8 - 10 Km from Fourni port, more difficult is towards north islands like Bali - Kamari 3-4 km and 16 km to Khrissomilia because the road climbs till 400 mt above sea level. Walking could be hard, there's nothing from Bali to Kamari Village, so from Kamari to Khrissomilia, just the road, but walking you can live the best stunning panorama. From the higher North East point you can see the Samos coast. Anyway if you aren't a footloose you can rent a scooter, and round the same, giving high attention to drive.
Lots of taverns offers good fresh fish, and special is the lobster but just till half august, then is forbidden because the reproductions. In my opinion, the best tavern is Delphinakia, just on the left of the port, hand made and fresh dishes, not with a large variety, little but extremely good. Try the Lia's (the cook) Moussaka is real the best.
That's all, If you want to see I've uploaded pictures under General Greece!
See you then!!
Bye Bye
Laura
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matteocom 30 Apr 2008Ideal for trekkingI found about Samos on the Internet and thought it was a nice place for trekking. Indeed, it was a very green island with beautiful landscapes, paved roads among the forests and lots of things to do and see, not only beaches. The restaurants were nice, although they should have more dishes. If you go, rend a car because the island is quite big and you will have a lot to see. Be careful, though, because the roads are sometimes narrow.
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roberto_s 06 Mar 2008Nice and quietI am Roberto from Italy and spent some days during August in Samos island. I choosed this island because I have already visited it in past and I liked it. If another opportunity given, I would visit it again.
I used the plane to get to the island, I thing it's the best way, very easy.
Samos is really nice and quiet place, very good beaches and taverns, I find them great.From all sights and places to go, the beach Psili Ammos is not to be missed. We only had one unfortunate experience with the person who did the reservation of our hotel. When we arrived, he took us to another place instead of that we had agreed. No excuse, no thanks, bad person... But he was the only one, so he didn't ruin our good mood. -
pagondas2 04 Nov 2007Island of PythagorasThere is no doubt that all the islands in Greece are beautiful, each one expresses its local culture and traditions. Some are popular, others which are located in the far eastern area of the Aegean Sea, one of them being Samos, and although cruiese ships by pass it, indeed, isone of the most interesting island you should visit. The trip is only fifty minutes by plane from Athens. Consider staying in a nice hotel Luxury, four star or B-three star. I would recommend the Kalidon Palace in Kokkari, the service is excellent, the personel friendly and acommodating, excellent buffet breakfast, and dinner are included with your room. The view of the ocean and the Kokkari vilage is superb. You have to make reservations very early because it fills up quickly during the summer months. Visiting other small vilages up in the ountains is anincredible experience. Excellent food, many rstaurants and taverns by the sea, and I cannot say enough for the wine. The "Golden Samaina", an aromatic dry wine from the muscatel and other grapes will make you to reserve your hotel room for the following summer. The sweet muscatel wine, whose vines date back in the ancient times of Dionysos will make your stay on the island unforgettable. If you like history, a tour to the ancient antiquity sights will prove to you why the island was so popular to the ancient people that even Anthony and Cleopatra were regular visitors to the island and today the ruins of their palace are visible. Consider a trip to Greece next summer with your destination Samos. Sarantos Serviou.
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nighttrain007 27 Aug 2007Samos is paradiseBeautiful beaches, great sights to see, great food, not very expensive, constant blue skies, never a cloud. the best word to describe samos is PARADISE!
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R_Martini 20 May 2007A calm and relaxing placeHello, my name is Rita Martini and I'm from Italy. I'm 46 years old, and I've visited more than 30 countries. The last one I visited was Greece, on the island of Samos. I chose to visit this island, because a friend of mine who came with me recommended it.
I arrived on the island by plane with the Olympic Airways. The trip was very good with no delays
The idea I had for this island was a calm and relaxing place. It was truly perfect! The island has breathtaking landscapes, covered in trees and nice beaches with crystal clear waters.
The food was also excellent, and about the nightlife Im just guessing good, because I was not interesting in finding out. The local people were very friendly and authentic in spite of the tourism, and the lifestyle of the island totally fits me. The weather was really good, and made it even nicer to go sightseeing. Great prices and great transportation also was something I really liked. The only thing I didnt know was that the island was full of old bottles on the road, and this is not good.
I would recommend to future visitors, to start the tour (the visiting) on the east side of the island and not the contrary. -
Trish_C 05 Dec 2006Carefully choose your hotelNationality: South African
Age: 40+
Countries visited: 5-10
The Trip: I arrived on the island by plane with the Olympic Airways. The trip was good with no delays
Reasons for going to Samos: Wanted to use it as a base to explore surrounding islands - Ikaria, Patmos etc
Idea before arriving: Very busy but not very tourist-orientated
Favorite things about the island/area
- Best Beaches: Kambos
- Best villages: Samos
- Best Activity: Sightseeing
Negative opinion about the island
Nothing to mention
Recommendations for future visitors
We were very, very disappointed in our accommodation - it was low value for money.
It was not serviced - not even the toilet paper bins cleaned - but nobody told us it wouldn't be so we asked and they told us only every second day, but they didn't do that either. There wasn't even a kettle in the apartment - and we later found out they were Euro 10 - 15 MORE than anyone else in the same area was charging for serviced accommodation at the same time! Made us pay an additional Euro 5 for air con!!! So our advice is, CHECK before you stay!
Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
6/10
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Angelos_N 01 Dec 2006There are alot of things to seeNationality: Greek
Age: 33
Countries visited: 5-10
The Trip: I arrived on the Samos by Plane with Olympic Airways and car The trip was very good but there was delay.Half hour at the day of our arrival.
Reasons for going to Samos: Discovered on the Internet
Idea before arriving: Wonderful I was expecting a beautiful island with cold water beaches and very friendly people!
-Island/Area: 9/10
-Landscapes: 9/10
-Tree Covered: 7/10
-Beaches and Waters: 9/10
-Cleanliness: 8/10
-Villages beauty: 9/10
-Main Town beauty: 8/10
-Food/Restaurants: 10/10
-Nightlife: 7/10
-Local People: 10/10
-Lifestyle: 8/10
-Activities: 9/10
-Excursions & Sightseeing: 10/10
-Prices: 9/10
-Authenticity: 8/10
-Peace and quiet: 10/10
-Weather: 10/10
Favorite things about Samos:
-Best Beaches: Mykali beach
-Best Villages: Manolates, Drakaioi
-Best Activity: Swimming
-Best Restaurant: To galazio pigadi - Manolates
Negative opinion about Samos:
The fest on the Platanos village at the night of the 14th August. It was kitch and the prices were very high!
Recommendations for future visitors:
rent a car for sure, there are a lot of things to see. Prefer to eat at the villages on the mountain like Manolates, Drakaioi, Vourliwtes. The most beatifull, quiet place near the beach is Ormos Marathokampos.
Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
9/10
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J_Peimanidis 03 Nov 2006Visit Samos next summerNationality: Greek
Age: 43
Countries visited: >5-10
The trip: I arrived on the island by plane and car.The trip was very good, no delays.
Reasons for going to Samos: Recommended by friends
Idea of the island/area before arriving: I knew about good weather, good beaches, good hotel ,nothing about landscapes ,people, food, nightlife, cost of life, etc.
Did it meet your expectations and enjoyed your stay? Yes
- Island/area: 9/10
- Landscapes: 8/10
- Tree Covered: 8/10
- Beaches & waters: 10/10
- Cleanliness: 9/10
- Villages: 10/10
- Main Town: 10/10
- Food/ restaurants: 9/10
- Nightlife: 9/10
- Local people: 9/10
- Accommodation: 9/10
- Activities: 8/10
- Excursions: 8/10
- Sightseeing: 9/10
- Prices: 9/10
- Public Transportations: 8/10
- Authenticity 9/10
- Peace & quiet 8/10
- Weather 10/10
- Car hire 7/10
Best Beaches: Tsampu, Livadaki beach,Gagu beach.
Best Villages: Manolates, Kokari, Pithagorio
Best Activity: Swimming
Best restaurants: Kria Vrisi
Hotel Samaina Inn
Anything negative about the island or needs improvement: Better Roads
Recommendations: Visit Samos next summer
Rate of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries: 9/10.
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chrismas.haglund 06 Aug 2006Great place for family vacationNationality: Swedish
Age: 41
Date on the island: July 2006
Countries visited: >10-15
The trip: I made it to Samos by plane with Apollo charters it was a very good trip to Samos, although we did have a 3 hour delay on the trip back to Sweden due to air traffic
Reasons for going to Samos: Samos was recommended to me by my sister and I had watched a TV-program in Sweden regarding island hopping with children, and thought Why not ??.
Idea before arriving: From what we had read, Samos is a "green" island. We also understood that Pythagorian area would suite our family right, with nice beaches. We were in the Greek islands for 21 days and we stayed in Samos for 8 days.
Expectations and opinions: Yes, it met my expectations.
-Island/Area : 10/10
-Landscapes : 10/10
-Tree Covered : 10/10
-Beaches and Waters : 7/10
-Cleanliness : 8/10
-Villages : 10/10
-Main Town : 9/10
-Food/Restaurants : 7/10
-Nightlife : NA
-Local People : 10/10
-Accommodations : 10/10
-Activities : 7/10
-Excursions : 6/10
-Sightseeing : 10/10
-Prices : 10/10
-Public Transportations : 8/10
-Authenticity : 8/10
-Peace and quiet : 10/10
-Weather : 10/10
My favorite beach is Potokaki, my favorite village is Manolates
The best hotel Glyfada village in Potakaki and its owner Mr. Manos
Recommendations: Visit the Village Manolates and the nice surroundings, and get local information from your hotel/pension owners.
I will definitely go back to Samos.
Rate of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries: 9/10
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henrichs 06 Oct 2005Beautiful island but...Nationality: Danish
Age: 47
The trip: I arrived by airplane. The trip was ok.
Reasons for going to Samos: Have been to Samos Island already 3 times before.
Idea before arriving: Frendly people, hospitality, clean.
Expectations and opinions: I was disapointed that so many restaurants building were left. It is a beautiful island but more to be done for families with children.
Favorite thing about Samos: The hotel I was staying in and the weather.
Negative opinion: The garbish and left buildings.
Recommendations: Buy the beat
I wish to go there for my 50 annivarsery
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don 03 Oct 2005Beautiful but not as LesvosLast year I had the chance to visit Greece. After a few days to Athens we went to the island of Lesvos and then to the one of Samos. I liked Samos but for me, Lesvos was better, with more things to see and do, a most beautiful capital, lovely villages and a greatest atmosphere.
The good things in Samos was the village where we stayed, Pythagorio, which was very cute with its small whitewashed houses and its narrow alleys where the inhabitants had pained some naive figures.
The beaches of the island were also good and the wine was heaven.
But Lesvos was definitely my favourite. That?s my taste and opinion though, I think you should go anyway to Samos?and maybe after to Lesvos. -
rose 26 Sep 2005Not what I rememberedI have been to Samos Greece 10 years ago and I went back last year. The change was quite obvious and I was a bit disappointed and sad about what it has become.
First of all, a great part of the island has been burned by big fires around 1999; horrible fate for such a green and fresh place! Fortunately some parts of the island have been spared so you can have an idea of how was the entire island before this terrifying catastrophe. Of course, the beautiful beaches of Samos are still there but many of them have been spoiled by tons of sun beds, umbrellas and cafes.
I remember when I first went that it was so easy to find deserted places for a relaxing swim; now it has become quite difficult, unless you go there in spring or in during September. I can?t say I had a bad time last year but it sure wasn?t at all what I remembered. -
gilben 31 Jul 2005Samos: a very pleaseant islandSamos is a beautiful, green island. Its capital is not as picturesque as the ones of other Greek islands but it has its charm and the waterfront is lovely (but touristy).
We had booked a room in the old part of the village of Karlovassi and we were really pleased about it. The village was cute, the owner of the pension really nice and we had a beautiful beach at a very short distance. We went to various other beaches, all very beautiful, and many of them had umbrellas and desk chairs so we could lie down for hours and hours. We also tasted the famous wine of Samos and were impressed by its sweet and delicate taste. We came back home with many bottles of wine, a good tan and a lot of good memories.