Samos

A Dangerous Snorkelling Club Quick Guide

Samos is the spiritual home of the D.S.C which is odd considering that it’s not exactly high on the list of snorkelling destinations, but it was where the club was founded so we thought It should be the first in the series of what we are calling ‘quick guides’ to the places we been to. 

  

The History Bit

Like all of the Greek Islands, Samos has a long and turbulent history. According to Greek myth it was the birthplace of Hera, and has been populated by Carians, Pelasgians and Ionians. It grew to glory during the 5^th and 6^th Centuries BC before being dominated by the Persians during the Persian Wars. Later it joined the Athenian Confederacy although this didn’t work out very well for the island as the Athenians laid waste to everything when the locals revolted against the alliance. As the years passed, the island was conquered in turn by the Macedonians, the Ptolemy’s of Egypt, Romans, Franks, Venetians and Genoese. With the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 the Island was abandoned, the locals fleeing to Chios. The Turks re-populated the Island in the 16^th Century and it remained a Turkish possession until it was reunited with the Greeks in 1912. 

Samos’ main claim to fame, if you disregard being the birthplace of a goddess, is that the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras was born on the island in 570 BC. Pythagoras, as every schoolboy knows, developed the famous theorem which states that the two sides of a hippopotamus equal the third side. Err…that might be that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the square of the other two sides…. Anyway triangles or hippopotami apart (old Pythagoras seems to have made a lot of stuff up when he was on the wine) Pythagoras was also famous for his religious teachings about endless cycles of rebirth blah, blah, blah. If you’re into that sort of thing have a look here. A more important claim to fame as far as we are concerned, and one that seems to be generally overlooked, is the bewildering engineering feat of Eupalinos’ water tunnel. Discovered in 1882 the tunnel was an underground aqueduct built to bring water to the ancient capital of Samos (Pythagoreion). More info on the tunnel and its engineer Eupalinos can be found here. The Tunnel is located above Pythagorio and is open to the public, but those of you who are prone to claustrophobia might not enjoy the experience.

The tunnel entrance - breathe in!

 

The Tourist Blurb

Ruins, statues, temples, Byzantium museums etc, etc. Samos has it all, so if that’s your thing you’ll enjoy the Island, although the Temple of Hera near Pythagorio was somewhat disappointing. Samos, like all Greek Islands, is reputed to be the home of world famous wines. These are the same world famous wines that you’ve never heard of or can buy in any shop, supermarket or bar anywhere else in the world. The general rule of world famous island wines is that they come in red, white or pink colours and are very sweet. If you’re a wine connoisseur or a gifted amateur in the field you are going to be very disappointed. Likewise if your tipple is beer then don’t expect too much. There are only three available and all are lagers, Mythos, Alfa and Becks, and all are pretty awful. We opted for Alfa in the end as Mythos is far too gassy and Becks is worse than drinking your own urine. There are the usual rums, vodkas, whisky etc on offer but since Greece joined the Euro these can be just as pricey as anywhere else in Europe so that hangover you’ve got in the morning is going to cost you a lot more than you were expecting. There are a myriad places to stay on the island from four-star hotels to no-star shacks with leaky roofs, so there is plenty of accommodation to suit any taste.

 

Which is the best restaurant?

There aren’t any. All of the restaurants are much the same. They sell the same stuff, cooked the same way and all charge pretty much the same price. If you’re the sort of person who thinks that sticking a lump of goat’s cheese on some salad is contributing to international cuisine then you’ll always find something you’ll like. If however you have higher expectations then we recommend that you go self-catering. You might not be the worlds greatest cook but you’ll find it less irksome preparing your own concoctions than being presented with a bill for a meal that is badly seasoned, badly presented and often burnt at the edges – seriously when we were there they burnt a pizza, a pizza for god’s sake!

Are there any good bars?

No. Most of the bars in Samos Town or Pythagorio are termed lounge bars, this means that they are filled with those terrible garden wicker chairs with garish cushions and glass topped low tables. You slump down amongst the other groups of bored tourists whilst a teenage waiter tries to self you a brightly coloured cocktail with the ubiquitous umbrella, sparkler and half a pound of fruit decorating the rim. There you sit, watching hordes of Italians promenading up down, 1970’s Euro pop insulting your ears whilst wondering what happened to your life? A minute ago you were on holiday, you were having fun, now you are here in this hellhole of mediocrity hoping that one of the sparklers sticks in the teenage waiter’s eye just for some excitement and that the obese woman in the ridiculously tight summer dress would choke on an olive – anything to stop her cackling laughter. Never ever, ever go in a lounge bar, ever! They are the gateway to hell…

Fortunately most of the hotels have bars, which although not the best places to drink in are much better than those you’ll find in the tourist areas, The best of these is the pool bar at the Hotel Evelin. It was here in 2011 that the Club was founded. It is located on the junction of the roads to Chora (Hora) and Ireon. It’s small, friendly and hosted by the irrepressible George and his wife.  The Evelin bar also does a reasonable fry up and a decent Kebab, something that is surprisingly hard to find in Greece.

 

The Snorkelling Bit

The best places for snorkelling are on the north coast of the island between the beaches of Tsamadou, Lemonakia and Kokkari. The beaches at Tsamadou and Lemonakia have the usual sunbeds and beach bar facilities. Tsamadou is something of a nudist beach and is very popular with the locals at weekends so is the least favourable for snorkelling, head to the right around the headland for the best areas. When snorkelling off Lemonakia head towards the left hand section of the cove, here you’ll find caves and rocky outcrops, further round the headland you find a small private beach that provides a decent rest point. As this beach is private property it is best not to loiter too long but on each occasion that we stopped off it was early and there was no else around. The main beach at Kokkari is a windsurfers domain and has very little to offer. Head for the other side of the town itself. Here you will find a beach with no sun beds and no facilities, however there is a basic café bar situated at the top of the steep hill. Snorkel around the other side of the small island where you will find more varied marine life than around the sandy parts of the main beach. In the late morning you should be aware of fishermen who cast their lines from the rocks around the island, it can be surprisingly easy to find a hook suddenly dangling in front of your face. In rough weather all three beaches can be disconcerting to the less experienced snorkeller and are definitely a no go for children.

Like all snorkelling sites it is best to arrive early. Fish are far more active in the morning and having the whole beach to yourself is an added benefit.

The Cove at Lemonakia

The Island at Kokkari

Not everything you find in a cave is a funny coloured rock

Other stuff

 All Greek Islands have mosquitoes but the wetlands behind the main beach at Pythogorion make for a mossie heaven so if you're staying in this area be warned. The airport is also located here so if you're looking to lounge on the beach quietly reading that new bestseller you're in for a nasty surprise – in the high season the surprises come every hour or so. A better beach for lounging about can be found further down the coast at the small fishing village of Ireon, further on is Papas beach, which seems to be the destination of choice for the German tourist. At Ireon you'll also find a small river that feeds into the sea. The brackish water seems to have been colonised by Terrapins who'll appreciate a few titbits from your lunch. A walk in the hills of the island is great when the temperature is low, but if you don’t like insects and things that fly around your head you're probably better off in the myriad boutiques and shops selling their ‘world famous’ local wares.

The Wetlands

The 14:00 to Manchester wrecks the peace

Terrapin City at Ireon

Any comment?

Exposed toes get bitten!

The Statistical Stuff

Located in the Eastern Aegean
Capital - Samos Town
Population - 40, 500 give or take a hundred or so
Area - 476 sq Km
Temperature - Can reach 40 degrees Celsius in high summer but tends to be mid 30's
How to get there - In high summer there are direct charter flights from various European airports, alternatively you can fly from Athens or take a ferry from Piraeus, Paros, the Dodecanese, Cyclades, Crete and Turkey.

There you go Trip Advisor, eat your heart out.