Samos Island
The Samos island lies in the heart of Central Aegean, 1200 meters from the shore of Asia Minor. It’s the 8th in size Greek island and its area is 477,395 km2. It’s geographically located between the parallels 37.49 and 37.37 to the North and the meridians 26.33 and 27.04 to the East. It is shaped like a peninsula, and according to the geologists who have studied its rock formation, among the other things, their conclusion is that the various geological upheavals which occurred in the course of the centuries cut off this piece of what had been the Asia Minor coast. The population of the island is 32977 inhabitants (2011 census), it is comprised of 4 municipalities, Vathi, Karlovasi, Pythagoreio and Marathokampos and its capital is Samos Town. You can reach Samos by plane from Athens or Thessaloniki and by ferry boat from Piraeus, Kavala, Icaria, the Dodecanese, Crete and other islands.
Samos is an island with unique natural beauties which combines history and tradition with it. On the northeast side of the island of Samos, the island s capital. Built amphitheatrically along the perimeter of a large bay, next to the harbour, it pleasantly predisposes the visitor with its Aegean colour, its neoclassical coastal zone and the beautiful beaches that surround it. Although small in size, Samos island is known throughout the world for its wine. The island is remarkably fertile. It is an island with green mountains, endless vineyards, which produce the famous samiotiko wine, and lacy shores.
Samos island economy depends mainly on the tourist industry which has been growing steadily since the early 1980s. The main agricultural products include honey, grapes, olive oil, olives, dried figs, citrus fruit, almonds and flowers. The Muscat Grape is the main crop used for wine production. Samian wine, known primarily though the sweet Muscat type, is also exported in several other appellations. Samian wines have won prestigious international and domestic awards. Samos is also known for its folk art and produces beautiful pottery, ceramics, rugs, bags made of goat wool and woven fabrics with beautiful designs and colours and which are made on local looms.
You can also find nowhere else in the Aegean with higher mountains than Samos. It is a hilly island. It has two mountains, the wild and rocky Mount Kerki of 1443m height and the verdant Mount Ambelos or Mount Karvouni of 1160m height. Mount Kerkis in Samos is ideal for climbing, and so this somewhat limits the number of those who are able to enjoy its wild beauty, while Mount Karvounis, which is more accessible, can be visited by everyone young and old alike. In the summer of 2000 a fire burned about 30% of the island’s forests.
The lovely coastal village of Pythagorio, is full of whitewashed houses with blue shutters and doors. In Vathy, Venetian houses are mixed to neoclassical ones and all the buildings have red-tiled roofs and some have their walls painted in bright colours. A small picturesque road links the present day port to Vathi, the old traditional settlement. Perched on gente slopes behind the bay, its timeworm houses with their narrow windows and wooden balconies evoke memories of a by-gone era. The island does not have a specific traditional architecture, mostly because of the heterogeneous descent of the population of the island. It is a blend of neoclassical mansions, Venetian buildings, whitewashed houses and Byzantine churches. The narrow stairs and streets are also painted in blue and white and the walls of some houses are decorated with naive paintings. Graphic narrow streets are winding around all those types of buildings, adding a cosy and warm touch to the whole scenery. And in the church of Ai-Yiannis, you will see marvellous rare frescoes.
We can say in all seriously that Samos is truly an ideal place for holidays. In Samos everywhere provides an invitation to visitor because what ever their interests are, they will be catered for. For that reason, without wishing to be accused of excessive local patriotism. Samos is the birthplace of great mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras. The astronomer Aristarchos and philosopher Epikouros also came from this Aegean island. In ancient times a major culture developed on the island and it was the home of distinguished figures in the world of the arts, literature, philosophy.