Samos holidays

Samos’ collection of beaches is far from capsule – a combination of powdery and pebbly beaches can be found at all of the island’s compass points. The ones on the north coast tend to be a little cooler than the ones in the south, because they benefit from a refreshing breeze that sometimes blows in from the north.

Psili Ammos wins the title of Samos’ best beach by a nose. Even though it’s 7 miles from the resorts of Samos Town and Pythagorion, it still manages to pull in the crowds. Families have a soft spot for this place, because it comes with all the essential facilities. Just be aware – there’s another Psili Ammos Beach on Samos, an hour’s drive from its namesake, on the island’s southwest coast.

The southwest coast is Samos less trodden. Roughly 45 minutes’ drive from Pythagorion, you’ll find Marathokampos Bay and a little seaside village called Balos. This whitewashed hamlet is fronted by a sand and shingle beach, which mass tourism hasn’t turned its attention to yet.

Samos may be small, but it’s one of Greece’s heavyweights when it comes to honey production. You can buy jars of local honey from most supermarkets in Samos, like the one on Kanari Street in Samos Town. If you want a more authentic experience, try buying a jar from a local at a roadside stall. You’ll find a few on the road between Pythagorion and Pyrgos.

You can add a bottle of Samos’ sweet wine to your collection for 10 euros. Buy it from the source during a trip to Karlovassi Winery, which is roughly a half-hour drive from Kokkari, or pick a bottle up from the gift shop in the Wine Museum in Malagari, in Samos Town.

If you’ve got money to burn, set it alight in one of Samos’ jewellery stores. There are a few boutiques around Apostolos Koumaris in Kokkini that sell one-off hand-made pieces. Look out for designers like Sarina Beza and Efi Poursaitidou. It’s a similar story on Harbour Road in Pythagorian.

Kokkari takes the title of most laid-back village in Samos. The tavernas along the waterfront, near Antipaxou Street, offer up front row seats to the sunset, and they take it in turns to put on Greek nights, with traditional dancing and music. In Pythagorion, meanwhile, some of the best eateries are shared out between the harbour, Aristarxou Street and Pythagoras Street.

Samos Town is the leader of the pack when it comes to nightlife. The bars near Themistoki Sofouli on Samos waterfront do a good line in cocktails, and there are a couple of live music bars as you head out of the town centre towards Kalami. Pythagorian offers after-dinner action, too. You’ll find a few bars around Lykourgou Logotheti on the waterfront.

This filo pastry pie is classic lunchtime fare in Samos. It’s filled with sweet pumpkin, onions, feta cheese and mint. Traditionally, it’s cooked in a coil shape, but to save time, it’s also made by shaping the pastry into triangular parcels.

Samians eat saganaki as an appetiser, but it works just as well as a side dish or main course. The meal consists of pan-fried sheep’s milk feta cheese, drizzled in locally-made honey and topped with crunchy sesame seeds.

Seafood is a speciality on Samos. The tavernas in Kokkari, 10 kilometres from Samos Town, have a particularly good reputation for their catch of the day specials. Grilled garides or shrimps usually top the customers’ wish lists.

This is one of Samos’ flagship dishes. It’s made by hollowing out a tomato or pepper and stuffing it with a moist mixture of rice, pine nuts, onions and olive oil. Some restaurants make the dish for meat-eaters by adding minced beef to the mix.

Wine has been produced on Samos since the BC years, and in time the island has become a master of the art. Sweet wines are produced from the Muscat grape and aged in oak barrels, and bottles tend to be brought out after dinner. If you can’t wait until dessert to pop a cork, try the dry white Samaina instead.