David Tong
Situated in the eastern Aegean Sea near Turkey, the beautiful Greek resort island of Samos has been known for its rich collection of beaches, picturesque towns, stellar scenery and wonderfully warm weather.
My wife May and I had planned to come to this island three years ago, but ran out of time during our first visit to Greece. We visited Athens, Santorini and Crete. Samos is a bit out of the way. We had to fly first to Athens before taking a 50-minute flight on Aegean Airlines to the island. A ferry from Athens would have taken eight hours. During our weeklong vacation, we stayed on the north shore of the island near Kokkari, a seaside resort town with an array of shops, eateries and hotels. It's an excellent base because it's close to many of the beaches, hiking routes and mountain villages we wanted to explore. We stayed about 10 minutes from town at the Armonia Bay, a modern, spacious resort facility with 22 rooms, a large pool that overlooks a bay, a bar and a large lounge area. A dirt trail conveniently leads from the back of the hotel to Tsamadou Beach, one of the more well-known beaches on the north shore. Armonia Bay is at the high end of accommodations in Kokkari, with rooms renting at about €100 ($155) a night. There are other good hotels at lower prices in Kokkari, such as the Athena Hotel, Kalidon Palace and Virginia's Apartments. Renting a car is a must, because bus service is infrequent. We picked up our rented car at the airport and drove to Kokkari, a half-hour trip along a two-lane road. Along the way, we passed Pythagorion, a town named after one of Samos' most famous residents -- Pythagoras, the legendary Greek mathematician -- and Vachy (or Samos, as it is commonly called by residents), the island's capital and a port city.| On Samos | |
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