text e Photos by
TERESA CARRUBBA
Here they affectionately refer to it as Vathy, this splendid city on the gulf with the island?s most important port. The old city, perched on the hill has conserved all the atmosphere of Samos?s history, traditions, silences and intimacy. Strolling under the handsome terracotta roofs time seems to have stood still, preventing progress from cancelling the traces of history. 
Down beside the sea, in modern Samos, things are very different. Lively and bustling, especially along the port promenade with its cafes, restaurants, hotels and artisan shops which spread out like an amphitheatre. But the traditional meeting place is Pythagorus Square with the legendary monument of the lion which is the symbol of the city. There you will find a café with outdoor tables where you can taste the best galactoboureko – a creamy cake – on the island. If it is culture you are looking for then make your way along the little streets away from the sea, and you will find interesting buildings and museums including the archaeological museum which is considered one of the most important in Greece and contains many local artefacts from various eras. One magnificent find, the statue of Kouros, a local sculpture dating back to the 6th century B.C., is so large ? around five metres – that it called for the construction of a new wing to the museum. 
In the capital you can find everything. If you want to rent a car to drive around the island then you can do so at ARAMIS RENT A CAR a serious company which has offices in the city of Samos, in Kokkari, in Pithagorio, and in the airport which makes it easy to leave the car back at one of these points around the island. If you want to visit the west of the island, which is particularly mountainous and has dirt roads then ask Aramis for a jeep.
ARAMIS RENT A CAR
Samos – Tel. 02730 23253
But on Samos you can also rent a kayak for excursions along the northern coast of the island, from which you can discover deserted little islands. A truly unique and fascinating experience!
OCEAN KAYAK
Samos ? tel. 22710- 23120
www.oceankayak.com 
And on the subject of local products we can not but mention ouzo which has one of its most famous factories on Samos: GIOKARINIS
One of the ways in which a Greek from Samos makes his guests feel at home is to offer them a glass of ouzo. It means welcome, it is like an embrace. It is the local nature which makes this ouzo so particular: the aniseed and other local aromas together with the alcohol. Some of the local producers jealously guard the recipe which is often a family secret. Such as the famous Ouzo Giokarinis, better known as the ouzo of the widow as it was “invented” in 1910 by a forebear of the family, Heleni Giokarinis, who was a widow. Today it is still produced in the same way but tradition has been married with almost a hundred years of experience and today only the very best ingredients are chosen for the distillation process. The result? One of the best ouzos not just on Samos but in all of Greece and with an international reputation as Giokarinis exports ouzo all over the world.
OUZO GIOKARINIS
Samos ? tel. 030273 27288 
There are restaurants on Samos to suit every possible occasion and pocket. But do try Dias, right in the heart of the city, just off the promenade; it has a charming, cool garden where you can delight in tasting the best Greek specialities which the courteous owner will be only too happy to explain. Or if you prefer the really romantic atmosphere of a little terrace overlooking the port then you should dine at The Steps where you will enjoy particularly tasty dishes ? and not only Greek specialities ? while delighting in the vista of the port with its sparkling and glimmering lights. If you pass by Agios Kostantinos you must stop to the very nice restaurantTO KIMA, just close the sea , in which you can taste the most familiar greek cusine.
for producing ouzo
WHERE TO SLEEP
Anyone visiting Samos has various forms of accommodation to choose from. If you decide to stay in the capital then choose the central
VIRGINIA HOTEL
Built in the old city at a point between the mountain, the port and the other arm of the coast and beautiful Gulf of Vathy. It is a welcoming hotel with all the warmth of a Greek family. Ideal for a relaxing holiday and for those who appreciate discretion and privacy. Built in traditional style it has a large hall, 34 rooms with all modern comforts, each one with its own terrace ? some of them are so enormous that they are almost apartments. They all have radio and TV, air conditioning and automatic telephones. 
On the roof garden there is a swimming pool, a quiet spot overlooking the Gulf of Vathy and ideal for sunbathing in privacy. The Hotel Virginia does not have a restaurant as such but a room in which to enjoy the buffet breakfast or, during the day, a variety of simple, and often local, snacks. But what makes the Hotel Virginia different is its hospitality. It is not easy to find such levels of comfort, privacy and hospitality as you do here. You really do feel at home. And even on the busiest and most dynamic kind of holiday what tourist does not want just this? At the end of the day it is so nice to come back?.home.
If you want to rent a villa then the Hotel Virginia has the answer: two charming villas with their own swimming pools in a charming spot not too far away, overlooking a quiet little bay. Open from April to October.
in the Virginia Hotel
VIRGINIA HOTEL
Samos ? tel. 030273 27819
§www.greekhotel.com/n-aegean/samos/town/virginia/home.htm 
For those who prefer to stay out of town, but in the environs, there is Kalami, high up on the hill, on the road that runs from Samos along some of the most beautiful parts of the island like the beaches of Gangou and Roditses . In Kalami you can stay at the
INO VILLAGE HOTEL
Greek hospitality, terracotta roofs and a Mediterranean garden. Here the day starts with a substantial breakfast on the terrace with its charming pergola. During the day you can swim in the pool or simply relax at the snack bar while sipping the famous wines of Samos and enjoying some titbits. The hospitality is family-style, the architecture traditional Mediterranean and the ambience luxurious ? all of which guarantee a holiday that will never be forgotten. .
INO VILLAGE HOTEL
Kalami (Samos) ? tel. 030273 023241
www.inovillagehotel.com
close to Vassiliki
If you are one of those people who like to spend a holiday lost in nature than we have another suggestion, only a few kilometres from the city of Samos:
VILLA BARBARA, in Psilì Ammos, an enchanting place, almost in another world, beside a lake where hundreds of magnificent flamingos take refuge. A stay in Villa Barbara is like staying in the home of an extraordinary couple: Barbara, the Italian doctor of Samos?s hospital and Apostolis, an engineer in a company which recycles biological products to make natural fertilizers.
Ino Village Hotel
Apostolis is crazy about nature, plants and flowers. And you can see it right away at Villa Babara. A wonderful botanic garden of Mediterranean vegetation with the famous vases of Samos scattered here and there, a unique touch of culture and history. Little villas and apartments for rent in a truly welcoming and warm, refined and cordial atmosphere.
at Psili Ammos – Samos
VILLA BARBARA
Psili Ammos (Samos) te. 030 2273025192
of Villa Barbara
