Samos Walks and Tours.

Several Hill and Beach Walks to try out whilst on Samos Greece - out in the hills visiting churches and monasteries and coastal walks visiting beaches.

Samos is an excellent island to chose for going out hiking whilst on your holidays, especially if you like walking on tracks and in wooded areas, although how much woodland is left now is debateable since they have suffered from several huge fires on the island. You can buy a decent map of Samos (we used one called Road Edition no.210) which shows the tracks and paths and then it's easy to make up your own walks around the numerous tracks.
As is often the case on Greek Islands there seems to be an obsessive amount of bulldozing of new tracks on Samos to be wary of - often resulting in them carelessly obliterating existing tracks and paths. This should be born in mind if you follow any of these walks instructions below since it is quite likely new tracks have been laid by now.

Samos Walks on this Page.
Kokkari to Mytilini to Kokkari - Circular walk
Kokkari to Ag Konstantinos - via Vourliotes, Manolate and Stavrinides
Kambos to Kokkari - via Vourliotes and Moni Vronda
Potami to Megalo - Coast+beaches walk
Prof Ilias to Kamari - Track walking with loads of Butterflies

Kambos to Kokkari. This walk starts off at Kambos - we got a taxi from Kokkari and told the driver we wanted the track to Vourliotes (which he knew). Note this walk starts off with a climb of around 1500 feet so it certainly gets your knees going from the start, and also remember you do need to have drinks etc. with you and should wear reasonable footwear - needless to say walking boots are always best for hiking in our opinion. Go up this track and soon pass a small church on your right (we diverted slightly to have a look and take it's photo). Continue steadily upwards through the vineyards, passing the Three Springs taverna which is about half way up, until you reach Vourliotes. Make your way through the village and eventually come to a small square with several tavernas - the Blue Chairs Taverna certainly does a very refreshing real orange juice.

Leaving the square heading for the eastern side of the village you join the main road, if you go a few yards left on the main road there is a spring coming out the rocks - should you care for a quick refreshing splash). Turn right up an initially very steep tarmac road to eventually reach the Moni Vronda after about 30 minutes or so..You will see some picnic seats near a wall, and the start of the path to Kokkari (which is marked) drops down from here through the woods - a really pleasant walk (especially since it's down at last). On reaching a wide track turn left and then almost immediately right and up into a quite open space with good views. Take a path (almost opposite where you entered the open space) down to join another wide track where you turn right.

After a few yards you come to the open river bed which you cross and then turn left onto the wide track opposite. Follow this wide track as it winds down through the ravine towards Kokkari, watching out for a particularly good view-point on a large rocky outcrop on your left. Continue on along and down this track and follow the signs to Kokkari.

Kokkari to Ag Konstantinos. This walk is quite hard in that it's around 10 miles ( a long way in the 35 deg. when we did it), and is very up and down - but there are tavernas at Vourliotes, Manolates and Stavrinides. The walk starts at the end of the Kokkari by-pass (west end) - look for and take a narrow road heading up. When you reach a 3-way junction (after around 3 to 4 minutes) fork right, then shortly turn left above some greenhouses - the track becomes a path and passes under an unusual looking bridge. Carry on to a stream, cross this to the right and pick up a path which leads to a second wider stream, cross this on the stepping stones and follow the marked path up - cross a track and continue on up the marked rocky path. When the path reaches a wide track turn left and almost immediately right and look for a very narrow path going up on your left. A few minutes along this path will bring you back down to a stream bed - cross this and take the path which winds up and out of the valley.

The path eventually becomes a track and then a concrete road before joining the main road. Turn left and continue towards Vourliotes - just before reaching Vourliotes look out for a spring coming out the rocks on your left where you can have a nice refreshing douse down and drink. As the road bends sharply left by a car park area continue straight on into the village and after a few minutes you arrive at the square with it's Tavernas. From the square take the 3rd turn right which is sign-posted to Manolates - at the T-junction go left and you come to the cemetery. Pass to the right of the cemetery and take a sunken path which leads down to an open area - a way marked path continues to the left - continue on (ignore the paths to the right) until you reach a small white church - there are some very good views around here. Continue on round the front and then beneath the church and follow the path steeply down to the valley bottom and the river (where we saw lots of dragonflies).

 Head left up-stream for around 10 yards and then cross the stream and pick up the marked path opposite - follow this path up until it reaches the road. Turn right and follow the road until you reach a junction (with a Taverna on the corner), continue on up the road towards Manolates.

Just before you enter the village take a track down on the right- follow this track until you reach a fork where you turn right and follow the track around the hill - eventually you come to a T-junction. Turn left and circle round and above Stavrinides - just as you come into the village turn right and follow the road through the village and as the road bears left there is a small very local taverna on your left. The track continues from here passing the cemetery - follow this track down to reach Ag. Konstantinos - you will reach a picnic area which is just before the main road. At the main road (which is on the bus route) turn right and take a road left down to the harbour.

Kokkari to Mytilini to Kokkari If you fancy a 6 mile walk from Kokkari to Mytilini along nice tracks and forest and with a view to returning by bus etc. this is very straightforward walk, however if you intend walking back and using a different route then it becomes just a little bit harder to follow - at least that's what we found but maybe this was more due to the heat than any real difficulty in finding the route.

Either way, there is nothing between the towns in the way of tavernas so it's worth taking plenty of water with you. Start at the western end of the Kokkari by-pass road on the same road as the above walk. When you reach a 3-way junction (after around 3 to 4 minutes) keep left on a track marked to Mytilini. The whole route is well signposted all the way into Mythilini. There are plenty of tavernas in Mythilini, which is very much a working (farming) town rather than a tourist spot. To return retrace your steps back out of Mythilini onto the original inbound track and head back towards the reservoir - however after around 25 minutes note two tracks close together going off to the left and take the second one.

Continue along this as it winds through the olive and pines and eventually you come to a stream bed - in the heat this was a welcome spot to stop for a drink and cool down some (temperature when we did this walk was around 35 degrees). Leave the stream bed and continue on as the track winds up - eventually at a bend another track comes in from the left but continue on bearing slightly right on the original track - this is now a steep uphill section which ends at a T-junction - turn right and carry on ultimately passing through a cutting - the views up here are really great. Now the track bears slightly left (if you carry straight on it's a dead end - or was but you know these bulldozers on the islands..). After about 20 yards look for a narrow path on your left (this did have a red paint-dot on a stone) - this path zigzags down to the bottom of the valley - cross the stream bed and then bear slightly right up the other side (passing a farm on the left). This path comes out on a main track where you turn left and follow the signs back to Kokkari.

Potami to Megalo Seitani to Potami This easy to follow coastal walk is located at the North West coast of Samos and goes via two beaches - it's worth noting that when we walked this route we saw quite a few mostly small snakes which were generally dozing on the paths - the trick was to be a bit shuffle footed i.e. make some noise and they all cleared off quickly.

However wearing walking boots or similar rather than sandles or flip flops is probably therefore desirable - and anyway the paths are often quite stoney and rocky which makes boots or trainers far more comfortable. Start the walk at Potomi where the tarmac road becomes a track, after about 15 minutes note but ignore the first track off to your right but then take a path on the right a couple of minutes later which is marked with a cairn. Continue on this path as it goes past a stone hut on your right and meanders down through olive groves to eventually arrive at the first bay (Mikro Seitani Bay). Cross the beach to a sort of ladder (hopefully it's still there) and climb/clamber up the rocks to the path again.

Now follow the path in and around the folds of the hill - the excellent views are enhanced with the gradual appearance of the Kerkis mountains on your left. Eventually the path reaches Megalo Seitani bay - great place for a swim and picnic - don't expect to be alone here since this walk is very popular with walkers. Return to Potami is simply a matter of having to retrace the outbound route.

Walk to Prof Ilias and Kamara This shortish walk with a Taverna lunch stop is located in the hills above Samos Town and starts on the coast road which goes from Samos Town to Agh Paraskevi which means you need a car or scooter to get there. Having driven round the headland (past the Moni Panaghias Kotsikas) spot a track on your right signposted to the church and park here. Follow the track as it winds up to the small church (ignoring but noting a joining track from the left) of Prof Ilias. Return back down the track past the radio masts but when you reach the track junction continue straight on - this track winds through the woods and eventually arrives at a T-junction. Turn right and follow the track into Kamara where you will find a nice Taverna.

To return retrace your steps to the T-junction but this time keep straight on - this area was swamped with butterflies and flowers - really beautiful to walk quite apart from the great views of the Nisi Peninsula. When you reach a junction turn right and follow the track but to your start point. Note that you can extend this walk considerably by leaving Kamara and heading towards Mikri Amos Bay and then following the track back but this is quite a long way or you could also leave Kamara and head right up high to M. Zoodochou Pigis.

Please take a look at our Samos Holiday Guide for more about holidays on Samos.