Samos

Samos is the Aegean's easternmost island and is separated from the Turkish mainland by the narrow Strait of Mycale.

The renowned ancient mathematician, Pythagoras, was born on the island in the 6th century BC. Samos also claims to be the birthplace of the goddess Hera, and the remains of a temple built in her honour can be found near the city of Pythagoreio.

Since then, Samos has often passed between Greek and Turkish hands, before returning to Greece for good in 1913. Today, Visitors will find busy holiday resorts, beaches sprinkled with sunbeds and waterfronts lined with tavernas, bars and cafes.

Samos town curls around a semi-circular bay, with pretty pastel-coloured buildings rising in tiers up a green hillside. Numerous other coastal towns and villages encircle the island.

Further inland, travellers can visit delightful mountain villages, where friendly locals and picturesque alleyways offer an authentic taste of Greece.

Samos is blessed with a dramatic, indented coastline, dotted with sand and shingle coves, while inland the slopes of the mountains and hills are covered in vines and verdant forests.