“SAMOS ISLAND”

The weather in Samos

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Samos is full of attractions and archaeological treasures that invite you to discover them, such as:

• Τhe ruins of the Polykrateian Walls: During antiquity, Samos reached its greatest development the 6th century B.C. under the leadership of the tyrant Polycrates, who instructed the construction of the walls to protect the ancient city (today city of Pythagorion). The Polykrateian walls had a total length of about 6.5 kilometers, while in our days, only a few parts of them are preserved, however still impress the visitors.

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• The Ancient Theater: The theater is built on the slope of the Monastery of Panagia Spiliani (Spiliani means cave) in Pythagorion of Samos. A few remains of the theater came to light. It was built in Roman times and it seems to have been consisted of a nave, an orchestra and a stage. Of the stone elements of the theater little parts have been saved. Only a single stone seat was found on the site. It is evident that the stone elements of the theater were removed and probably formed building material for later buildings in the city. Today in the space we can see a new wooden installation with an orchestra and seats, which can accommodate approximately 750 spectators. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Every year, during August the Ancient Theater is hosting the Young Artists’ Festival with a variety of theatrical plays, musical and cultural events.
  

• The Roman Baths: The Thermal or Roman Baths, were built in the second half of the 2nd A.D. century. In this area, there were the changing rooms for the bathers, the areas for the cold baths, the octagonal pool and the rooms for the hot baths and a vaulted room, as a sauna area. In the 5th century, this room was used as a baptistery and joined the three-aisled Early Christian basilica, which occupied the northern part of Thermae. The Thermal Baths were part of a single and organized area, which included the sports facilities of the ancient city, specifically a gymnasium, a stadium and a gymnasium. The stadium was 190-200m long and 40-50m wide and was one of the largest stadiums in ancient Greece.
  

• The astonishing Tunnel of Eupalinos (Eupalinos was the architect who constructed it), a 1036m long aqueduct that is considered to be one of the most important technical achievements of the 6th century B.C., and it was considered as the 8th wonder of the ancient world. The tunnel bores through Mount Kastro, 189m below the summit, and was used until Roman times to supply water to the city.
  

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• The famous Hereon, where according to the myth the goddess Hera was born and raised. It was considered one of the largest temples of the time and one of the most important religious sanctuaries in antiquity and a UNESCO Site of World Cultural Heritage. It had 133 pillars but only one was rescued in our days.

• The cosmopolitan Pythagorion, where the ancient capital of Samos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, once stood. The harbour, with its imposing statue of Pythagoras, the picturesque neighbourhoods with their cobblestone streets, the squares with their traditional cafes, and Logothetis’ Tower, make for an idyllic setting. Above Pythagorion area, there is the church of Panagia Spiliani (Virgin Mary of cave), a sacred cave mentioned by mythology as the cave of the priesthood of Apollo.
  

Before leaving Samos do not forget to buy the Pythagorean Cup! It is one of the most famous and mysterious pieces of pottery ever made. It works on a siphon principle, so that the cup is emptied of its contents when its user fills it beyond a certain point. According to tradition, the mug was invented by Pythagoras himself during the building of the aqueduct to supply the city of Samos with water (around 530 BC), as a way of rationing the water distributed to the slaves. The cup served the same purpose on the long sea voyages of the island’s merchants.

Samos has a ferry connection with the following ports: Piraeus, Agathonisi, Arkioi, Chios, Fournoi, Ikaria, Kalymnos, Kavala, Kos, Leros, Lesvos, Limnos, Mykonos, Lipsi, Paros, Naxos, Patmos, Samos (Karlovasi), Syros, Kusadasi (Turkey), Rhodes, Symi.

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“MYTILENE (LESVOS) ISLAND”

The weather in Mytilene

Mytilene is a destination with endless plains but also rugged coastlines, alternating with sandy beaches, salt marshes and inland habitats. Dense forests and countless, impenetrable olive groves (around 11-12 million olive trees here produce some of the best Greek oils) in the west. And pastures, rock islands and mountains, wildflowers and grain fields, 14 whole waterfalls and a famous world heritage site, the Petrified Forest in Sigri are only some of the beauties of this amazing island! Mytilene used to be an important cultural Center of Intelligence in Antiquity, where Epicurus and Aristotle were teaching in the famous philosophical academy! Also the islands was the place of birth of the Nobel writer Odyssey Elitis and the folk painter Theophilos.

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“IKARIA ISLAND”

The weather in Ikaria

According to the legend, the beautiful  island of Ikaria owes its name to Icarus, who ignored the warnings of his father Daedalus and fell into the sea and drowned after he flew too close to the sun and his wings melted.

Ikaria has been identified as one of the world’s five Blue Zones, where the inhabitants live much longer than average, frequently reaching the age of 90. The other four regions are Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica) and Loma Linda (California, USA).​

Blessed with abundant water and wild vegetation, exotic beaches that take your breath away and beautiful villages, this idiosyncratic island with its welcoming inhabitants offers a different kind of travel experience for anyone choosing the ferry to Ikaria. It is a real initiation into the pleasures of a slower pace of life, a “less is more” philosophy, and living in the moment. 

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Throughout the years, all Ikarian villages put on feasts to mark religious and some non-religious holidays. Raskos (boiled goat meat), Ikarian wine, live music, fun, folks dancing the traditional “Ikariotikos” to a song originating in Ikaria, passionately singing along, laughing, hugging…… partying untill the early morning hours! These are the famous Ikarian panygiria (village festivals)! They are unique and amazing!!

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From Ikaria you can participate on a daily boat trip to Fournoi islands!

A Polynesia in the Aegean Sea! It is a cluster of about 20 islands, rocks and rocky islands east of Ikaria, reached in half an hour by boat. The central island and capital of the cluster is Fournoi, known for its fishing. With their incredible natural beauty the smaller islands, such as Thymena, Thyminaki, Chrysomilia, Kairia, Xera, Katergaria, Limenopetra, Alatsonissi, Kournashti, Strongylos, Plaka, Plakaki, Prasonisi, the Makronissi, the Great and the Small Anthropofas, Mikros and the Great Agios Minas, Petrokaravo and Streidi are ideal places for wandering, photographing and bathing.

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In recent years many submerged shipwrecks in the cluster have attracted international interest.

Furthermore, many species of aromatic plants, such as thyme, throbbing, sage, heather, schinn, cumara, olives, fennel and mandrake grow on Fournoi islets and this is the reason, that the cluster of these islands, is included in the European Union’s “Natura 2000” programme, the largest network of protected areas in the world. The Mediterranean Monk Seal (monachus monachus) as well as various species of dolphins live in the area. The group is also included in the important bird areas of Greece (SPPPE), being a breeding site for such birds as the Black Pepper, the Oyster Grass and the island partridge. It is also an area of ​​particular importance for migratory species, especially herons.

Ikarian agencies organise day-long excursions to the above islands, to swim and enjoy fresh fish and seafood in local taverns, dominated by lobster and savoury souks (fish soups).

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Ikaria has a ferry connection with the following ports: Piraeus (Athens), Chios, Fournoi, Kavala, Kalymnos, Kos, Lipsi, Leros, Lesvos, Lemnos, Mykonos, Patmos, Naxos, Paros, Samos (Vathi, Karlovasi, Pythagoreio) and Syros.

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Would you like to discover more spectacular islands of Greece? Then you can visit: 

• Crete island

• Cyclades Islands

• Ionian Islands

• Sporades Islands

• The Islands of North-east Aegean Sea

• Dodecanese Islands

• Karpathos and Kasos islands

• Castellorizo, Chalki islands

• Patmos, Lipsi, Arki, Agathonisi

• Rhodes, Kos, Symi 

• Kalymnos, Nisyros, Tilos

• Chios, Psara and Oinouses islands 

• Hydra, Spetses, Aegina, Poros, Agkistri islands

• Syros, Kythnos, Andros, Kea (Tzia)

The most amazing coasts of Greek islands are here. Just click below and dream on being there:

• Best beaches

Would you like to discover some of the most interested for there location and decoration cafe-restaurants of Attica? Then you can visit the following link: BEST CAFES – RESTAURANTS

Athens city and the suburbs have a lot of museums and archaeological sites for children and adults. You can find a detail description and useful info about them at: MUSEUMS

To watch popular tv series/films online free (no registration is needed) you can visit the following link: FREE MOVIES

 

Enjoy your journey in Greece…

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