Museum
Samos· Βαθύ
Vathy & the east
Samos Town climbing the slope around a deep bay, with the kouros in its museum, the wine museum outside it and two beaches within walking distance.
- Culture
- Wine
- City break
Vathy, officially Samos Town, is the working capital: a deep bay in the north-east, a waterfront of offices and ferry agents, and the old village of Ano Vathy climbing the slope behind. The archaeological museum here holds the five-metre kouros that is the largest surviving, which is reason enough to come even if you are staying elsewhere.
Just outside town the cooperative's wine museum explains the system behind the island's Muscat of Alexandria, grown on terraces up to eight hundred metres and holding its own PDO, and pours the range from dry to the fortified Nectar. Samos is a wine name before it is a holiday name.
For swimming there is Gagou a short walk from the centre, Livadaki a little further north, and Mourtia round on the north-east coast. The honest limitation is beds: this cluster has far fewer rooms than Kokkari or Pythagoreio, so treat Vathy as the base for a car-led trip rather than a beach week.
🏛️ Vathy & the east
Attractions · Vathy & the east
🏖️ Vathy & the east
Beaches · Vathy & the east
🍽️ Vathy & the east
Restaurants & tavernas · Vathy & the east
🛏️ Vathy & the east
Where to stay · Vathy & the east
Hotels on the map · Vathy & the east
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, studios and villas — so you can judge the distance to the beach, the port or the village from here rather than guess from an address.
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Partner links · GetYourGuide
Tours and day trips from here
Boat trips, guided tours of the ancient sites and tickets bookable ahead — free cancellation on most.
- Samos MuscatTerraced vineyards up to eight hundred metres and a PDO that runs from dry to the fortified Nectar; the cooperative museum pours the range.See wine tastings →
- The tunnel of EupalinosA kilometre-long sixth-century BC aqueduct driven through a mountain from both ends at once, which met in the middle. You walk a long section.Check tickets →
- Potami and the Seitani covesThe waterfalls above Potami and the coastal path to the protected coves where monk seals breed — the island's quiet strength.See guided tours →
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Where to stay
The other parts of Samos
- Pythagoreio & the southA yacht harbour with a castle, ruins at the edge of the pavement, the airport ten minutes away — and the two UNESCO sites that make Samos worth a detour.8 attractions · 3 beaches · 5 restaurants & tavernas · 5 where to stay
- Kokkari & the north coastAn old fishing village turned resort, with three pebble beaches and very clear water in a row to the west of it and the chestnut villages of Ampelos above.1 attractions · 4 beaches · 4 restaurants & tavernas · 5 where to stay
- Karlovasi & the westA university town with a tanning-industry past, a river gorge and waterfalls behind its beach, the coastal path to the Seitani coves, and Mount Kerkis above it all.3 attractions · 4 beaches · 3 restaurants & tavernas · 3 where to stay
Before you go
Car hire from local firmsIsland rental companies rather than the international desks — usually cheaper, often with full insurance and no card deposit. On Crete, Kefalonia or Naxos a car is what gets you to the beaches the buses do not reach.Compare local cars →Scooter, ATV & bike hireThe classic island runabout for coves and hilltop villages. Wear the helmet, check what the insurance excludes, and be honest about gravel roads — they are where most rental accidents happen.Find a scooter →Car hire, budgetAn aggregator that tends to surface the lowest headline prices. Read the fuel, insurance and ferry clauses — many contracts do not allow the car on a boat.Compare prices →
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