Vathy (Samos Town): The Capital of Samos

Samos Town in the bay of Vathy

Vathy is the capital and largest town of Samos, lying in the only deep bay of the island. The bay of Vathy is 5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide, making it the best-protected natural harbour on the island, and the town has about 9,000 residents. A long promenade runs along the water with shops and many terraces of tavernas and coffee shops, plus a number of sizeable and expensive hotels. The large ferries stop on the eastern side of the boulevard, while colourful wooden Greek fishing boats line the rest of the quay and fish swim in the clear water. On the large square on the boulevard stands the Lion Monument, built in 1930 with four large palm trees around it in memory of freedom fighters from the 19th century.

Ano Vathy, the old town

The old Vathy, Ano Vathy, stands on a hill behind the harbour. The lower town by the port was only built in the 19th century, once the danger of pirate attacks had passed, and factories and warehouses went up as the economy began to flourish; the large Agios Spyridonos Church dates from this time (1908). Ano Vathy has more the feel of a village, with many traditional houses, ancient sources, pleasant squares and old, interesting churches, and it is less touristic. The best of its churches is probably the Agios Ioannis ke Nikolaos Church, with its four domes, which dates from the early 19th century.

The Archaeological Museum of Vathy

The centrepiece of the Archaeological Museum of Vathy is a large marble Kouros, a five-metre-high statue of a naked young man that dates from about the 7th century BC. The museum also displays many objects excavated at the Temple of Hera in Ireon. Several well-preserved wooden finds - a wooden statue of the goddess Hera, a wooden statue of a girl, models of ships and pieces of furniture - are unique because nowhere else were such objects found in such good condition, but these wooden pieces are not on display.

Beaches near Vathy

Vathy is not the place to come for a good beach. The only town beach, Gagou, is small and crowded, and the four small beaches on the edge of town and the beaches just outside are usually busy as well. If good beaches are your priority, you are better off looking elsewhere on Samos.

Visiting Vathy: an honest verdict

Vathy is worth a day trip and works well as a base if you plan to travel a lot by bus, because it has the best bus connections on the island. For lovers of quiet places it stays too large a town, and it offers little romance or cosy atmosphere. On our visit in May 2007 it was still too big for our taste, so we would not recommend a hotel right in the middle of the city. By the 2010 update the town was looking better and had become a bit more cosy: from the main square with the lion statues just behind the harbour promenade runs a narrow parallel shopping street selling everything from vegetables to souvenirs and clothing, with a number of small tavernas and some nice churches to visit. Revisiting Ano Vathy in 2010, we actually found it pretty nice - one man can change his mind.

The Samos Music Café stands in front of the ferry departure point in Vathi and belongs to the Samos Hotel, and it is our stop when we have to wait for a ferry or happen to be in town and hungry. They serve good Illy coffee, and the cappuccino comes with a cold glass of water; a tip is the warm apple pie with ice cream and whipped cream, which is very delicious. There are also various small snacks and sandwiches, including a club sandwich, with nice chairs, nice views and reasonable prices. Our verdict: 8 out of 10.