Getting around Samothraki

Once the ferry drops its anchor in the port of Kamariotissa a wonderful holiday of exploration and discovery lies ahead of you. Samothraki is not very well suited for people planing on sitting all day long at the beach (in fact it might outright be a disappointment).

Although not very big, the island will not reveal itself easily and you will certainly need some means to move around.

With your own car

The easiest way to explore the island is by car. Small cars are cheaper to put on the ferry and best for squeezing through the often too narrow village streets. On the other hand there are plenty of dirt roads where anything less than a capable SUV simply won't do.

There are two main roads leading out of the port town of Kamariotissa:

• there's a road heading east, covering the whole northern shore (Paleopoli, Kato Kariotes, Therma) having the beach of Kipos as an endpoint;
• another road heads south, crossing the south-west side of the island, passing through Lakkoma and ending near the sandy beach of Pachia Ammos.

From these two roads, secondary roads lead to all the main villages and towns of the island.

The southeastern area, bordered by the beaches of Pachia Ammos and Kipos, has no roads and thus is uninhabited and inaccessible. The only way to explore it is by boat or by hiking on long and wild mountain paths.

With few exceptions, the roads are in reasonable shape. On rare ocasions, following heavy rains, the rivers swell and break bridges or damage roads. When this happens, unfortunately repairs may take a long time due to the limited resources available to the municipality.

There's only one gas station (Eko) in Samothraki, 800 meters away from Kamariotissa on the road to Chora. Usually, prices are higher than on the mainland, but there might be exceptions (a few years ago the opposite was true because of tax breaks and Government subsidies). In the same location there is a self-service carwash. During the summer, the gas station is usually open between 7:00 and 20:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 9:00 to 20:00 on Sundays.

I recommend that no matter where you go by car you drive slowly. The goats of Samothraki are everywhere and it's fairly probable to share the road with them. Besides goats, tortoises, cats, hedgehogs, stone martens and other critters might cross your path. Additionally in the north, near the two campings in Therma, a lot of people walk on the road as there are no sidewalks. As a result, accidents are a possibility, especially during the night.

Rent a car Samothraki

There are rent-a-car centers in Kamariotissa right on the seafront. You'll be able to spot them right away once you disembark. Prices are generally higher than in other touristic destinations in Greece.

Samothraki Rent a car:

• Niki Rent a car (before the post office): 0030 694 893 192, 0030 255 111 0443
• Kirkos Rent a car (across the ferry terminal): samothrakirentcar@gmail.com, 0030 697 643 5139; 0030 697 437 1122; 0030 255 104 1620
• Rabbit Rent a car (after the post office and Taverna Limanaki/Charanas): 0030 694 077 3437; 0030 255 104 1769

Rent scooter Samothraki

The same rent-a-car companies in Kamariotissa also have scooters for rent.

Samothraki Rent a scooter:

• Kirkos Rent a car (Dimitris Kirkos): samothrakirentcar@gmail.com, 0030 697 643 5139; 0030 697 437 1122; 0030 255 104 1620
• Niki Rent a car (Giorgios Marmaras): 0030 694 893 192, 0030 255 111 0443

Samothraki Rent a bike

If you haven't brought your bike along, you can rent one at Camping Varades, near Therma. In 2023, the price is 8 € / day.

Starting from 2023, you can find bicycles for rent at Taverna O Psaras. Also there, there's a service centre for bicycles.

Samothraki taxi

In Samothraki there are only 4 taxis. Their station is in the port, by the lighthouse.

Taxi Samothraki:

• Evdokia Vrachiolia: 0030 697 699 1270; 0030 697 699 1271; 0030 255 10 41 720
• Panagiotis Vasdekis: 0030 697 238 1762; 0030 255 109 5140
• Nikos Petropoulos: 0030 697 288 3501
• Sirmo Deloudi: 0030 698 666 9272

Local buses

During the summer months, the buses run daily (check out the bus schedule) to and from Chora (the capital), to the east (to Therma and the camping) and to the south (towards Lakkoma and Profitis Ilias).

The bus station in Kamariotissa is near the parking lot in the port (go left once you disembark).

Hitchhiking

In Samothraki hitchhiking is often used, especially by the camping residents and sometimes by the locals. It's also a great way to socialize and make new friends.