Once the ferry dropped 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 outright might be a disappointment).
Although not very big, the island will not reveal itself easily and you will certainly need some means to move around.
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.
With your own car
The easiest way to explore the island is by car. Small cars can be good for squeezing on 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's only one gas station (Eko), located on the road that links Kamariotissa 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 open between 7:00 and 20:00 from Monday to Saturday and from 9:00 to 20:00 on Sundays.
With a rented car or scooter
There are rent-a-car centers in Kamariotissa right on the seafront. You'll be able to spot them right away once you disembark.
Rent a Car Samothraki
- Kirkos Rent a Car, Kamariotissa (Dimitris Kirkos): 0030 697 643 5139; 0030 697 437 1122; 0030 255 104 1620
- Christos Matsas, Kamariotissa: 0030 697 292 4253; 0030 697 323 3934; 0030 697 292 3211; 0030 255 104 1220
- Niki Rent a Scooter, Kamariotissa (Giorgios Marmaras): 0030 694 893 192
- Saos Bikes, Kamariotissa: 0030 694 606 5551; 0030 255 109 8280
- Ch. Rentals, Kamariotissa (Cholovai Marianna): 0030 697 669 5591; 0030 255 104 2272
Taking a cab
In Samothraki there are only 4 cabs. Their station is in the port, by the lighthouse.
Taxi Samothraki
- Vrachiolia Evdokia: 0030 697 699 1270; 0030 697 699 1271; 0030 255 10 41 720
- Vasdekis Panagiotis: 0030 697 238 1762; 0030 255 109 5140
- Petropoulos Nikos: 0030 697 288 3501
- Deloudi Sirmo: 0030 698 666 9272
Taking the local buses
During the summer months, the buses run daily 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. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this way to move around more difficult.
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