Before picking Samothraki as your summer destination you should consider what you want from your trip. In Samothraki, you won't find the endless sandy beaches with shallow water that might pop into your mind when thinking about Greece. If that's your idea for a vacation then you're better off going somewhere else. On the island, there's only one beach accessible by car that has (rough) sand. Most beaches are covered with stones and pebbles. Only a few are organized and provide sunbeds, umbrellas and a beach bar.
The beaches of Samothraki have a special understated beauty. They are wild and untamed. Some are under the shade of the plane trees, others are guarded by imposing rocks. The water might be emerald green or deep blue, but always clean and clear. Some are only accessible by boat, others by hiking through rough mountains on hidden trails. The landscape is completed by the omnipresent silhouette of Saos in the background.
Tip: Bring your aqua shoes! Without them, you'll find it hard to enjoy most of the beaches and you might step on a sea urchin.
Beaches in the south of Samothraki
The most beautiful sandy beaches in Samothraki are in the south of the island in small coves hidden by the abrupt cliffs of the mountain. You can explore them if you're willing to hike on unmarked trails (sometimes dangerous) or by taking a boat trip in season. After the famous beach of Pachia Ammos, two small coves shelter the beaches of Angalouda and Karkani, then there's the inaccessible Katarti, the hidden Vatos and the less-known Aggelada, Giali and Vourlia to the southeast.
Pachia Ammos, the most popular beach in Samothraki
Out of all the beaches of Samothraki, Pachia Ammos is definitely the most famous. It's very popular among the visitors of the island because it's the only sandy beach (...)
Vatos, the hidden beach of Samothraki
Vatos Beach isn't one of Samothraki's easy-to-reach beaches. Quite the contrary! It's in an inaccessible area of the island, beyond the mountains and far from any roads. Vatos is in the (...)
Beaches in the north
Except for a few rocky areas, almost all of the northern coast of Samothraki is a narrow stretch of pebbly or stony beach. After the beach in Kamariotissa, you quickly get to Limnidi (where up until a few years ago there was a beach bar), then to the Katsambas area (in front of the Kymata Guesthouse), then Paleopoli, Alevantza, Vasilikos (where there's a tavern on the shore), Kato Kariotes, the organized beach of Therma (with two beach bars), the stretch of beach in front of the two campgrounds, the beach of Hotel Archondissa, Fonias Beach, the beach by the church of Agia Paraskevi, the beaches where the rivers Agkistros and Lagkadiotis flow into the sea and finally to the long black beach of Kipos that marks the end of the northern coastal road.
The untamed landscape of Kipos Beach
Kipos Beach ("the garden"), also known as Kipi Beach ("the gardens") is one of the most beautiful beaches of Samothraki. It has a rare beauty, different from the typical poster image of Greek beaches. Similar to Pachia Ammos, Kipos is at the end of the perimetral road - the other end. From Kamariotissa take the road towards Therma and 28 (...)
Therma Beach and Saoki Beach Bar
Therma Beach is located in the north of the island, 13 kilometers away (about 15 minutes by car) from Kamariotissa and 700 meters from Therma village (the home of the (...)
Fonias Beach and the medieval tower
Fonias Beach is located at the mouth of the most important river in Samothraki. It's on the northern side of the island, 18 kilometers away from Kamariotissa (about 20 minutes (...)
The beach in the Katsambas area
In the Katsambas area, 5 kilometers away from the port of Kamariotissa, before getting to Paleopoli, there's a narrow stretch of pebbles and stones similar to all the northern (...)
In the village of Paleopoli, on the northern shore of the island, 6-7 kilometers away from Kamariotissa, there's a long stretch of unorganized pebbly beach. It's not one of the most (...)
Beaches in the southwest
Similar to the north, the southwest is also an almost uninterrupted stretch of stony beach. The beaches of the villages Makrilies and Lakkoma are slightly more popular with tourists (there's also an organized section in front of the Samothraki Beach Hotel). The next beach is Stroggilos in the Kitada area, with an imposing rock sticking out of the sea and the remote beach in Makrygialos Cove (which also has a few spectacular rocks).
The beaches of Makrylies-Lakkoma
The beaches belonging to the villages of Makrylies and Lakkoma are located in the southwest of the island, 8 kilometers away (10 minutes by car) from Kamariotissa and about halfway to Pachia Ammos. They're relatively narrow, covered in pebbles and sporadically with sand and offer a fantastic view towards the islands of Gokceada, Limnos (...)
