What to do in Samothraki

10 things to do in Samothraki

Although Samothraki is not your typical Greek island, it offers various activities and experiences. Here are 10 things to help you discover what makes this place special. Some (...)

The church of Agia Paraskevi by the sea

There are only a few big churches in Samothraki. Chapels and small churches dot the island, even in the most remote places. Two of these are dedicated to Saint Paraskevi (Agia (...)

The Folk Museum of Chora

To truly understand a place, you must learn its history, customs and traditions, namely the foundation of what it is today. A first step towards learning more about what is (...)

The Archaeological Museum of Samothraki

The Archaeological Museum of Samothraki is in Palaiopoli, right next to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. The small building was erected by the American School of Classical (...)

The Gateluzzi stronghold of Chora

At one end of Chora, in the northeastern part, the ruins of the medieval citadel dominate the settlement from a 250 meters peak. History The citadel is built on an area of (...)

People and villages

The central and southeastern part of the island is occupied by Mount Saos, thus the settlements are concentrated mostly in the north and in the west, the most of them being in the (...)

Where the island ends: Akrotiri Cape and Agios Andreas Lagoon

If you find yourself in Kamariotissa and you go on the seaside towards west (on the left side as you watch the sea), at about 1.8 km away, you'll arrive first at the lagoon named (...)

Boat trips in Samothraki

The roads in Samothraki don't cover the whole island. Some places, particularly those in the south, are only accessible by hiking on challenging and little-known mountain paths. An (...)

Mount Saos of Samothraki

It is often said that Samothraki is not an island, but a mountain soaring from the middle of the sea. The name of the mountain is Saos. You can see it from afar, from the ferry, with its (...)

The Winged Victory of Samothraki

The most famous symbol of the island is no doubt the statue of the winged goddess Nike (Victory), exhibited today at the Louvre Museum. Her reputation reached all the corners (...)

The Sanctuary of the Great Gods

The island of Samothrace was very famous in the ancient times for one of the few sanctuaries of the Greek world where initiation ceremonies took place. The mystery cult (...)

Panagia Krimniotissa, the church on the rock

Legend says that there are 999 chapels and churches scattered about the island. Panagia Krimniotissa (or Kremniotissa) is probably the most beautiful of them all, and seeing (...)

The ruins of the Monastery of Christ near Therma

Although the sign says "The Holy Monastery of Christ", the actual monastery doesn't exist anymore. Only its ruins remain in a very beautiful natural setting, somewhere to the (...)

Kamariotissa - Welcome to Samothraki!

Located in the northwestern part of the island, in a large bay protected by Akrotiri cape, Kamariotissa (Kamargiotsa in the local dialect) is the town you step into when you (...)

The waterfalls and vathres of Samothraki

While for many places in Greece, the main draw is the beaches, in Samothraki, the vathres and waterfalls are what many people come for. The vathres, a trademark of the island, are (...)

Hiking up the Fonias river

Fonias is the most famous and the most important river in Samothrace. It starts its journey from the steep heights of Mount Saos and flows into the Thracian Sea somewhere east (...)

The church of Chora and the five neo-martyrs

The Church of the Assumption of Mary is the most important on the island. It's easy to spot, thanks to the church bell that towers above the red roofs of the traditional houses in the (...)

Chora, the perched capital of Samothraki

The capital of the island is called Chora (though on some maps or signs, you may find it even under the name of Samothraki). Among other things, the word chora also means the (...)

Panagia Kamariotissa, the protector of the island

The church of Kamariotissa is right by the harbor, on one of the streets behind the seafront. It's dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (like the church of Chora) and is (...)

Therma - between the mountain and the sea

Therma is located in the north of the island of Samothraki, about 14 km east of Kamariotissa. It is a small village with about 70 inhabitants, though, during the season, the (...)

Tracing the footsteps of St. Paul in Samothraki

Samothraki was the first land where St. Paul set foot when he began his second missionary journey - the one in Europe from around 50 AD. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he (...)