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The island lies
about 50 kilometres south of Alexandroupolis on the mainland.
It's next to Thasos,
Lemnos und Gökcenda (Turkey). Samothrace
has an area of 180 square kilometres and a population of
about 2500. That's pretty good at least when you don't like
it crowded.
Samothrace is beautiful. It has plenty of forest and is quite
mountainous. Mt. Fengari with its 1611 meters altitude offers
a magnificent view. Getting up there is quite a hike but it
well worth's it. Hiking is a popular thing to do on
Samothrace. The best time is spring. There are quite a few
rare birds on the island so don't forget to bring your
binoculars. With a bit of luck you'll see herons, pelicans
and hawks.
Be careful in summer and bring plenty of water. The heat can
be intolerable.
Although Samothrace has many "fans" that
come there for 20 and more years, tourism itself is a rather
recent development. The island still is laid back though.
Most of the hotels you'll find in Kamariotissa (port) and
Therma. Basic rooms you can also rent in the local capital
Chora. It is considered the most beautiful settlement on the
island and indeed quite picturesque.
There are two campsites
in Therma.
There is hardly any nightlife on the island but a number of
really good restaurants.
From the port you can get to Chora and Therma by bus.
Getting to Samothrace: There is a ferry to Alexandroupolis pretty
much every day. The boat to Kavala is even more frequent.
Depending on the season there are one or two boats a day.
There is no airport on Samothrace.
There is not much sight-seeing on the island. Not to be
missed however is the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. In the
ancient world Samothrace would have been well known for the
"Mysteries", a chthonic cult we know very little about.
Initiates weren't allowed to reveal what happened there and
most of them kept the secret. The most famous of these
secretive cults would have been the Eleusinian Mysteries but
Samothrace was as important.
The sanctuary these days is more famous for a sculpture that
was found there: The Winged Victory of Samothrace. This Nike
today is in the Louvre in Paris, a copy of the 2.5 metres
high statue is on display in the local museum next to the
sanctuary. This Nike is considered one of the most impressive
pieces from the Hellenistic period.
Other places to visit would be the ruins of an old fort and
the monastery at Alonia. There are loads of small churches
and chapels on the island, wildlife was already mentioned.
Should you are planning to go on a longer hike you will be
pleased to hear that there are quite a few waterfalls on the
island. Samothrace remains one of my favourite islands.
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