Les meilleurs hôtels à Samos

Samos has been a favorite for centuries. Homer dubbed the island Hydrele, the watery place, for its abundant springs. The ancient mathematician Pythagoras lived here. Aesop and Aristarchos (the first in history to place the sun at the center of our universe) did too. And, according to Plutarch, Anthony and Cleopatra came to Samos, "giving themselves over to the feasting." Today tourists swarm to the Island of the Blessed. Its largest cities - Samos Town on the northeast coast, Karlovassi on the northwest coast, and Pythagorio on the southeast coast - and its nearly-tropical terrain are packed during peak season (July and August). Still, Samos draws an older and more sedate crowd than the Cyclades and Dodecanese and the island is large enough to let you escape the droves. Samos deserves its popularity. The island drowns in wildflowers - pink oleander, purple sage and red poppy - and possesses significant ancient ruins and gorgeous mountain villages. Karlovassi makes an excellent base for exploring the mountains and beaches of western Samos. Pythagorio, built by the tyrant Polycrates (540 BC-522 BC), contains remnants of what Herodotus described as "three of the greatest building and engineering feats in the Greek world," including an ancient subterranean aqueduct and, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Sanctuary of Hera, marked by a single standing column.