Home At Last

Mykali Bay. You can see Turkey off in the distance.

I'm back in London after my (almost) month of travels and I have to say it's been a pretty sweet summer so far. I went down to the south of France for a few days before catching a plane (or three) to Samos Island, Greece. Samos is pretty much the furthest you can get from mainland Greece before you're in Turkey...I mean, I probably could have swum across it's really that close (have a look at the photo and you'll see what I mean).

Our room at the Sandalis Hotel

If you're ever in Samos and you want somewhere fairly cheap to stay, go to the George Sandalis Hotel in Pythagorio. It's only 30 Euros per night for a double room with en suite bathroom, balcony and little kitchen area (with fridge). It's clean and tidy, and the old couple who run it, Angelo and Maria, are awesome!

For the first few days we went to a little beach to the right of the harbour (where the sun loungers cost 3 euros each), which was nice, if not a little busy. After that, we found Pythagorio Beach, just a 5-10 minute walk back along the main road out of Pyth. It's a much longer stretch of beach, the sun loungers are only 2 euros 50 cents, and the sea is nicer to swim in.

Pythagorio Beach

We also visited a friend of mine who is working as a sailing instructor (among other things) in Mykali Bay, a beautiful beach area, where the sea is a perfect blue and has a sandbank that stretches for what seems like miles (see photo above). There are also kayaks, jet skis and other water activities available to try.

At night time, Pythagorio really comes alive and the many many many bars and restaurants that line the harbour front are always buzzing...I would recommend Zephyrus for their crepes and delicious milkshakes (and free wifi...just ask for the code when you buy a drink), and Thomas Bar for the most comfortable chairs in the world. No joke. They're incredible.

Zephyrus Bar (it was usually busier than this!)

Samos is a great place to just chill out and get some sun. However, if you're the type of person who needs activity then there are loads of daily boat trips to other beaches around the island and plenty of car/moped/quad-bike hire places if you fancy doing a little exploring.

Sadly though, all holidays come to an end...there's always next year!