Kokkari

Kokkari sits on a small peninsula on the north coast of Samos, its houses climbing to the top of a hill with a small harbour on one side and a pebble beach on the other, against green mountains. It was built in the early 19th century, on the ruins of an older village, as the harbour of the inland village of Mytilinii, and its name, small onion, is said to recall the onions once widely grown here. Fishing, which once employed most of the villagers, now plays only a small part: tourism, which arrived in the early 1990s, is the main source of income, and the village is known for its seafront promenade, its pebble beaches and its good winds for windsurfing. It has kept its traditional look, with small houses and lanes full of flowers, and near the fishing harbour stands its landmark, a large boulder called Cavos.

Background

Kokkari is a village on the Greek island of Samos, not far from the island capital, Samos. Once a fishing harbour, it has grown into a tourist centre while keeping its traditional character, with small houses and lanes full of flowers. The village covers a small peninsula and climbs to the top of a hill; a small harbour lies on one side of it and a pebble beach on the other, and green mountains surround it, with views out to sea. Roads and paths link it with nearby villages such as Platanakia, Valeodates and Staurinides, hiking trails run all around the island, and close by are hidden pebble beaches such as Tsamadou, which takes its name from the national hero Anastasios Tsamados, Tsambou and Lemonakia.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kokkari"

Highlights

• The two shores - the small harbour on one side of the peninsula, the pebble beach on the other.
• The old village - small houses and lanes full of flowers.
• The windsurfing - the winds here suit it well.
• The beaches - Lemonakia about 1.5 km west, Tsamadou about 3 km and Tsambou a little further.

When to go

May to September. One day.

What to expect

The beaches here are pebble, not sand, and tourism is now the village's main business, with hotels, apartments, restaurants, cafés, shops and car and scooter hire.

Nearby

Vourliotes is about 4 km to the west, and the villages of Platanakia, Valeodates and Staurinides are linked to Kokkari by roads and paths.

Key facts