Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sights
Evpalinos Tunnel
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
(Pythagorio; adult/student €4/2; 8am-8pm Tue-Sun)
Back in 524 BC, when Pythagorio
(then called Samos) was the island's capital and a bustling metropolis of 80,000, securing
sources of drinking water became crucial. To solve the problem, ruler Polycrates put his
dictatorial whims to good use, ordering labourers to dig into a mountainside according to
the exacting plan of his ingenious engineer, Evpalinos; many workers died during this
dangerous dig. The result was the 1034m-long Evpalinos Tunnel. In medieval times loc-
als used it to hide from pirates.
The Evpalinos Tunnel is actually two tunnels: a service tunnel and a lower water con-
duit visible from the walkway. You enter the tunnel via a narrow stair, and it's single file
from there. Not much more than 100m of tunnel is accessible, but it's enough to be im-
pressed by this golden-age engineering feat.
Castle of Lykourgos Logothetis
CASTLE
( 9am-dusk Tue-Sun)
Samians took the lead locally in the 1821 War of Independence,
and this castle, built in 1824 by resistance leader Logothetis, is the major relic of that tur-
bulent time. It's situated on a hill at the southern end of Metamorfosis Sotiros, near the
car park. The
city walls
once extended from here to the Evpalinos Tunnel.
Archaeological Museum of Pythagorio
MUSEUM
( 22730 62813; Polykratous; €4; 8am-8pm Tue-Sun)
This sparkling and recently renov-
ated museum contains well-displayed finds from the 6th-century-BC Ireon, with museum
labels in Greek, English and German.
Moni Panagias Spilianis
MONASTERY
(Monastery of the Virgin of the Grotto; 22730 61361; 9am-8pm)
About 1.5km
northwest of Pythagorio, the road forks right past traces of an ancient theatre, before
reaching this grotto monastery. The walk meanders up through old olive groves and, des-
pite tourist kiosks, is a welcome respite from the summer heat, with clear views to the
Turkish coast.
Activities
Along with swimming and sunbathing, try scuba diving with
Samos Dive Center
(
22730 23006;
