Samos is a Greek island close enough to the Turkish coast to visit as a day trip by ferry from Kuşadası, landing at Pythagoreion, a UNESCO-listed harbour town named for the island's most famous native, Pythagoras. The appeal is the contrast with the Turkish mainland sites: a Greek island town, a genuine border crossing, and two specific ancient monuments, the Eupalinos Tunnel and the Heraion, that are unlike anything on the Aydın side of the water. It is a shorter crossing than it sounds, but the ferry schedule and passport control add real time on both ends.
| Distance | ~70 km from Aydın city to Kuşadası ferry port; Samos is 20 min by ferry |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1 hour to port + 20 min crossing |
| Getting there | Dolmuş or car to Kuşadası (~1 hr), then Meander Travel or ANES ferry to Vathy/Pythagorion Samos (~20 min crossing). Return same day. |
| Address | Pythagoreion Port, Samos, Greece |
How to get there
- dolmuş to Kuşadası + ferry
- car to Kuşadası + ferry
Location
Pythagoreion Port, Samos, Greece
37.6897, 26.9358 View on map
Highlights
- Pythagoreion - the UNESCO-listed harbour town where the ferry lands, with a small fishing port and waterfront tavernas
- Eupalinos Tunnel - a 6th-century BC aqueduct tunnel dug through a mountain from both ends simultaneously, one of antiquity's notable engineering feats
- Heraion of Samos - the sanctuary of Hera a few kilometres from Pythagoreion, with a single standing column marking one of the largest temples of the ancient Greek world
- Samos Archaeological Museum, Vathy - if time allows the bus or taxi ride to the island's main town, it holds a colossal kouros statue among its finds