My First Evening on Samos, Greece

I arrived on Samos today, my 21st Greek island. I spent last night on Mykonos, only because I had to change ferries there coming from Santorini. I visited Mykonos once before, in February purposefully to avoid the crazy crowds. Every Greek island has its appeal it seems, but the real fun of exploring them is experiencing how different and unique each one is. What a relief to leave behind the tourist traps of Santorini and Mykonos (even though they're both gorgeous) and arrive somewhere that feels so much more authentic.

I'm in the port town of Karlovasi, which is a bit scruffy and deserted and I think other villages on the island will be prettier, and probably have more tourists as well. I haven't seen hardly anyone this evening that stood out as being a tourist. Not many people around in general. Two days ago I was in Ia, Santorini struggling to get through the crowds gathering for the sunset and getting turned away from a restaurant that had tables because I just wanted a juice.


The town here is a ghost town by comparison, but very peaceful and still a taste of local life. I found a nice square with a lovely restaurant where I got an amazing dinner of chicken, rice, potatoes, olives, bread and a glass of wine, all for just 12.50 euros, which is around $15.

And the vibe on the Greek islands, it's something unique and beyond description. You just have to experience it. There's this exquisite simplicity to the smaller towns and villages, how things are laid out, the quietness, the cats, cute little shops on cobblestone lanes, the plentiful churches, typical welcoming restaurants with tables arranged carefully outside on a square with trees hovering overhead, in a way that can feel like walking through a movie set.

This feels like the real beginning to my Greek adventure, since the other three islands I've been to so far I'd visited before. A new island, it's going into low season now, I'm off the tourist trail and planning to go to some more new islands after this that should be pretty wild exploring. I might do some beach camping adventures and get even further off the grid, all depending on how the journey unfolds. Apparently there are 6,000 islands in Greece, 227 of which are inhabited. I haven't even seen 10% of them yet, after six visits. Greece is one of those places you could explore for a lifetime and there would still be many stones left unturned.