Pythagorion Holidays

You can’t travel more than a mile in Greece without stumbling on an ancient site, and Pythagorion’s no exception. It’s stacked up on the foundations of the ancient city of Samos, and you can still see leftover relics today. There’s a theatre that dates back to the Roman period, plus the well-preserved Monastery of Panagia Spiliani. One of the oldest underground passageways in the world – the Tunnel of Eupalinos – is nearby, and you can reach the UNESCO-ranked remains of a Greek temple in 10 minutes’ drive.

The modern feather in Pythagorion’s cap is its charming, muffin-shaped marina. Sailing and fishing boats bump together along the water’s edge, and there’s a string of bars, tavernas and coffee shops where you can order an al fresco dinner and drinks. Look past the bobbing masts beside the cobbled promenade, and you’ll see a statue of the town’s namesake – the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras – on a wharf poking into the harbour.

Stick a pin in the history and culture, and you’ll free up some time to sample Samos’ beaches. They’re the sort of sweeps that would usually grab the spotlight, but here they hover under the archaeology-crammed radar. Potokaki Beach, just around the corner from Pythagorion, has earned its Blue Flag stripes. You can hop on a boat to reach one of the other contenders, Psili Ammos – it only takes half an hour, and you’ll spy the Turkish coastline across the Mycale Strait.