Fourni, Greece: The Fishing Island, Its Beaches and Villages
Fourni is a quiet fishing island in an archipelago of twelve small islands in the North Aegean, between Ikaria, Patmos and Samos. The main island holds about 2,000 inhabitants and keeps its life in the harbour village of Fourni. Most people live from fishing, farming and a little tourism, so the island stays calm, with small churches, good tavernas and many small coves reached on foot or by boat. It suits travellers who want peace, fresh fish and grilled lobster rather than crowds.
- Region
- North Aegean
- Islands
- 12, three inhabited
- Main village
- Fourni (~2,000)
- Getting there
- Ferry via Samos
The island of Fourni
Fourni, also written Fournoi, is the name both of an archipelago of twelve small islands and of its main island, set in the North Aegean between Ikaria, Patmos and Samos. Three of the islands are inhabited: Fourni itself, the neighbour islet of Thymena, and the smaller eastern island of Agios Minas. The main island carries about 2,000 people, almost all in the harbour village of Fourni, with a second, smaller village called Chryssomilia in the north. Most residents live from fishing, agriculture or farming, and only part of them work in tourism. The island stays quiet and has little traffic, so it suits walkers and travellers who want calm. There is no car rental on Fourni and only one taxi, though you can hire a motorbike; more people own a fishing boat than a car, and a few kilometres outside Fourni Town the asphalt road gives way to footpaths.
History and the pirates
Fourni was once called Korseon and served as a base for pirates, who used its many hidden coves and sheltered bays. The same broken, indented coastline that sheltered the pirates now gives the island its string of small beaches. The uninhabited islands of the archipelago are set aside as a scenic area for wildlife and for nesting seabirds such as the Aegean seagull, the Aigaioglaros. The pirate heritage, the ancient remains above the beaches and the island's small churches and monastery are gathered in the Fourni sights guide.
Getting to Fourni
Fourni has no airport, so most visitors reach it by ferry from Samos. A ferry from Samos Ships runs five times a week, leaving the Samos capital of Vathi and sailing the route Vathi – Karlovassi – Ikaria – Thymena – Fourni, a trip of a little under four hours; GA Ferries also links the island several times a week on a more direct run. The easiest plan is to fly to Samos and cross by ferry, which also lets you combine a few days on Samos with a few on Fourni; you can instead fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus, though that trip is much longer. Ferry schedules change with the season and vary from year to year, so always check before you travel. There is no car rental on the island, but its short distances make it easy to explore on foot or by the water taxis and small boats from the harbour.
Beaches of Fourni
Fourni keeps many small beaches and coves, and several are reached only on foot or by boat. The town beach at Fourni is sandy with some pebbles and split in two by a small pier, while Kambi, about 20 minutes to the south-west, has two beaches below its windmills. Psili Ammos and a quiet church beach lie a short walk on the other side of the port, and remote coves such as Vitsila serve as naturist beaches. The named beaches of Vlychada, Vitsilia, Petrokopio, Elidaki and Bali, and the ancient Acropolis above the beach at Elidaki, are all set out in the Fourni beaches guide.
Sights of Fourni
The main sights of Fourni grow out of its history and its landscape rather than its buildings. Above the beach at Elidaki stand the columns and walls of an ancient acropolis, painted churches line the footpath towards Chryssomilia, the windmills mark the bays of Kambi, and the neighbour islet of Thymena keeps the monastery of Agios Ioannis. The pirate past under the old name of Korseon and the protected wildlife islets round out the picture. These are described in the Fourni sights guide.
Villages of Fourni
Fourni keeps its people in a few small villages: the harbour village of Fourni, the northern village of Chryssomilia, and the single village on the neighbour islet of Thymena. Fourni Town is the main village and the arrival point for every visitor, Chryssomilia clings to the mountain in the north, and Thymena lies across a narrow strait reached by water taxi.
Fourni Town
Fourni Town is the main village of the island and the beginning and end of most visits, an attractive harbour town of restaurants and tavernas around the port and along the main street. The village is built more up the mountain than along the coast, and it holds a sandy beach in the middle divided in two by a small pier, shaded by tamarind trees whose trunks are painted white. Two piers take the ferries: the smaller Samos Ships boat stops in the middle by the beaches, and the larger GA Ferries boat docks at the pier on the edge of town, while a water taxi in the harbour crosses to Thymena in minutes. The main street runs up to the square by the big church and holds ticket offices, a bakery, a butcher, a greengrocer, a pharmacy, a cash machine, three supermarkets, a hairdresser and several cafes.
Chryssomilia
Chryssomilia is the second village of Fourni, in the north of the island, and it holds the only other settlement with a real population. The village lies glued against the mountain above the sea, reached by a footpath over the hills that takes about two and a half to three hours from Fourni Town, or more easily by boat. The small boat Samos Sun runs to Chryssomilia and on to Thymena when it is in service. The walk climbs past two churches and then drops to a run of quiet beaches near the small settlement of Bali.
Thymena
Thymena, also written Thimena, is the inhabited neighbour islet of Fourni, the second largest island in the archipelago, with only about 140 people in its single village. The name comes from the wild thyme that grows on the island, though it is fairly barren and dry, greener Fourni actually carrying more thyme. A monastery stands on a hill next to the village, and a small hamlet with a beach sits just beyond it, with a second small beach and a white church down a path on the north-east side. Thymena stays very quiet and sees few tourists; you reach it by the ferry from Samos or by the water taxi and small boats from Fourni.
Where to stay
Accommodation on Fourni is small in scale and concentrates in and around Fourni Town. The island has no large hotels and no swimming pool, so most stays are small guesthouses, studios and apartments, along with a couple of family-run hotels such as the Archipelagos on the harbour and Bilios Resort on the hillside above the village. In August the island is usually fully booked, because it is popular with Greek visitors. Compare the options in the Fourni hotels & villas guide.
Where to eat
Fourni serves its best food around the harbour and main street of Fourni Town. Because most residents keep a fishing boat, fresh fish and lobster often cost a fraction of the price on other Greek islands, and grilled lobster is the speciality of the island, alongside oven-baked dishes and traditional Greek cooking served with fresh bread. The town's tavernas and cafes are set out in the Fourni restaurants guide.
The Fourni guides
Four guides cover the island in detail. Pick a theme below.
