# Samothraki (Samothrace): The Wild Island of the Great Gods > Samothraki (Samothrace) is a wild, green mountain-island in the NE Aegean, famous for the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, waterfalls, hot springs and Mount Fengari. Guide to Chora, Therma, the beaches and where to stay. | | | |---|---| | Sea | NE Aegean | | Size | 178 km² | | Population | ~2,800 | | Peak | Fengari 1,660 m | **Samothraki, or Samothrace, is a dramatic, green mountain-island in the north-east Aegean, famous in antiquity for the Sanctuary of the Great Gods and today for its wild nature - waterfalls, hot springs and Mount Fengari, the highest peak in the Aegean.** Hard to reach and refreshingly quiet, Samothraki draws walkers, mountaineers and travellers who want lakes, rivers and forest rather than crowds. _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ _Photo: Samothraki (Samothrace), NE Aegean, Greece_ ## The island of the Great Gods Samothraki covers 178 square kilometers and rises straight from the sea, south-east of Thassos and not easily reached, with about 2,800 inhabitants. Its great mountain, Fengari, is the highest in the Aegean at 1,660 metres - the peak from which legend says Poseidon watched the war at Troy - and much of what draws people is the island's wild nature of lakes and waterfalls. The ferries arrive at the port of Kamariotissa on the west coast, a greener and pleasanter town than first impressions suggest, with restaurants, banks, a post office and the bus station; boats run mainly from Alexandroupoli, and less often from Kavala, Thassos and Limnos. ## Chora and the Sanctuary The capital, **Chora**, sits about 5 kilometers east of Kamariotissa, hidden at the foot of a hill and almost invisible from the sea - built that way in the Middle Ages against pirate raids - a maze of narrow cobbled streets below a Genoese fortress that was originally Byzantine, and the most beautiful village on the island. On the north coast at Palaiopoli lies the **Sanctuary of the Great Gods**, set in a spectacular wooded canyon, where the 2.5-metre marble Nike, the "Winged Victory of Samothrace", was found - now in the Louvre, with a copy in the local museum. The site keeps remains from every period, including the Arsinoeion, the largest round building of ancient Greece, and the columned Hieron. ## Therma and the waterfalls The spa village of **Therma**, 13 kilometers north of Kamariotissa in a forest of plane trees, has healing hot springs of varying temperature and is the best base for hiking, with shops, tavernas and accommodation and a pebble beach with a small harbour. Just east are the cold pools and waterfalls of Kyra Vathra, and a 45-minute walk into the Fonias gorge reaches still more beautiful pools and falls. Therma is also a starting point for climbing Mount Fengari, a round trip of about six hours. ## The beaches of Samothraki The best beach is **Pachia Ammos** in the south, about 15 kilometers from Kamariotissa and reached by bus: an 800-metre sandy beach set between two cliffs, with a taverna, a beach bar and sunbeds on one side and a quieter stretch to the north. **Kipos Beach** on the east side, about a kilometer of pebbles reached by bus, is quiet, clear-watered and a destination for naturists. ## Where to stay on Samothraki ### Mariva Bungalows _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ _Photo: Mariva Bungalows, Samothraki_ Mariva Bungalows stand in the north of Samothraki, 1 kilometer from the beach and 4 kilometers from the Fonias River, an ideal base for the island's mountains, rivers and waterfalls. Set among lush vegetation, the arched bungalows have air conditioning, a TV and a balcony, with free parking and free WiFi in reception, and the owners offer activities including yoga, cycling and hiking. [Check availability & book](#) --- Source: [Samothraki (Samothrace), Greece: The Island of the Great Gods](https://fly2greece.net/samothraki.html) — fly2greece.net, an independent guide to Greece written and photographed by Hans Huisman since 2000. Reviewed July 2026.