Samothrace Island
 
Samothrace Island

General information

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To Thrace region

The island of Samothraki is also part of the prefecture of Evros. It has a surface area of 178 square kilometres. The capital of the island is the town of Samothraki (Hora), the islands main port is Kamariotissa. From the harbour at Alexandroupolis, visitors can board the ferry for Samothraki. Hora is 5km east of the harbour, built among hills providing protection from the winds and the pirate raids that were a common feature in times gone by. The main capital of Samothrace is charming with its meandering lanes and houses tiered on the hillsides.

The ruined fortress on the summit of the hill gives excellent views over the area. Hora has a Folklore Museum, in a restored house next to the church. The village, is of particular architectural interest, and declared a protected traditional community in 1978. The island was an important religious centre in the Mediterranean due to the Sanctuary of the Great Gods. . The port of Kamariotissa has hotels, restaurants, fish tavernas, cafés, and nightclubs and makes an ideal base from which to explore the island.