Samothraki from the sea: sailing, boat trips, kayaking and diving

Samothraki is a mountain in the sea, and much of its coast has no road. Between Pachia Ammos in the south and Kipos at the eastern end of the north coast there is only cliff, forest and a few coves, reached by boat or by long, steep paths. Seeing the island from the water is the easiest way to get there, and the nicest way to spend a day off the beach.

Sailing for a day, or longer

A private yacht gives you the south coast at your own pace: swims in coves no road reaches, Kremastos falling straight into the sea, lunch at anchor.

• SAOS Sailing sails the yacht ILEKTRA with a skipper and a crew member, for up to eight guests, on half-day and full-day private trips, with snorkelling gear on board.
• S/Y Aeolos, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440 built in 2023 with four double cabins, is based at Keramoti marina on the mainland: a way to arrive by sea and spend several days around Samothraki and the North Aegean.
• Armonia, a Dufour 430 built in 2023 and kept on the island, sleeps up to ten in four cabins, for the coast or the neighbouring islands.

Boat trips along the coast

In summer, boat trips leave from the small harbour at Therma, beside the beach, and run along the coast to the places the road never reaches: the cliffs and coves of the south, Vatos, where a river reaches the sea through a small canyon, and Kremastos, the waterfall that drops from the cliff into the sea and can only be seen from the water. Trips usually stop for swims along the way, and some reach Pachia Ammos, the island's long sandy beach.

Kayaking

The south coast is the calmer side in summer, when the wind blows from the north. By kayak you can follow the cliffs, look into the sea caves and land on pebble coves such as Katarti. There are few places to come ashore, so go only on a calm day, stay close to the coast and tell someone where you are going.

Diving and snorkelling

The water around Samothraki is clear, and the mountain carries on below the surface as rock walls and boulders.

• Sub Saos Diving Center is an SSI centre: a first try for beginners, certification courses, and guided dives for certified divers from about 10 to 40 metres.
• H2O Dive & Fun, by the port in Kamariotissa, runs scuba dives, snorkelling trips by boat to stretches of coast you can't reach by road, and treks on the island.

Good to know

• The summer wind is northerly. On a windy day the north coast gets waves and trips may not run, while the south stays calmer.
• Bring water, a hat and sun cream: there is little shade at sea, and nothing to buy in the coves.
• In July and August write ahead to the boats and the diving centres; their places are few.
• From land, the same coast is on our guides to the beaches and the waterfalls.