Waterfalls and rock pools of Samothraki
Rivers run down from Mount Saos all year, and on their way to the sea they fall over granite into deep, cold pools the islanders call vathres. The best known, Fonias and Gria Vathra, are on the north coast near Therma, and their first pools are an easy 15 to 30 minutes’ walk from the road. Further up, the gorges are steep and rocky, and canyoning guides take people down them with ropes.
Near Therma
Both start from the road a short drive from Therma, where there are tavernas, rooms and the hot springs.
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The island’s most famous walk. A marked path leaves the road by the Fonias bridge and tower, east of Therma, and follows the river under plane trees to the first waterfall and its pool in 15 to 30 minutes, easy enough for families. Beyond it the path climbs, steep and rocky, to more falls and pools.
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The closest pools to Therma: from the road above the village, the first pool is about 15 minutes’ walk on a shaded path; the higher pools take another 20 to 30 minutes on steeper ground.
Elsewhere on the island
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On the south-west side, near the village of Xiropotamos: shaded paths along the stream to small waterfalls and the ruins of old water mills, with Kafeneio O Xiropotamos nearby.
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The one waterfall you see from the sea: it drops off the cliffs of the south coast straight into the water. Boat trips reach it in summer.
With a guide
Beyond the first pools the gorges need ropes and experience, and they change after rain. These island businesses take people up the gorges and down the waterfalls.
Good to know
Can I swim in natural pools year-round?
The water in the vathres comes down from Mount Saos and stays cold all year, even in August, which is why it feels so good on a hot day. Summer, June to September, is the time for swimming in them. In spring the waterfalls are at their fullest but the water is very cold, and after heavy rain the gorges can flood and are best avoided. In winter only seasoned cold-water swimmers go in. More in the waterfalls and rock pools.
