Kokkari is my favourite village on the Greek island of Samos. I came across this little village by sheer coincidence. When I visited Samos for the first time a few years ago,the one-day island tour which I participated in stopped at Kokkari for half an hour on the way back from Karlovasi to Samos Town. I spent this half an hour walking around the pretty little harbour of Kokkari, now a haven of beachfront small bars, taverns, restaurants and shops. For some reason, I was impressed by that blissful blend of noise and colours on that hot, sunny June afternoon, and this impression of Kokkari has left its imprint in my mind ever since.
In terms of popularity, Kokkari is a rather 'posh' place amongst the resorts on Samos. There are no high rise package holidays hotels or grand resorts here. Most of the accommodations available are either small, family-run hotels or self-catering apartments. Prices are not cheap in Kokkari, but this seaside village has a unique, intimate atmosphere which makes it all the more special.
Most tourists from outside of Europe have never heard of Samos, let along Kokkari. Many of them are simply in transit on Samos, on their way from mainland Turkey to one of the more famous Greek islands in the Cyclades. They stop in Samos Town for a few hours before boarding the ferry to Mykonos or Naxos, by-passing this lush, green island without knowning what they have missed out.
Kokkari is about 20 minutes away by bus along a scenic drive from Samos Town. In addition to the colourful little harbour, Kokkari has some pristine pebble beaches along which one could find some of the best restaurants, bars and beachfront pubs on the whole island.
Although I arrived without prior reservation, thanks to some help from friendly locals, I was able to find a decent room with wonderful views of the Aegean Sea at a small family-run hotel right in the centre of the town. As soon as I opened the French doors and step out onto the balcony, the pristine blue waters of the Aegean open up right before my eyes. I could spend hours sitting on the balcony reading, sipping tea, admiring this picturesque view and contemplating about affairs of the world.
During the day, the beach was full of European holiday-makers sunning themselves on the lounge chairs. As the evening falls, restaurants and bars start doing brisk business.
It was the first week of World Cup 2010 when I revisited Kokkari, and the best way to enjoy this global event is to watch it on a wide-screen TV at one of the local outdoor bars next to the pebble beach, sipping freshly prepared strawberry cocktail while sitting in comfortable lounge chairs. There is no matter way to enjoy the performance of some of the world's best fnational ootball teams.
On a summer night like this, there is nothing more soothing than listening to the chants of football fans from all over the world, accompanied by the sounds of the Aegean gently beating against the shore.
Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
In terms of popularity, Kokkari is a rather 'posh' place amongst the resorts on Samos. There are no high rise package holidays hotels or grand resorts here. Most of the accommodations available are either small, family-run hotels or self-catering apartments. Prices are not cheap in Kokkari, but this seaside village has a unique, intimate atmosphere which makes it all the more special.
Most tourists from outside of Europe have never heard of Samos, let along Kokkari. Many of them are simply in transit on Samos, on their way from mainland Turkey to one of the more famous Greek islands in the Cyclades. They stop in Samos Town for a few hours before boarding the ferry to Mykonos or Naxos, by-passing this lush, green island without knowning what they have missed out.
Kokkari is about 20 minutes away by bus along a scenic drive from Samos Town. In addition to the colourful little harbour, Kokkari has some pristine pebble beaches along which one could find some of the best restaurants, bars and beachfront pubs on the whole island.
Although I arrived without prior reservation, thanks to some help from friendly locals, I was able to find a decent room with wonderful views of the Aegean Sea at a small family-run hotel right in the centre of the town. As soon as I opened the French doors and step out onto the balcony, the pristine blue waters of the Aegean open up right before my eyes. I could spend hours sitting on the balcony reading, sipping tea, admiring this picturesque view and contemplating about affairs of the world.
During the day, the beach was full of European holiday-makers sunning themselves on the lounge chairs. As the evening falls, restaurants and bars start doing brisk business.
It was the first week of World Cup 2010 when I revisited Kokkari, and the best way to enjoy this global event is to watch it on a wide-screen TV at one of the local outdoor bars next to the pebble beach, sipping freshly prepared strawberry cocktail while sitting in comfortable lounge chairs. There is no matter way to enjoy the performance of some of the world's best fnational ootball teams.
On a summer night like this, there is nothing more soothing than listening to the chants of football fans from all over the world, accompanied by the sounds of the Aegean gently beating against the shore.
Copyrights@2010. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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