5 Best Sights in The Northern Aegean Islands, Greece

Samian sculptures from past millennia were considered among the best in Greece, and examples here show why. The newest wing holds the impressive kouros from Heraion, a colossal statue of a male youth, built as an offering to the goddess Hera and the largest freestanding sculpture surviving from ancient Greece, dating from 580 BC. The work of a Samian artist, this statue was made of the typical Samian gray-and-white-band marble. Pieces of the kouros were discovered in various peculiar locations: its thigh was being used as part of a Hellenistic house wall, and its left forearm was being used as a step for a Roman cistern. The statue is so large (16½ feet tall) that the gallery had to be rebuilt specifically to house it. The museum's older section has a collection of pottery and cast-bronze griffin heads (the symbol of Samos). An exceptional collection of tributary gifts from ancient cities far and wide, including bronzes and ivory miniatures, affirms the importance of the shrine to Hera.

In the quaint 17th-century settlement just above the port, wood-and-plaster houses with pastel facades and red-tile roofs are clustered together, their balconies protruding over narrow cobbled paths. From here you can savor a beautiful view of the gulf.

Calm, turquoise waters wash onto this beach of sand and pebbles that is shaded by pine trees. Time here provides a quiet escape from the beaches near the more populated centers, and getting here involves riding into a pleasurable final stretch through some of the loveliest forested parts in eastern Samos. Tavernas on the beach dish out light summer salads, fresh seafood, and heartier magirefta (cooked dish) of the day, like pastitsio (a rich pasta bake). Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

One of the island's more popular beaches is pristine and sandy, protected from the wind by cliffs. There are two tavernas here, and the beach can get extremely busy during high season. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise; swimming.

Samos is famous for its (internationally awarded) wines, particularly its delectable vin doux liqueur and other sweet wines such as Nectar and Anthemis, and more recently its dry whites such as Phyllas, made with organic muscat grapes. All wines produced on Samos are by law made by the Union of Vinicultural Cooperatives, who created this museum on the winery's grounds in tribute to the island's wine-making past and present, and it's the best place to dive into the island's wine culture. Start by looking at the photo exhibition of local wine-making over the last century and proceed to see the large and small tools used in production, as well as early-20th-century casks, and finally the French oak barrels used today. Then proceed to the main hall to indulge in a wine tasting of the union's wines, which are also sold at the museum shop.