53 Best Sights in The Northern Aegean Islands, Greece

A 15th-century palace of the Genoese, who ruled Chios until the Turks drove them out in 1566, is one of the most venerable landmarks on the island, with a loggia and external staircase. Inside are some glorious Byzantine murals of the prophets from the 13th century, as well as icons and sculptures.

The early Samians worshipped the goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, believing she was born here beneath a bush near the stream Imbrassos. Several temples were built on the site in her honor, the earliest dating back to the 8th century BC. Polycrates rebuilt the To Hraio, or Temple of Hera, around 540 BC, making it four times larger than the Parthenon and the largest Greek temple ever conceived, with two rows of columns (155 in all). The temple was damaged by fire in 525 BC and never completed, owing to Polycrates's untimely death. In the intervening years, masons recycled the stones to create other buildings, including a basilica (foundations remain at the site) to the Virgin Mary. Today you can only imagine the To Hraio's massive glory; of its forest of columns only one remains standing, slightly askew and only half its original height, amid acres of marble remnants in marshy ground thick with poppies.

At the ancient celebrations to honor Hera, the faithful approached from the sea along the Sacred Road, which is still visible at the site's northeast corner. Nearby are replicas of a 6th-century BC sculpture depicting an aristocratic family; its chiseled signature reads "Genelaos made me." The kouros from Heraion was found here, and is now in the Archaeological Museum in Samos Town. Hours may be shortened in winter.

This popular and often-crowded beach fronts a shallow bay, and its golden brown sands and warm waters make it a good spot for young families. Many tavernas and hotels geared to package tours line the overbuilt shoreline, and in summer there's transportation to and from town. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming.

At the eastern corner of Pythagorio lie the crumbling ruins of the Kastro, probably built on top of the ruins of the Acropolis. Revolutionary hero Lykourgou Logotheti built this 19th-century edifice; his statue is next door, in the courtyard of the church built to honor the victory. He held back the Turks on Transfiguration Day, and a sign on the church announces in Greek: "Christ saved Samos 6 August 1824." On some nights the villagers light votive candles in the church cemetery, a moving sight with the ghostly silhouette of the fortress and the moonlit sea in the background. Nearby are some fragments of the wall that the ruler Polycrates built in the 6th century BC.

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.

The second floor above the impressive Korais Library, Greece's third largest, houses artifacts celebrating life on Chios. Meticulously designed costumes, embroideries, pastoral wood carvings, furniture from a village home, and rare books and prints are the legacy of Philip Argenti (1891–1974), a Renaissance man who studied at Oxford, was a diplomat and scholar, and for many years chronicled island history from his estate in the Kambos District.

Some of the best beaches on the island are in the vicinity, including Limia, with calm, turquoise waters. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunset; swimming.

This stunning 16th-century complex outside of Molyvos houses 40 chapels and an impressive collection of precious objects. Founded by St. Ignatios Agalianos on the ruins of an older Byzantine monastery, Leimonos earned its name from the "flowering meadow of souls" surrounding it. The intimate St. Ignatios church is filled with colorful frescoes and is patrolled by peacocks. A folk-art museum with historic and religious works is accompanied by a treasury of 450 Byzantine manuscripts. Women are not allowed inside the main church.

Discover how trees in the nearby Petrified Forest became so in this museum whose exhibits are scrupulously labeled and clearly laid out. There are also unique fossils of animals like the Deinotherium, an early ancestor of the elephant, and vegetation preserved on volcanic rock that resembles delicate Zen art.

Enter this spacious cave and descend 95 steps to the tiny church of Panagia Spiliani (Virgin of the Grotto). Half-church, half-cavern, this most unique landmark is also called Kaliarmenissa ("for good travels"), as it houses an antique icon of the Virgin Mary that, according to legend, was stolen from Samos, carried to a far-off land, and fell from a boat and broke into pieces, all of which washed ashore on Samos. A pool in the grotto, once the sanctuary of a Roman cult, is considered to contain miracle-working water.

This walled compound in the village center was founded in the 12th century to house an icon of the Virgin Mary, believed to be the work of St. Luke, and it remains a popular place of pilgrimage. Built into the foundation are shops whose revenues support the church, as they have through the ages. The church museum has a little Bible from AD 500, with legible, elegant calligraphy.

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.

Moria's Roman aqueduct dates back to the 2nd century, and the 17 arches that remain demonstrate how magnificent the structure was in its heyday. Constructed from gray Lesviot marble, the aqueduct stretched 26 km (16 miles) from Olympos mountain at Tsingos to Mytilini. It was in Lesvos that Julius Caesar first made his mark. Sent to Bythinia to drum up a fleet, he hung around so long at King Nicodemus's court that he was rumored to be having an affair with the king, but he finally distinguished himself by saving a soldier's life.

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.

The 4-km-long (2½-mile-long) town beach at Skala Eresou is a wide stretch of dark sand lined with tamarisk trees. A small island is within swimming distance, and northerly winds lure windsurfers along with the swimmers and sunbathers. There are many rooms to rent within walking distance of the beach, and in the section that skirts the town, many appealing bars and cafés front the sands. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

The black icon of Archangel Michael is in the 17th-century monastery dedicated to the island's patron saint, Taxiarchis Michail. The gruesome legend has it that the icon was carved by a monk who used mud and the blood of his comrades, slain in an Ottoman attack, to darken it. Believers used to make a wish and press a coin to the archangel's forehead; if it stuck, the wish would be granted. Owing to wear and tear on the icon, the practice is now forbidden.

The home of Stratis Eleftheriadis, better known by his French name, Teriade, houses a luminous collection of French art, much of which appeared in his highly influential Paris publications Minotaure and Verve. Among the works on display are lithographs done for the publisher/collector/critic by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Rouault, Giacometti, and Miró. The house is set among the olive trees of Varia and is also home to the Museum of Theophilos.

Sitting amid olive groves this museum houses a large number of the eponymous artist's "naive," precise neo-Hellenic works, detailing the everyday life of local folk such as fishermen and farmers, and polytheical fantasies of another age. Theophilos lived in poverty but painted airplanes and cities he had never seen. He painted in bakeries for bread, and in cafés for ouzo, and walked around in ancient dress. For a time, he lived inside a tree that can be seen in the hamlet of Karini.

Considered by Herodotus as the world's Eighth Wonder, this famed underground aqueduct was completed in 524 BC with archaic tools and without measuring instruments. The ruler Polycrates, not a man who liked to leave himself vulnerable, ordered the construction of the tunnel to ensure that Samos's water supply could never be cut off during an attack. Efpalinos of Megara, a hydraulics engineer, set perhaps 1,000 slaves into two teams, one digging on each side of Mt. Kastri. Fifteen years later, they met in the middle with just a tiny difference in the elevation between the two halves. The tunnel is about 3,340 feet long, and it remained in use as an aqueduct for almost 1,000 years. More than a mile of (long-gone) ceramic water pipe once filled the space, which was later used as a hiding place during pirate raids. Today the tunnel is exclusively a tourist attraction, and though some spaces are tight and slippery, you can walk part of the length—also a wonderful way to enjoy natural coolness on swelteringly hot days. Though the tunnel has been closed for necessary engineering work, a partial opening is set for 2018. At some point, with ongoing work, it will be possible to traverse the tunnel in its entirety. On a hillside above the tunnel entrance are the scant remains of a Greek and Roman theater, and a wooden platform over the shell is occasionally used for performances.