Latest Reviews for Kokkari

Stayed at this hotel for ten nights at the beginning of the high season - lovely little hotel right in the heart of a pretty resort. Rooms all have separate entrances from the outside and are clean and comfortable. There is a pleasant pool at the back of the hotel with a pool snack bar which serves drinks etc from 10am until 6pm. The owners were extremely friendly and helpful and all spoke excellent English and German (as well as their native Greek). Most people in the hotel were Germans or Dutch who had come with tour operators, but there were a few British and Americans who had either booked completely independently or through independent operators such as Greek Sun.

Our room had the optional extras of: air conditioning, safety deposit box and fridge, all of which we decided to have. When the temperature reached 40 degrees centigrade we were glad we did. Our balcony was large and overlooked the pleasant gardens. The hotel is on the beach road and so is very convenient for Kokkari beach and the shops and tavernas. We walked to Limonaki beach most days, which was very pictoresque and a little more sheltered. All of the beaches in the area have pebbles, which are lovely as long as you wear 'swim-shoes' which can be bought in resort.

We did two excursions: one to Ephesus and the other to Patmos, both of which I would highly recommend. On another day we hired a car from Rhenia Tours (a very efficient agency which has offices all over the island including at Kokkari). We went to see the amazing Efpalinos Tunnel, the Temple of Hera and then drove 'over the top' of the island, noticing where fires had damaged the beautiful green trees, then back to the north side of the island where we visited some hill villages and enjoyed the serenity of the Nightingale Valley.

We would highly recommend the resort and the hotel

Recently arrived back from spending a enjoyable, relaxing, and very hot two weeks at the Arion Hotel in Kokkari.

The Arion is a very well maintained family hotel, set in beautiful landscaped gardens and boasting tremendous views of Kokkari town and the bay. We booked the Arion independently on the internet through Travel Republic, who offered a very competitive rate. We had visited the Hotel's own website first and were very impressed with the description and photographs. When we arrived there we weren't disappointed - this hotel certainly lives up to its 4 Star rating. Our room was of a high standard, kept spotlessly clean and had effective air conditioning. The rest of the facilities at the Hotel were all equally good - as was the food in the form of a varied hot and cold buffet. The management and staff are very friendly and helpful and do all they can to make your stay a pleasant one.
The other guests at the hotel were nearly all families or couples. And with a good mix of nationalities, the place had a relaxed cosmopolitan feel.

The hotel runs a frequent courtesy bus service to Kokkari and the local beaches during the daytime but not in the evenings. The walk into town (and to the nearest beach) takes about 10 minutes - which we didn't find to difficult but might not suit anyone who is infirm or unfit, as it involves quite a few steps. There's always a taxi of course which I don't think costs more than a few euros.

Kokkari is a really delightful resort, full of Greek character but with plenty of restaurants and bars - a real picture postcard setting. In the evening the harbour is all lit up by the many bars and restaurants overlooking it. Having spent week one of our holiday travelling round most of the Island, in my view Kokkari is easily the most attractive resort (and that's not to detract from the other places we visited which were all nice).

Finally, having holidayed on a dozen Greek Islands over the years, I put Samos right up there amongst the best of them. It is very mountainous and surprisingly lush (baring in mind that we hardly saw a cloud in two weeks), providing a great scenic backdrop. In my view the Samos people are also the friendliest I've met in Greece. I highly recommend, Hotel Arion, Kokkari resort, and this island - especially to families and couples who want an authentic taste of Greece.

We stayed at the Hotel Lambros and were delighted with the accommodation.

We asked for a high floor and got one, which pleased us as the ground floor apartments aren't particularly private as a path runs directly in front of them and the owners and other holidaymakers are constantly walking by.
The rooms themselves are large and are kept exceptionally clean by the very very hardworking maid. Clean towels and sheets every day and the rooms cleaned six days a week.
The breakfast is taken on a lovely garden terrace and is continental style, consisting of a selection of hams, cheeses, jams and honey with bread, cereal, coffee, tea and orange juice available. Sophia, the owner, also supplements this with boiled eggs one day, sausages the next etc.
The rooms all have air conditioning and a fridge - available at extra cost; there are small TVs in every room, a telephone and even a small hairdryer is provided.
Nothing is too much trouble for Sophia and her husband. They are friendly, professional, Sophia speeks fluent greek and english and makes a note of your name and remembers it for the entire
holiday.

Kokkari itself is an unspoilt GREEK village. Turn right when leaving the Hotel Lambros and walk up the small, quiet main coastal road and there are many tavernas and small cafe bars to choose from (Mythos Gardens is particularly good for their wide range of lovely food but expensive and Meltemi Taverna is good but very busy).
Walk further toward the end of the road and you come to the older part of the village, consisting of small cobbled alleyways filled with shops and greek houses. It is utterly charming. This in turn leads to the large harbour area, which at night comes to life. It is lined, from one end to the other, with restaurants and stylish cafe bars with comfortable cane chairs - all of which overlook the sea, which laps directly in front of you. A lovely setting.
When getting to the harbour area, walk over the little mini bridge, past the cafe bars to a restaurant called Kokoros. They have a big sign with a cockerel on it above your head as you get closer. The food is superb and the service excellent. Their menu is very very extensive, with generous portions, incredibly well cooked food and fast, efficient service.

Kokkari village beach is just over the narrow road from the Hotel Lambros, although we would recommend turning left when leaving the hotel and walking down the road a little (only 2 minutes) to the Shore Bar. Walk down the side of the Shore Bar and there you will find the most comfortable sunbeds in the whole of Greece AND the cheapest ! 3 euros for two sunbeds with mattresses, a large umbrella, a table, an ashtray and a large jug of iced water and two glasses which is brought out to you, without fail, by one of the Shore Bar staff as soon as they see you sit down. Fabulous. Kokkari beach consists of large flat white pebbles and a lovely crystal clear sea. It is very windy, but this was a boon to us, as we stayed there during the greek heatwave when temperatures reached 43 degrees! There are other beaches nearby which are sandier and more sheltered, but we stuck to Kokkari's mile long beach as it was so uncrowded (particularly at the Shore Bar end).

Fabulous island - a rather exciting landing at the airport, which the pilot actually warns you about and an incredibly exciting take off, when the pilot revs the engines to full as the runway is so short. Probably not so exciting if you are not keen on flying though?

Only one complaint - Thomson use Excel Airlines and they are awful. The seats have to be the most cramped we have ever been in - and we have been going to Greece with different airlines for 17 years. The service and food are fine, but the film on the way back was faulty and the screen was rolling and no-one seemed bothered to do anything. I would definitely opt for extra leg room though, if I knew I was travelling with Excel. Oh and one more thing, if you dont have much room on the plane, please have some manners and DON'T recline your seat, it really does make the journey for the passenger behind you all the more uncomfortable..... (why the hell they have reclining seats on this airline is beyond me anyway). That's the only complaint.

Hotel Lambros and Kokkari itself is fabulous. Clean, welcoming, charming, just enough to do. We would recommend it to anyone.

Overall an excellent holiday.

A really nice GREEK resort.Not loud or brash,just plenty of local tavernas serving really good food and a handfull of bars around the village full of chilled out tourists and very friendly locals. This is not a place for the party crowd, or beach gods. Most people here spend thier days out walking around this scenic island then enjoying thier meal in a relaxed setting.

The Hotel Venus lives up to its high (small and friendly) rating. The rooms ARE small but very clean and the staff are very friedly. The pool is clean and there are plenty of sunbeds, the snack bar is good and you don't get ripped off for the drinks and food. The only note of warning is book a balcony room, as none balcony room are in the attic and are said to be very, very, very small! P.S If you get chance, make sure to take at least one meal at the BASCILICA at the far end of the harbour/waterfront, GREAT food.

Just returned from a week staying at this little gem of a hotel which is extremely well kept and spotlessly clean everywhere.
The hotel has stunning views overlooking the sea and Kokkari village.
Pool is a nice size,again very clean. Ample sunbeds and despite the hotel having lots of German guests, we were pleasantly surprised that nobody reserved sunbeds during our stay, which made it so much more relaxing to know that you didn't have to get up at 5am just to try and get a sunbed. (Maybe we were just lucky!)
Staff here are all fantastic and so friendly, treating you like a member of their own family. In fact the whole island has some of the friendliest people we have ever met.
Hotel Food was good with plenty of choice for breakfast and set menu in the evening with a choice of main dish and help your self salad bar.
Bar prices are very reasonable.

Rooms are a good size with everything you needed and a free safety box. We had a sea view room which I think is worth it but there isn't a badly postitioned room if you didn't book sea view.
Kokkari is a 15 min walk away downhill. Hotel has shuttle bus until 5pm which goes on the hour dropping you at 2 beaches first before going into town. It's a nice walk up or down but taxis are available at 3 euros if not feeling energetic.
Kokkari is a beautiful picturesque village,with plenty of tavernas to choose from all based mainly around the harbour seafront. Not a Mc D's or English pub in sight,It's all still, very Greek and local unspoilt.

The Hotel gets many repeat guests and I can see why.You won't be disapointed.
Looking forward to going back.

We stayed at the Tsamadou hotel (pronounced samadoo)in Kokkari for our honeymoon and have to say having been travelling to the smaller greek islands for a number of years we could not have chosen a better hotel or resort. Kokkari is a beautiful resort and full of charactor and charm with a great harbour lined by taverna`s.

The beach is mainly of pebbles but we prefered it to a sandy beach and the water is crystal clear. The hotel only opened in may 2006 after a winter of refurbishment it is situated right on the beach and only a few mins walk to the town centre and harbour, the hotel is furnished to a high standard and is spotlessly clean.

The english owners Ian and Tina made us feel like part of the family from the moment we got there nothing was to much trouble and made our honeymoon very special. We stayed on a bed and breakfast basis for a very good rate. I must give a mention to Ian`s cooking who is a trained chef and the food is top notch especially the thai dishes and at very good prices. We ate in the hotel for 4 nights and most dinner times out of the 7 nights we stayed there.

We enjoyed it so much that we have booked to return in 7 weeks time with 4 of our family.

Just like to echo what has already been said about Amore Beach - excellent, Costas and Debbie put a lot of effort into the place and it really shows. A few guests we met were on their second and third visit - always a good sign. It is positioned well back from the road in a quiet location on the western edge of the town, opposite the windsurfing centre. A short 10 mins walk and you are in the town centre.

Kokkari itself is a charming old fishing town that still retains much of its character. Thanks to a bypass road, there is very little traffic through the town (not that much traffic on Samos anyway!) and it is very pleasant to walk around. It's also a great place to go if you are into mountain biking or windsurfing. There are plenty of trails to explore up in the mountains behind Kokkari, ranging from fast dirt roads to twisty, technical, rocky tracks. Get a good map (and GPS/compass) as finding your way back could get tricky! The area is quite lush with vegetation and thankfully there are wooded areas to escape the midday sun. There is a strong and constant cross-shore breeze at Kokkari making it excellent for windsurfing in the afternoon. For sun bathers, the beach at Lemonakia (just a 10 min walk west of the town) is sheltered - just enough breeze to keep you cool - perfect.

The food is very good here, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from and we did not have a bad meal at any we tried. Our favourites were:

Manolis - in the town square. The kebabs (Souvlaki) are the best we tasted. More of a kebab shop with tables outside than a restaurant, but don't let that put you off. Judging by the number of locals that were getting take outs, it must be the most popular place in town. They grow their own potatoes to make chips, what more could you ask for!

Marina - opposite the windsurfing centre on the far west edge of town - A particularly nice beef casserole (Stifado Kelfiko) was enjoyed here. Also a bit cheaper than the restaurants around the harbour.
Girasol Italian - on the beach - Okay, I know it's not Greek, but if you fancy a change from the Greek menu - the pizza here was very good. Also popular with the windsurfing centre staff.
Meltimi - on the beach - had a good lunch here one day.

Nightlife is relaxed here and revolves around going out for a meal and sitting in a quiet bar afterwards enjoying a drink - mainly couples and a few families, no big groups of lads or lasses. Prices are around 3.50 euro for a large beer 5 euro for a cocktail, local wine is cheaper. Draught beer tends to be Heineken, Amstel or Erdinger - although one bar on the harbour managed to produce a can of Boddingtons. Our favourite bar was 'Cafe del Mar', situated right on the beach.

Some links:

Windsurfing and MTB Centre:
http://www fun-system com

Some of our photos (1 MB):
http://www shorrock net/kokkari/index htm

We have just returned from this superb little hotel, which is a small jewel in Samos. We have travelled most Greek islands over this last 30 years and this has got to be the best yet, Costas and Debby are a great team and make you very welcome.The hotel is spotlessly clean with lots of hot water,each room having its own balcony or patio.We liked the breakfast arrangement of collecting a tray from reception and then being able to have breakfast on your own patio or in the garden adjacent to the hotel ,or in bed if you wished! The Amore beach is in an excellent location just 700yds from the town.

Kokkari is without doubt one of the nicest resorts we have ever stayed at in Greece.It is three seperate bays one with bars and tavernas backing onto a pebbly beach,an old harbour where fisherman still mend their nets and a larger harbour full of tavernas and a tiny village square.All the tavernas we ate at were first class.

All in all a wonderful holiday on a beautiful island.