Samos is an island of the northeast Aegean Sea and a destination off the beaten track, due to the long distance from Piraeus. However, it is a beautiful island, with lash landscape, many forests and vegetation that reaches the sea. This harmonic puzzle of pictures fascinates the visitor of the island: mountain and sea, picturesque mountainous villages and traditional seaside settlements. The contrast is unique: on one side pine and thyme and on the other the saltiness of the sea. Samos was the birthplace of philosopher and adept Pythagoras and philosopher Epicurus, Aristarchus, the founder of the heliocentric theory and also hosted Herodotus and Aesop during some periods of their life.
Samos has been an important city and a cultural center since the ancient years, with philosophical schools and temples - the temple of Hera is one of the biggest temples of the ancient world.
The island was rapidly developed during the period of the tyrant Polycrates, around 550 b.C., who fortified the city with the famous “Polykrateia Walls”, parts of which are still maintained above the city of Pythagorio. During the period of the tyranny there was also constructed the famous “Tunnel of Eupalinos”, one of the biggest technical works of antiquity. It is a water supply system located on the mountain of the Panagia Spiliani, consisted of an 853 meters long tunnel, high and wide enough for one person to comfortably cross it, at a depth of 80 m. below the surface.  A very interesting fact is that the proceedings of the drilling began simultaneously by two teams of carvers from the north and the south side of the mountain and met in the middle of the path with very little deviation. After the death of Polycrates instability occurred and the island went under the control of the Persians. The Samians defeated the Persians in the sea battle of Mycale in 479 b.C. and Samos became a part of the Athenian Constitution. The prosperity of Samos however "annoyed" the hegemonic power of Athens which attacked and destroyed the island. During the Peloponnesian War, around 430-404 b.C., the island was transformed into an Athenian center of naval campaigns.
During the Hellenistic period and afterwards, during the Byzantine and Frankish periods, the island declined as its inhabitants abandoned it because of the frequent pirate attacks. So the Turks invaded the deserted island and colonized it in 1550.
Samos war reorganized after the granting of privileges to Christians who settled on the island. Despite its short distance from Turkey Samos was one of the first Greek regions to participate in the 1821 Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire. After the liberation of Greece, Samos did not become a part of the new Greek state, but became independent from the Turks and became autonomous. During the Second World War, in 1941, the island was occupied by Italian forces. The Samians resisted heroically against the Axis Powers and Samos became one of the first Greek islands that regained its freedom, but only temporarily, from September until November of 1943. From that November and until the liberation of Greece the island went back under German occupation.
The most dynamic type of cultivation on the island is the vine. Since the ancient years the island is exporting wine and oil. The most famous Samian product in the foreign markets is undoubtedly the local wine, a special variety with a strong taste, clear color and distinctive flavor. “Golden Samena” has won many foreign wine awards and the Samian wine is used as raw material for the production of many French wines. Beekeeping is another main occupation of the inhabitants. The Samian honey is rich in flavor and aroma as bees - producers of the honey - are feed with pine, thyme and flowers that abound on the island.