Flourishing forested mountains, sweet home wine, holy antique sites and almost humid beaches all combine to make Samos a greatly alluring isle getaway. Since it’s the busy ferryboat hub of the eastern Aegean isles and the jumping-off point for the close by Turkish coastal resort of KuÅŸadası, though, visitors all too often just pass through without variety the delights of what is, actually, one of Greece’s very best isles. Hiking the interior brings one into undulating mountains aromatic of pine, wildflowers and jasmine, sprinkled by welcoming traditional villages. Samos’ long and curving shoreline is crowned by cliff-top cathedrals offering dramatic views of covert coves where temperate turquoise waters softly lap.