Sami is a port town set at the foot of the hills close to the centre of the east coast of
Kefalonia and right next to
Karavomylos. It’s about 35 minutes from the capital
Argostoli and transfer times from Kefalonia airport will be at least 45 minutes and most likely closer to an hour.
Sami is not as popular as the main resorts but some would say that’s a good thing as it means it hasn’t been spoiled by mass tourism and retains some of it’s Greek charm.
There’s not a huge amount of hotels and you definitely wont find any all-inclusive options with huge pools or spa facilities. In fact, you’ll be lucky to find any hotel with a pool in the village itself. Around the town are a few guest houses, apartments to rent and other small family run establishments.
If you want to be close to Sami but still have a hotel with a pool then there are some in the wider area but then you’ll probably want some form of transport to get around. Another option is the campsite between Sami and Karavomylos which has it’s own pool and is right on the beach.
Within the village are most of the facilities you’d need including a handful of supermarkets, cash machines and other shops. There’s car hire outlets and you can hire a boat from the harbour to explore the coast or join a boat trip to get a guided tour of some of the best spots on this part of Kefalonia.
If you'd like to stay in the area then have a look at the Sami page of booking.com
here. Alternatively find a great package holiday through Tui
here.
Nightlife in Sami is relaxed and low key, there’s a large selection of restaurants round the harbour, they have outdoor seating areas right on the waters edge and are decorated with potted flowers making them very attractive and a lovely place to sit and watch all the boats coming and going whilst enjoying your meal and drinks.
There’s no clubs or lively nightlife, Sami is probably best suited to those wanting a quiet relaxing holiday rather than those looking to party.
Karavomilos beach and
Antisamos beach are the nearest to Sami, both are pebbles and just about within walking distance from the town. Antisamos is the more attractive beach with better facilities but Karavomilos is a lot closer. if you want a sandy beach then you’d need to drive to one of the south or west coast beaches.
Sami is one of the major ports on the eastern side of Kefalonia island and because of this it offers a wealth of boat trips including day trips to
Aetos on the neighbouring island of
Ithaka, ferrys to Patra on mainland Greece and even a 14 hour long weekly trip to Brindisi in Italy.
As well as these there are also boat trips that simply take you on a day out around the island itself, these are very popular with tourists and give you a chance to see some of the more remote parts of Kefalonia.
Another plus point to Sami is that it’s in a great location for exploring the island with all but
Lixouri being within an hour and both the
Melissani Lake Caves and
Drogorati caves are just 10 minutes away.