We find the picturesque Manolates village in the northwest direction of Samos about twentykilometers from Vathy on the road that leads to Karlovasi where at acrossroads it will be necessary to follow the road signs and afterabout six kilometers uphill with several bends, you will have arrived.

A typical mountain village380 meters above sea level at the foot of Mount Ambelos a secondmajor mountain range of Samos with a peak reaching 1153 metres. Thepath to reach the village offers spectacular views of the Aegean Seain a dense and verdant vegetation made of forests with tall trees.Arriving by the winding road from Agios Konstantinos you cross the Nightingales Valley so called due to the large number of thesecute little birds.

He owes his name to aman called Manolis who at the end of the 17th century decided to comeand live right here in the mountains with his family. In 1851 duringthe period of hegemony Manolates was part of the Exi Geitones (inGreek it means 6 districts) together with the  of AgiosKonstantinos, Stavrinides, Ampelos, Valeontades villages (today abandoned) andMargarites (also abandoned). In 1912 when Samos finally returnedunder the Hellenic state, it became an independent municipality.Today there are about two hundred inhabitants mainly engaged inviticulture and agriculture.

A pretty village withnarrow alleys, traditional stone houses, marble springs, smallsquares with typical taverns, sleepy cafés where you can take abreak and perhaps chat with the locals who will have fantasticstories to tell or while enjoying a superb portokalopita, aparticular orange. And again, ceramic shops where you can find aunique souvenir as well as local product shops to test the preciouswine nectar. You should know that Samos is well known for itsexcellent white Muscat vines called by the locals Moscoudi and verysimilar to Muscat Blanc à petits graind which, thanks to the highlydraining soils, a perfect microclimate and the sea breeze, allows thegrapes to ripen slowly gradually developing an aroma with a highsugar content.

Just four hundredmeters outside Manolates, there is the Zoodochos Pigi Monastery, astop to be included among the things to do and see in Samos since youare in the area. On Mount Rabaidoni in the Prassos cape it is locatedjust opposite the ancient cities of Mikali and Ephesus on the Turkishcoast. Founded in 1756 by the monk Dorotheus, its architecturefollows the classic typology of quadrilateral monasteries withtwo storey wings. In 1782 it was enlarged with the Catholic one andaccording to local tradition, the four pillars of the main churchwhere the dome rests were transferred from an ancient temple inMiletus. Inside are preserved a richly decorated gilded woodeniconostasis from 1802 and made by Giorgio Tantalus as well as acarved bishop’s throne facing east and two supports for icons, one ofwhich depicts Zoodochos Pigi (1793) and the other the Great Prayer (1819). Curious church doors formed by small wooden blocks thatsymbolize the 365 days of the year. Once a monastery for men, it hasbeen converted into a convent of nuns where four nuns now live whoare dedicated to the art of hagiography. But that’s not all, thebeauty of this convent is amplified by its location, in the midst ofthick trees that hide it and create an almost magical atmosphere.

Given the altitude of the Manolates village, the panorama that can be admired is stupendous,the eye gets lost between the Turkish coasts, the Aegean and theislands around Samos. The whole region is also ideal for those wholove hiking and trekking through beautiful paths that will engulf youin thick vegetation and views that will leave you speechless

Those who are moreinclined to the sea, not far away you can reach some beautifulbeaches such as Kokkari beach, Kampos beach or Karlovasi beach.

In short, any desirewill be satisfied whether it is land or water, an opportunity not tobe missed during your holiday in Samos visiting this multifacetedpart of the island.