Manolates Village Samos
We find the picturesque Manolates village in the northwest direction of Samos about twenty kilometers from Vathy on the road that leads to Karlovasi where at a crossroads it will be necessary to follow the road signs and after about six kilometers uphill with several bends, you will have arrived .
A typical mountain village 380 meters above sea level at the foot of Mount Ambelos a second major mountain range of Samos with a peak reaching 1153 metres. The path to reach the village offers spectacular views of the Aegean Sea in 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 these cute little birds.
He owes his name to a man called Manolis who at the end of the 17th century decided to come and live right here in the mountains with his family. In 1851 during the period of hegemony Manolates was part of the Exi Geitones (in Greek it means 6 districts) together with the of Agios Konstantinos, Stavrinides, Ampelos, Valeontades villages (today abandoned) and Margarites (also abandoned). In 1912 when Samos finally returned under the Hellenic state, it became an independent municipality. Today there are about two hundred inhabitants mainly engaged in viticulture and agriculture.
A pretty village with narrow alleys, traditional stone houses, marble springs, small squares with typical taverns, sleepy cafés where you can take a break and perhaps chat with the locals who will have fantastic stories to tell or while enjoying a superb portokalopita, a particular orange. And again, ceramic shops where you can find a unique souvenir as well as local product shops to test the precious wine nectar. You should know that Samos is well known for its excellent white Muscat vines called by the locals Moscoudi and very similar to Muscat Blanc à petits graind which, thanks to the highly draining soils, a perfect microclimate and the sea breeze, allows the grapes to ripen slowly gradually developing an aroma with a high sugar content.
Just four hundred meters outside Manolates, there is the Zoodochos Pigi Monastery, a stop to be included among the things to do and see in Samos since you are in the area. On Mount Rabaidoni in the Prassos cape it is located just opposite the ancient cities of Mikali and Ephesus on the Turkish coast. Founded in 1756 by the monk Dorotheus, its architecture follows the classic typology of quadrilateral monasteries with two storey wings. In 1782 it was enlarged with the Catholic one and according to local tradition, the four pillars of the main church where the dome rests were transferred from an ancient temple in Miletus. Inside are preserved a richly decorated gilded wooden iconostasis from 1802 and made by Giorgio Tantalus as well as a carved bishop's throne facing east and two supports for icons, one of which depicts Zoodochos Pigi (1793) and the other the Great Prayer ( 1819). Curious church doors formed by small wooden blocks that symbolize the 365 days of the year. Once a monastery for men, it has been converted into a convent of nuns where four nuns now live who are dedicated to the art of hagiography. But that's not all, the beauty of this convent is amplified by its location, in the midst of thick 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 the islands around Samos. The whole region is also ideal for those who love hiking and trekking through beautiful paths that will engulf you in thick vegetation and views that will leave you speechless
Those who are more inclined to the sea, not far away you can reach some beautiful beaches such as Kokkari beach, Kampos beach or Karlovasi beach.
In short, any desire will be satisfied whether it is land or water, an opportunity not to be missed during your holiday in Samos visiting this multifaceted part of the island.