Samos for Youngsters: Potami valley and waterfalls

Something to be found on the island of Samos for those who are young and like adventure?
Of course, take a ride with a moutain bike up to Ambelos mountains! Or, if you like wind and water, go for surfing near Kokkari or on Kedros beach on the north coast. Or explore the inner beauty of Samos on dusty roads with a jeep. Or visit the caves with special guided tours.

One other thing, where you can take your parents along and leave them behind after a while for sure: the Potami valley and Potami waterfalls west of Karlóvasi!

First you will pass by an ancient byzantine chapel and then you walk along the brook in a shady forest inside the valley, cross several times the water on small bridges or pieces of wood. Then you will end up in front of a small basin. And from there on you need to wade and swim in the cool water through a gorge to see the first Potami waterfall. No other way to see it!
Send your parents up the wooden stairs leading to a plateau with a taverna!

It takes some courage to follow the brook upstream or downstream and climp up or down the three waterfalls. At two waterfalls, the second and third, you will find a rope that makes this a lot easier. And of course, after the second waterfall, it takes time to walk in the bed of the Potami brook and cross quite a few cascades until you will arrive at the third waterfall!

As far as I remember, there are only two places, where you need to swim for a couple of meters, because the water is deep. Most of the time you just wade in the water. Take care of the many rocks! Maybe it is a good idea to bring some water resistant sandals along for better walking in the bed of the brook.

Here are some photos of the Potami valley and the waterfalls. The canyons look different, depending on the time of day you go there. Best time is around noon, when the sun shines down straight and you get the best light there.
Of course, depth of brook, water temperature and amount of water coming down the waterfalls will vary with the seasons!
If the water in the brook is turbid already down in the valley before the first waterfall, you know that for sure you can expect many many tourist climbing the cascades of the Potami brook!
(click on the photos to see larger size image!)

Kako Perato Canyon & Cave

In the mountains of Samos there are a lot of caves. Already Pythagoras is said to have taken advantage of one cave to seek for shelter when he had some arguments with the tyrann Polykratis quite a long time ago.

Of these many caves, one - with a small chapel inside - is located in the Kako Perato canyon (bad passage canyon) west of Karlovasi and Kosmadei. This canyon starts near a small monastery called "Panaghias Kakopérato" and leads down to the remote Megálo Seitáni beach.

The footpath leading to this cave is really adventureous. It starts somewhere below this small monastery that reigns over the beginning of the canyon. Following that footpath you proceed into the canyon on the southern side. But instead of going down, first you need to climb up a hill on this footpath.


Then, like riding on a rollercoaster, you pass a blue door arch with a cross on top of it at the highest point, from there you go down steeply and then for a couple of hundred meters along the western flank of Kako Perato canyon.


Those who suffer from vertigo will have a hard time on this part of the path. But the path is safe, there are blue railings that protect you from falling down into the frightening abyss of the canyon on the right hand side of the path.
Once you arrive at the entrance of the cave, it is time to relax. Turn around and enjoy the beautiful view over the canyon.


A spectacular view is awaiting you - through an opening in the wall - from within the cave across the canyon to this triangular shaped rock on the other side. You could even imagine the face of a person petriefied in this rock (or is that a photoshop artefact?).