By Nicolas Bard

At a distance of 22 kilometers from Vathi, Samos, perched on the lush slopes of Mount Karvouni or Ambelos, one of the most beautiful and picturesque settlements on the island. And the reason of course for the Manolates (or Manolates), which stand out for both their architecture and the seamless view of the sea and the Asia Minor coast.

According to tradition, the name of the village comes from the Manola family, considered one of the first to live in the area in the late 18th century.

Wandering the village you will see many houses with tiled roofs, built amphitheatrically, paved narrow, blooming courtyards, traditional fountains and beautiful churches. The village has maintained its color and identity over the years, and despite the tourist development it has known lately, it remains beautiful and authentic. Austerity and unpretentious Greek beauty is pervasive throughout the landscape, and moves on the first look.

In the middle of the 19th century, where Samos was hegemony (1834-1912), an autonomous state under the dominance of the High Gate, the Manolates, along with the settlements of Agios Konstantinos, Stavrinidis, Ambelos, Valeodes and Margarites, were the “six” community. After 1912 and the union of Samos with the free Greek state, the village became an independent community. Today there are fewer than 100 permanent residents, including many foreigners who fell in love with the place and decided to spend the rest of their lives there. Most residents in the area are involved in tourism, ceramic art and of course viticulture, from which the famous Samian wine comes from.

The road from the coast leads to the Manolates and to the organized parking lot at the entrance of the village, where visitors leave their car to continue from there on the narrow picturesque cobbled streets, reminiscent of a scene of another era. Ground floor and two -storey houses in vibrant colors, typical examples of local architecture, paved squares literally “drowned” in green and flowers, as well as traditional cafes and taverns compose a fairytale and highly picturesque scenery.

The narrow streets go uphill to the tallest neighborhoods of the settlement, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of the sea and the Asia Minor coasts, which are clear. In the central square you will also see the impressive covered marble fountain, as well as the church of the Zoodochos Pigi, which celebrates the Friday of the Intercellular and every year a large festival is set up in the surrounding Straits. Still, near the church of Zoodochos Pigi, you will find a restored traditional residence that operates today as a Folklore Museum. There you will have the opportunity to see what it was the daily life of the villagers in the old days.

The painter – conservator of antiquities and works of art Nikitas Kyparissis, rescued and highlighted the house, with love and respect for his history. This kind of houses were usually developed on two levels. The upper floor and the ground floor on the ground floor, which usually housed storage, farming of the family, laboratories and / or shops such as cafes, grocery stores, barbers and more.

Unlike many neighboring villages that were “extinguished” from the map, the Manolates remain alive and traditionally insist on an ever -growing tourist country, which sometimes “sacrifices” beauty for the sake of mass tourism. The journey to the Manolates is a true journey through time, and if you find yourself on the island it is worth a visit to this mountainous, picturesque island settlement, with colorful houses and pottery workshops.