The best things in Samothrace are not the beaches, as on an usual Greek island, but the so called vathres. These are a very special characteristic and an emblem of the island. The vathres are natural rock pools in which flows the water of the waterfalls formed by the numerous rivers which spring from Saos Mountain and find their way to the sea.
There are about one hundred vathres on the island, but the most popular are the ones formed by the Fonias and Tsivdogiannis rivers, near Therma.
Other waterfalls and natural pools are to be found on the rivers Arapis, Platia and Agistros, on the northern side and Xiropotamos, in the south-west of the island.
Waterfall hikes are a "must do" in a Samothraki holiday. Some of them can be very easily reached, after a 20-30 minutes easy walk. Anyway, others require a good training and the adequate equipment. No matter on which vathra you'll go, don't forget to take with you a swimming suit. A bath in the clean cold water of the vathres is an unique refreshing experience.
The most of the trails have their starting point near the village of Therma, so it's a good idea to book a room here if you plan to see many waterfalls and vathras.
Right in Therma there's a sign to the Gria Vathra river. The trail to the first pool is very easy and anyone can do it. For the next vathres you'll need some mountain boots and hiking abilities.
Also on the northern part of the island, at about one kilometer away from the camping, there is the mouth of the Fonias river. Here starts the trail to some of the most beautiful waterfalls. The walk to the first vathra is easy - an about 30 minutes walk in an old plane trees forest. The most beautiful waterfall on the island is on this river. Its name is Kleidosi and its water falls from a 35 meter height.
To the south-west of Samothrace, at the end of Xiropotamos village, there's the beginning of the trail for the waterfalls and vathres of the Xiropotamos river.
I think you remember the first waterfall of Fonias, which is quite impressive, with its height of 15 meters and which forms a deep natural pool (vathra). I hope you'll return to Samothrace soon - it is still a little paradise.