Ports
Ports
mark the interchange between land-based flows and
water-based flows of goods, people and transportation
vehicles. There are two ancient ports In the Amfilissos
area, and also a modern jetty at Balos that retains some of
the functions of a port.
Ancient Porcelain Port at Balos
Between
the second century BC until the the 15th century, the
ancient port established at the east end of Balos bay was
used for the export of fine Samian pottery made in the
Amfilissos area, and also to export locally produced olive
oil. The export of pottery ceased when the ancient port was
destroyed on the arrival of the Turks in the 15th Century,
resulting in the complete depopulation of
Samos.
Ravine at east end of Balos Bay leading to remains of the
ancient porcelain port, now underwater beyond the spit
Port at
Ormos Koumeikon (Balos)
After the repopulation of the villages in
the area by Samians, from the 16th century until the 19th
century, the main exports from the port at Ormos Koumeikon
were olive oil, onions (from Koumeika), and charcoal. These
were loaded onto boats from the beach at the centre of
Balos Bay (Ormos Komeikon). Duriing the period of the
Hegemony (1870-1913), a Customs Office was established at
Balos, but this ceased to exist when Samos was unified with
Greece in 1913. After this time the port declined and had
collapsed by the middle of the 20th century.
Ancient port near Pefkos
There was an
ancient port at Dritsareika near Pefkos. This was the
Mamara port. This port is no longer in
use.
Modern
Jetty at Balos
Nowadays Balos is a tourist resort with a modern jetty which is used
mainy by tourists and residents of the area to access
their own boats, used for leisure purposes.
Balos
Jetty
