Resorts
Over the past 20 years, Balos has developed from a
fishermen’s settlement, with boats hauled up on the beaches
and small cottages and sheds used for storing fishing
tackle into a small resort. The settlement of Balos still
comprises only one road giving access along the beach, and
now developing into a simple promenade, making a T-junction
with the recently-widened access road which snakes down
from the main Karlovasis-Pyrgos road and around the edge of
Koumeika, narrowing again only at the entrance to Balos.
The access road to Balos has been substantially improved
over the past decade. The series of tight hairpin bends up
the cliff above Balos has been replaced by a smoothly
graded detour route so that driving to and from Balos is no
longer a difficult and scary experience for tourists in
hire cars.
Balos now has a small hotel, a few apartments to let. Some
are based on converted fishermen’s cottages, some are newly
built. A few are now offered to let by UK tour operators.
Package tourists, mainly from Northern Europe, come to stay
in hotels and rented apartments, usually for 1 or 2 weeks.
This has resulted in an increase in hotels, apartments and
restaurants and bars in Balos, and also in Pefkos. A new
development comprising 8 ecologically innovative houses is
currently being built at the edge of the village, but
further building development at Balos is now very strictly
controlled and regulated in order to maintain the character
and balance of the area.
Balos T-junction: with a restaurant, two apartment blocks
(one is disused) and converted fishermen's
stores
Balos has four restaurants, all depending for the majority
of their trade on foreign tourists. Day visitors come from
the towns of Samos to enjoy the beach and the pleasant
ambiance of the restaurants along the informal promenade
.All the restaurants open seasonally: from the time the
first charter flight arrives at Samos Aiorport at the
beinning of May until the last leaves at the end of
September.
There is also a bar, coverted form a fisherman’s store,
established in 2007 by local summer residents, which has
become very popular as a meeting place and chill-out venue
by young people form the towns , at weekends, and after
work on weekdays, (it can be reached in 15 minutes by
motorcycle from Karlovasi),
The second ancient port in the Amfilissos Area, Pefko,
situated across the bay from Balos, has not been
redeveloped as a resort, although it has potential, despite
having a much smaller beach front than Balos.
Balos beach viewed from Pefkos Beach
Pefkos’ itself is shingly and undeveloped, but there is a
well-patronised restaurant terraced up the cliff at its
east end. Its customers are Samians and those tourists who
are prepared to travel the winding access roads to Pefkos
via the Amfilissos villages of Koumeika and Skoureika.
