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With its running streams, giant plane trees and namesake hot springs, LOUTRA (aka THERMA ), 6km east of Paleopoli, is a pleasant place to stay, although less so when it's packed in late July and August, mainly with an incongruous mixture of foreign hippies and elderly Greeks, here to take the sulphurous waters. You have a Hobson's choice of three facilities: the sterile, junta-era main baths (in theory, daily 8am-1pm & 5-7pm; often closed out of season; ?1.50), the psarovathres or "fish ponds" - a trio of pleasantly rustic open-air pools with a wooden sun-shade, and a ramshackle hut with a very hot pool (keys from the warden of the main baths). These last two are free with no fixed opening hours, and they're reached by a dirt road starting above and to the right as you face the "improved" spa. For a cold-water but far more appealing contrast, the low waterfalls and rock pools of Gria Vathra are signposted 1.5km up the paved side road leading east from the main Therma access drive. Loutra is also the prime base for the tough, six-hour climb up the 1611-metre Mount Fengari (known to the ancients as Saos , a name found on some maps to this day), the highest peak in the Aegean islands; the path starts at the top of the village, beside a concrete water tank and a huge open-boled plane tree. Tell your accommodation proprietors that you're going, but no one else, as the police may try to stop you - army teams have been summoned on occasion to rescue ill-prepared climbers on what can be an unforgiving mountain. Fengari is Greek for "moon" and, according to legend, if you reach the top on the night of a full moon your wish will come true - most of those foolhardy enough to attempt this will just hope to get back down safely. Loutra is a rather dispersed place, with its winding dead-end streets, all ghostly quiet in winter, and its white-elephant miniharbour - built as an alternative to Kamariotissa, but never used. Accommodation includes the Kaviros Hotel (tel 05510/98 277; ?43-58), just east of the "centre", and, further downhill, 700m from the beach, the Mariva Bungalows (tel 05510/98 258; ?43-58). None of the tavernas is very inspired, a possible result (or cause) of a predominance in self-catering rooms; Paradhisos has the best setting, up under the trees, and charges accordingly. About halfway along the track to Gria Vathra, Safki , a summer-only cafe-bar, occupies the delightful old schoolhouse. Beyond Loutra and a ford, on the wooded coastline and reached by a road initially signposted "military camp", are two municipal campsites : the first, 1.5km from the village, although large, has no facilities except toilets, while the second, 3km from the village, is more expensive but has hot water, electricity, a small shop, restaurant and bar. The Loutra bus sometimes goes to either site if you ask nicely. Beaches on Samothraki's north shore are mostly clean but uniformly pebbly and exposed, but it's still worth continuing along the road east from Loutra for the views and one or two minor sights. At Cape Fonias there's a ruined Gateluzzi watchtower and, 45-minutes' walk inland along the stream, there are waterfalls and cold pools much more impressive than those at Gria Vathra, though the signposted description of "canyon" is exaggerated. Some 15km from Loutra along a fine corniche road is Kipos beach , a long strand facing the Turkish-held island of Gokceada (Imvros to the Greeks) and backed by open pasture and picturesque crags. The water is clean and there's a rock overhang for shelter at one end, a spring, shower and seasonal drinks kantina , but no food available.
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