“Eva’s Olive Tree”

“Eva’s Olive Tree” is one of Samos’s most impressive natural monuments and a major point of interest for visitors. It is located near the entrance to the village of Myloi, in the courtyard of a traditional two‑storey house, at an elevation of about 40 meters. It is a centuries‑old olive tree (Olea europaea) with a trunk circumference of 12.5 meters and a diameter of about 4 meters, and its age is estimated to reach 2,500 years, making it the oldest olive tree on Samos and one of the oldest in Greece. Despite the hollow interior of its trunk—where animals were once penned—the tree remains alive and productive, with branches reaching 7 meters high. “Eva’s Olive Tree” is tied to the island’s age‑old tradition of olive cultivation; already in antiquity Samos was described as “olive‑covered,” producing olive oil of exceptional quality that was a benchmark across the Greek world.