Skiathos

Skiathos Island, located near Skopelos, in the Aegean Sea, full of greenery and covered by a thick pine forest, is among the most popular islands of the Northern Sporades. It gets really crowded in July and August with all those people attracted by the wonderful, long golden and sandy beaches, surrounded by trees and crystal clear waters, by its lively nightlife and its cosmopolitan atmosphere which creates a very suggestive scenario where spend the holidays. It is one of the best organized Greek islands and has all kinds of tourist services and facilities. This green and blue island has only one main city which coincides with the capital, as well as with the main port of the island: Skiathos Town. The other part of the island is full of large complexes of hotels, apartments and seaside resorts. Skiathos was one of the first Greek islands to experience the tourism boom in the 1970s.
The island has always been called Skiathos, since the pre-Hellenistic period. It is thought that the name was given to the island by the Pelasgians, its first inhabitants, impressed by the large shadows (skia in Greek means shadow) of the many trees that cover the island.
Dionysius was the most venerated divinity on the island.
After its first settlers Skiathos was inhabited by the Cretans and later by the Mycenaeans who also occupied the other Sporades.
The architecture of Skiathos is completely different from what is generally found on other Greek islands. The houses on the island consist of the ground floor, used for different types of warehouses, the middle floor, used as the main residence of the family, and the upper floor where the rooms are. Most houses have enclosed verandas and roofs covered with terracotta or slate tiles. Today only a few traditional houses have survived but the new buildings of Skiathos Town still have tiled roofs, small balconies full of flowers and are painted white.
The island produces excellent quality oil, grapes, cereals, fruit and vegetables. Viticulture has been extensively developed since ancient times and the wines of Skiathos are known for their excellent quality and divine flavor and taste. The most famous wines are the dark red wine, among the best of its kind, the Muscat, produced from various types of grapes with a sweet and floral taste and the wine called Alypiako.
There is only one main paved road on the island. Regular buses leave every 30 minutes from Skiathos Town and stop at all the beaches along the southern coast, with the last stop at the famous Koukounaries beach. In the capital of the island there are also many taxis that take you everywhere. There is also a taxi-boat service, which regularly runs from the port of the city to all the inaccessible beaches and also to the most famous.
The island can be reached by plane or by ferry.

The "Alexandros Papadiamantis" Airport of Skiathos, is located 3 km from the capital and receives regular domestic flights from Athens (the flight is about 1 hour) and, during the summer period, many charter flights from abroad.
For more information:
Alexandros Papadiamantis Airport, Skiathos
Tel. : +30 24270 29100
E-mail: kasktl@hcaa.gr
Taxi service: tel.: + 30 24270 24.461

Ferries do not connect Skiathos directly to Piraeus. L’isola è collegata invece con Volos (il viaggio è di circa 2 ore e mezzo), Agios Constantinos (il viaggio dura circa 1 ora e mezzo) e Salonicco (circa 6 ore) da traghetti e alcuni idrofili. The island is also connected with some islands of the Cyclades, with the other islands that form the Sporades, with Heraklion, Crete, Skopelos (1 hour), Alonissos (1 hour and a half).

Skiathos

There are beautiful places to visit on the island.

Panagia Kounistra Monastery
It is located in a mountainous area. The Monastery, built in the 17th century, is dedicated to the protector of Skiathos. Inside there are frescoes from the 18th century.

Sea caves
On the northern side of the island, they can be reached by boat from the city. In that area the landscape is wild and the water crystal clear.

The capital of Skiathos Island
Skiathos Town
It is built amphitheatrically, on the southeastern end of the island, in a windless bay, full of white houses with tiled roofs and narrow alleys. In addition to being the capital, it is also the main port of the island.
Having been destroyed by German bombs in WWII, it was rebuilt. Currently almost all the population of the island of Skiathos lives here, in the capital. Despite being a small city, it is very cosmopolitan indeed. Skiathos Town is full of restaurants (Greek and international cuisine), tourist offices, various shops, cafes, bars, all-night clubs offering all kinds of music.
Most of the entertainment can be found in the main street, Papadiamanti, and on the seafront.
However, it must be said that everything here is rather expensive and in most of the taverns the quality of the products is not excellent: the inhabitants have, for tourist activities, a cultivation and agriculture that is rather neglected, and they do not make many local products . In the city there are snack bars in large quantities and luxurious restaurants, such as Italian or Greek ones, such as those located in a renovated windmill which is located on the highest hill of the city. The commercial port is separated from the old port by the small peninsula of Bourtzi, covered with verdant pine trees. On this peninsula there are the remains of an old castle built by the Ghisi brothers during the Venetian period. The old harbour, surrounded by small fishing boats, is still very picturesque, despite the high level of tourism, and is a pleasant place for a stroll.
old port From Skiathos Town there are boats that go around the island.

To be seen
St. Nicholas Church
Painted white, it has a tall and interesting clock tower.

Church of the Three Bishops
It is the cathedral of Skiathos Town. It was built in 1846 and has a bell tower. Inside the church there are some icons of great value.

Evangelistria monastery
It is located 5 km north of Skiathos Town, in a very green area. The Monastery was built in the early 19th century and is of great historical importance for the island: it contributed to the Greek War of Independence.

Bourtzi
It is a small peninsula that is located at the entrance to the port and divides it into two parts. A fortress was built there in the 13th century to protect the city. Only a few remains of that fortress survive today. It is a very well-known and popular place full of pine trees.

Museums
House of Papadiamantis
It is the only museum in Skiathos, located in the heart of the capital. It was the home of Alexandros Papadiamantis, an important Greek writer, who lived there in the 19th century. It has personal belongings of the writer and many pieces of folklore.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 20:00.
For more information:
Tel.: +30 24270 22240

Skiathos

Beaches
Characteristic of the island are its splendid, wonderful beaches (about 60), which stretch for kilometers and have golden sand and crystal clear waters, surrounded by dense pine forests that descend to the sea.

Koukounaries beach
It is the most famous beach on the island of Skiathos, and therefore it is also very crowded. It is well known for its extremely fine white sand and its fragrant pine tree forest from which the place takes its name. The forest has protected plants and animals. It is also considered the most pristine natural beach in the Mediterranean, as well as the third most beautiful beach in the Mediterranean, and is a protected environment.
It has crystal clear blue waters, is well organized and offers many water sports, chairs, umbrellas, beach bars. The surroundings are full of restaurants, taverns and hotels. A local bus connects the beach with the capital and leaves every 30 minutes.
The beach, as well as the surrounding forest, pushes a lot for ecotourism, funded by the European Union.

Agia Paraskevi beach
It is located in the southern part of the island, 7 km from Skiathos Town. It is a beautiful beach with blue waters and golden sand. It takes its name from the small church of Saint Paraskevi which is located nearby. It is a large beach with various facilities for practicing many water sports, including water skiing and jet-skiing.
It is also possible to rent a boat for small trips around the island. To get to this beautiful beach you can use the bus that leaves from Skiathos Town.

Vromolimnos beach
It is located on the south coast of Skiathos, just 8km southwest of the town, near the resort of Kolios. It is a delightful bay with calm, clean waters and fine sand. Vromolimnos is considered to be the second most popular beach after Koukounaries due to the services and facilities it provides such as umbrellas and sunbeds. It is also a meeting point for young people, having bars and clubs on the beach. Vromolimnos is surrounded by traditional taverns, known for their local food. It is easily accessible by car, taxi and bus.

Lalaria beach
Reachable only by boat from the port of the capital, Lalaria is located on the northeastern end of the island and is a dream place for its incredible beauty and for the immense white rocks that emerge from the dark blue sea. To the left of the white sand beach there is a rock that forms a natural bridge between the sand and the sea with a hole in the middle that forms a kind of marine passage. The magnificent Blue and Dark caves are located just before Lalaria and are well worth visiting by boat.

Banana beach
It is located 13km southwest of Skiathos Town. It is a sandy beach a short distance from Koukounaries on the western side of the island. Nudism is practiced in certain areas of the beach.

Fun
The island is very popular and touristy and has developed a dynamic and lively nightlife. Skiathos is the island of fun. Bars, restaurants, cafes, night clubs can be found everywhere in the city and in some large hotels. Most of the entertainment can be found in Papadiamanti street, Polytechnioi street, Evangelistre street and the port.
Clubs and bars are also found in the seaside areas.
During the summer, the Bourtzi peninsula organizes various cultural events between the old and the new port.
On the island, in the month of September, a very important festival is celebrated, the Katsonia Festival, in the Kastro area.