Skiathos

The island of Skiathos belongs to the Northern Sporades archipelago. Despite its size (12 km long and 6 km wide), it offers a wealth of beautiful beaches, mostly with fine golden and white sand, some of which are EU Blue Flag rated. It is a very popular and sought after island, with the advantage for tourists that it has its own airport. Despite its popularity, there are still many untouched original sites. The coastline is very rugged, with various bays and peninsulas. The northern part of the island is forested with pine trees, the terrain is rather mountainous, which gives the island an attractive appearance, the highest mountain Karafiltzanaka has a peak at 433 m.

The nature of the island offers great opportunities for hiking, the island is criss-crossed by paths that lead to secluded beaches, monasteries, hilltops with magnificent views of the Aegean Sea.

In the north of the island you can visit Kastro with its impregnable fortress, which was the ideal place for the protection of the town's inhabitants.

The main town of Skiathos offers a colourful, bustling day and night life with plenty of shops, tavernas, bars, wine bars. Thanks to the cascading construction of typical white houses, the surrounding countryside can be observed from the top. There are regular bus services from Skiathos virtually all over the island, and there is also a boat taxi service along the coast.

On Skiathos there are also beautiful churches to see and the Evagelistria Monastery - one of the most important religious centres in the Sporades and the most important on Skiathos. Its construction took place between 1794 and 1806. During the Greek Revolution, this monastery played an important role in sheltering fighters and refugees. The monastery houses a small ecclesiastical museum displaying priests' vestments, rare books and manuscripts, crosses, Byzantine icons and other ecclesiastical objects.

Among the most popular resorts is Koukounaries, located on the westernmost tip of the island, just 12km from the capital Skiathos. The resort is popular mainly due to its beautiful beach, which is described as the most beautiful on the island. Despite its high popularity, it is a relatively quiet place. In the pine forest close to the beach there is the Strofilia Lagoon biotope, where various species of plants and birds are protected under EU environmental programmes. Another popular resort is Platanias on the rugged coastline of the south coast. It offers a long organised beach with fine golden sand and a fairly steep entrance to the water. On the beach is the small church of Agios Taxiarchis, where a traditional fair is held in June.

The beaches of Kanapitsa or Troulos - awarded with the blue flag - are also popular places. The tall pine trees here provide plenty of shade. We also recommend a visit to Lalaria beach, where the sea caves of Skotini and Galazia are located, which are worth a visit and are very popular tourist destinations on the island for swimmers and divers. Skotini (dark) spilia is characterized by a low and narrow entrance where a boat can pass. It is about 20 m deep and really dark. The Galazia spilia is larger compared to the Skotini and provides a beautiful spectacle.

Basic information:

• Greek name: Skiáthos (Σκιάθος)
• Capital: Skiathos
• Island area: 50 km2
• Population: over 6600
• The highest peak: Karafiltzanaka (433 m)