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Welcome to our original Skiathos Island Information Pages.
The information & recommendations contained herein are purely a personal view of Skiathos and we will only mention what we think are the very best aspects of this island. |
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EMERGENCY SERVICES & USEFUL NUMBERS TRAVELING TO & WITHIN SKIATHOS
SEA AND AIR TEMPERATURES
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A brief guide to the island, area by area: |
Skiathos map created by George Violettas
Firstly, let us introduce ourselves: my name is Geof, I am an Englishman & my wife, Lida, is from The Netherlands. We have lived full time for over 30 years on Skiathos in the beautiful valley of ZORBATHES &, although we will never be "Skiathitees", many of the locals treat us as such.
We have been economically involved here as market gardeners, builders, secretary, contract ploughman, web page consultant, real estate agent, & hope that we have given as much to Skiathos as it has given to us. We have consciously not been involved in tourism (until now, see Zorbathes & Accommodation) apart from Lida doing some GUIDED WALKS and myself doing DAY SAILING TRIPS in our 8 metre catamaran. We have preferred to enjoy our summers here rather than work long hours a day, 7 days a week, for the whole summer season, which is what most people in the tourist service industry have to do. We used to grow an organic vegetable garden in the summer, the produce of which I sold directly off the back of my truck to the local ladies. Now I spend my time answering the many emails I get with questions about Skiathos, real estate enquiries, or reserving accommodation. This involves working early in the morning & late in the evening & allows us the rest of the day to do what we like: Walk , Sail , Windsurf, Waterski or Play tennis ; or just relax on a quiet beach with some friends.
Back to local information
| Skiathos is a beautiful, wooded island, far greener than one would expect a Greek island to be, which has between 60 & 70 fine sandy beaches , many of which have not become overcrowded & some of which can be virtually empty, even in the height of summer. |
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It is not a large island & can be circumnavigated in a couple of hours with
a speed-boat, or more leisurely in 4 to 5 hours by local caique or sail. The environment
is incredibly varied & can range from hidden, wooded valleys (like our own in
Zorbathes) to Monasteries set against a backdrop of barren rock, from shallow beaches with
pastures behind to plunging cliffs with beaches nestling below them, only accessible by
boat.
There are several offshore islands which are worth visiting and where you will
find beaches with less people on them than the main island ones.
Of course, you will need to visit these by boat so check out our
business
& sailing pages.
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At the eastern end of the island is the main (& only) town,
also called Skiathos, surrounding a well sheltered harbour which fills in the summer with
every type of vessel from 3 metre fishing boats to 11 metre yachts to 40 metre motor
yachts. In Skiathos town you can find everything. It is a thriving, cosmopolitan centre that hums with energy during the summer months contrasting nicely with the lazy beach days. |
You can have a slow ouzo on the waterfront, boogie all night, shop 'til you drop or fill yourself at one of the many of tavernas & restaurants. Whatever you fancy, there will be someone catering for it. See our business pages.
| Places of interest & beauty worth a visit are:
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The main road follows the south coast until it reaches the west end of the island & terminates at Koukounaries beach. Buses run at 15 to 20 minute intervals in the summer, but are usually crowded particularly between 16.00 & 19.00 coming back in to town.
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BUS STOPS:
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There are many dirt roads cutting through & across the island & some kind of transport is almost essential if you want to get the best from Skiathos. Cars & motorbikes are available for rent everywhere but we would not recommend renting a motorbike unless you are a very experienced bike driver (we have seen too many people ruin their holidays by scrapes from falling off bikes or by burning themselves on the exhaust pipe). Places of interest inside the island are the Monastery of Evangalistra, which is very old but well kept, & lays claim to being the first place to raise the present Greek flag during the struggle for freedom from the Turks at the beginning of the previous century. Following on from the monastery is the church of Prophet Illias, with spectacular views out over town & towards the neighbouring island of Skopelos. Here is also a taverna by the shade of huge plane tree where one can sit & enjoy the view with a coffee, ouzo or snack. Following the same road will bring you to the turn off for Kastro where you will have to leave your transport & walk for 30 to 40 minutes down to the old town of Kastro. This is a quite fantastic place where the villagers used to huddle on a large naturally fortified rock peninsula jutting into the sea. This was their retreat whenever pirates, Turks, Venetians & general rapers & pillagers came by. One gets a real sense of how physically hard life must have been then, when times were tough & old bread & olive pips were all there was to eat. As soon as they became free from Turkish domination & foresaw the possibility of a reasonably peaceful future, they moved to the site of modern-day Skiathos Town. Kastro is really well worth the effort to visit, but if you would prefer a guide, get in touch with Lida. On the way down to Kastro, you will pass the church of St. John The Baptist, where there is running water & flower beds surrounding the church. A wonderful place to rest for a few minutes, in the shade of the olive trees & the peace of the churchyard.
There are many other places of interest in the area including Pirgi, an ancient (pre-Christian) watch-tower, constructed of massive stones; the churches of Aghias Anastasias, Aghias Sozon & the monasteries of Kechria and Haralambos.
Towards the west of the island, the Monastery of Kounistra is well worth a visit. This is considered the "Patron Church" of Skiathos &, on November 21st, all the villagers will pass through it to light a candle & be blessed for the year to come. Many stay the night drinking & singing in front of blazing log fires & often the new wine will be broached for the occasion. Take the Asselinos road & then the right fork at Zorbathes.
If you, like us, are tied to the school holidays then you cannot really avoid coming in July or August & you will find the island pretty crowded. If you come then & look around you can still find some peaceful places to avoid the hustle & bustle. May & June are tranquil as are September & October. September gets the crown for the best month of all with warm water for swimming but the edge off the summer sun. The weather in May & October cannot be guaranteed & some rain will definitely fall, but it usually does not last for long & when the sun comes back everything is wonderfully refreshed. If you can make it for Easter it is well worth doing so. Easter is THE Greek celebration & it is a good time to enjoy the island's natural beauty & a great time for walking. Even winter here is a good time as the island greens up after the dry, dusty summer months. The walks are even more beautiful & the locals have more time to be relaxed & friendly.
| Sorry, so far, no listing of this season's events. |
At the
"Bourtzi", throughout the summer, the local council organises a series of
cultural events. The "Boutzi" is the small, wooded peninsular situated between
the old harbour & the new ferry harbour. On it is a magnificent old stone building
(which used to be the school), an open-air theatre & a traditional Greek kafenion
(coffee shop). In the "Bourtzi" building, exhibitions are held of the work of
Greek artists & photographers. Other facets of Greek culture, such as ancient mosaics,
are also shown. The open-air theatre, which is a marvelous place to sit on a warm summers
night, hosts performances ranging from ballet & concerts through theatre & films
to traditional Greek "shadow-theatre". It is well worth a visit here, it is not
necessary to understand Greek to enjoy most of these events & the atmosphere is quite
special. (Bring a cushion to sit on as the seats are quite hard.) Live music is performed
at the traditional cafe on many evenings throughout the summer & the sea & the
lights of Skiathos harbour make a wonderful backdrop to these performances.
Tickets for these events can be obtained from the tourist information booth situated close to the "Bourtzi", behind the harbour authorities office.
Sorry, so far, no listing of this season's events.
GEOF & LIDA BALDRY
Email: geof@skiathosinfo.com
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