Location
Skiathos is a Greek island situated just off the mainland, to the northeast of Athens. It is part of the Sporades group, in the Aegean Sea.
Getting there
Skiathos is well served by the major UK tour operators, although it is not as ubiquitous in the mainstream brochures as ... Read review
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Advantages: Beautiful, green island with safe sandy beaches Disadvantages: Not much - short runway and the main beaches can get crowded
Location
Skiathos is a Greek island situated just off the mainland, to the northeast of Athens. It is part of the Sporades group, in the Aegean Sea.
Getting there
Skiathos is well served by the major UK tour operators, although it is not as ubiquitous in the mainstream brochures as say Corfu or Kos. This is somewhat surprising, as along with Corfu, it was one of the first islands to develop international ... ...Another reason may be that Skiathos is a popular holiday destination for Greeks themselves.
We travelled with First Choice. The flight was direct from London Gatwick and took around three and a half hours. I had heard about the famously short Skiathos runway, so when we were advised to fasten our seatbelts I pulled mine tight. We flew over the island and made a steep bank back round to the left, which gave us an excellent view of the ... more
Location
Skiathos is a Greek island situated just off the mainland, to the northeast of Athens. It is part of the Sporades group, in the Aegean Sea.
Getting there
Skiathos is well served by the major UK tour operators, although it is not as ubiquitous in the mainstream brochures as say Corfu or Kos. This is somewhat surprising, as along with Corfu, it was one of the first islands to develop international tourism; however, large parts of the island are designated nature reserves and development has been tightly controlled to prevent any "costa-like" high-rise eyesores, and this may explain the relative shortness of accommodation. Another reason may be that Skiathos is a popular holiday destination for Greeks themselves.
We travelled with First Choice. The flight was direct from London Gatwick and took around three and a half hours. I had heard about the famously short Skiathos runway, so when we were advised to fasten our seatbelts I pulled mine tight. We flew over the island and made a steep bank back round to the left, which gave us an excellent view of the stubby concrete strip protruding, it seemed, straight out into the sea. As we descended, only the sea was visible and I wondered whether everyone else was also thinking "I hope I see land out of that window soon!" I needn't have worried. We touched down, the pilot threw the engines into reverse thrust and we lurched unceremoniously off the runway onto a stand. I must admit though, that this is probably not a landing to be experienced by anyone already scared of flying!
The return flight took an extra hour, as the runway is too short for the plane to be able to take off fully laden with fuel, and we had to make a re-fuelling stop on the mainland, which admittedly was a bit of a pain.
Climate
Being one of the more northerly islands, Skiathos is slightly cooler than some of its Mediterranean counterparts. However, it is not so far north that the winds make it unpleasant. We visited in early June, and the temperatures were around 22/23 C; on two afternoons, the skies were overcast and it rained briefly, but was not cold. If you visit during the peak months of July and August you can expect no rain and long days of sunshine. The climate makes for a very green island, with plenty of forests.
Resorts
We stayed in the "resort" of Koukanaries, at the far south west of the island. I say far, but in fact the island is fairly small and nowhere is really far at all. The transfer from the airport, by Skiathos town on the east side, to Koukanaries took approximately 40 minutes. The road connecting the two is the main (only decent, tarmac) road on the island, and almost without exception, tourist accommodation is in one of the hamlets along it.
Attractions
People come to Skiathos for a beach holiday, and we were no exception. We had decided to stay in Koukanaries because of its reputation as "the best beach in Greece" and while I can't absolutely vouch that's true, it's a pretty fine place to be. The beach is a long, sweeping crescent of fine golden sand backed by pine trees. Behind the beach is a lake, and all the accommodation is located off the road that travels around it. The air is filled with the sweet scent of pine…and mosquitoes. We needed plenty of repellent on this holiday.
On the shore itself are a number of small wooden snack bars, the only sign of mass tourism being the Palace hotel, which overlooks the beach at one end. Oh, and the massive number of sunbeds filled with tourists! Koukanaries beach did seem to suffer from its own success, as during the day it filled up not only with people staying in the area, but with people who had travelled down from further along the coast.
In fact, it was very easy to visit any of the beaches along the south coast, as there was a frequent bus service running along the main road, which cost less than £1. However, we did smile smugly as we walked back to our accommodation, because there tended to be a bit of a crush queuing for the bus at the end of the day.
The best beach that we discovered was Banana beach, which was a short walk over the headland from the end of the main road. Due to the walk, it tended to be slightly quieter, and was an excellent place to watch the sun set while sipping a cool drink from the solitary taverna there. We had heard that it also tends to be the unofficial nudist beach, although we didn't see any evidence of this, just a few topless sunbathers. Maybe we didn't explore far enough…
To visit the beaches on the north side of the island, you must either be prepared for a long walk (serious hikers only), hire a car/jeep, or take a boat. We opted for the last option, and booked a day excursion through the rep at our accommodation. This was quite expensive, around £30 each, but we discovered that we could have travelled into Skiathos town and booked a trip independently for much less. However, the day trip was great fun; the highlight was stopping at Lalaria, a white pebble beach that can only be accessed by boat, and another isolated cove for lunch and swimming off the boat. You should note though, that if you are travelling with children (as we will be when we return next year!) that the beaches to the south are very safe, with gently shelving sand, whereas the northern beaches are less safe and have some strong currents.
Watersports were available from one end of Koukanaries beach, and also some of the other southern beaches.
But, when you are beached-out, what else is there to see? Skiathos is not blessed with the archaeological remains typical of other parts of Greece, but there are two Monasteries that welcome visitors. We visited the Evangelistra monastery, which was high up in the hills to the north of Skiathos town. A local bus runs out there five times a day, and it was worth the visit for the views and the tranquil setting. You could also visit, by excursion boat, the ruins of Kastro, which used to be the largest town on the island.
There are plenty of walks into the interior of the island, but that seemed a little too energetic for us.
There is the usual tourist shopping to be found in Skiathos town, and in the old town there are tiny winding streets to explore. It's a very pretty place full of white houses with red roofs. The town is also where the only nightclubs can be found. The holiday companies also offer trips to Athens from the island, but it is still a three hour drive from the mainland port if you go by "flying dolphin" (hydrofoil) so an internal flight is needed if you only have a day to spare. We didn't travel off the island because we actually had a visitor, my sister-in-law, who lives near Athens and travelled over to see us.
If, however, you want yet more beaches, it's also possible to catch a boat to one of the smaller neighbouring islands, where the beaches may be less crowded than along the main south strip of Skiathos.
Eating / Drinking / Nightlife
As I mentioned above, the only really lively nightlife is in Skiathos town itself. Nightlife in the other tourist areas mainly consists of leisurely eating and drinking in tavernas or bars, which suited us down to the ground. The food at the taverna adjoining our accommodation (Myrtia) was excellent, so we didn't have to venture too far! The island's speciality was a sweet dish made from almonds and half a ton of sugar, but all the usual Greek suspects were on offer. My sister-in-law, being a "local", thought that the food was outrageously expensive, and * ahem * negotiated a discount, but it seemed reasonable enough to us, especially after several glasses of ouzo.
Summary
In summary, this is a fantastic place to go for a relaxing beach holiday in the sun. Admittedly, the island doesn't have a great deal of industry apart from tourism now - just some olive and almond farming - and many of the inhabitants go back to the mainland during the winter months. This means that perhaps there isn't the voyeuristic opportunity to see "Greek life" that there is on some other islands, but the people are still friendly and welcoming, the pace of life slow, and the scenery spectacular. Most importantly, despite the crowds, it's quiet! We have booked to return next year with our children.
Edited to add: We did return in 2006, again to Koukanaries, and had a super holiday with our two boys. This time we did meet the nudists on Banana beach (mooning at the passing excursion boats) but a good time was had by all.
Advantages: CHILL OUT RESORT IDEAL FOR FAMILIES Disadvantages: SHORT RUNWAY ON AIRPORT
...2 mins away and serves Skiathos Town one way and Koukoukarnaris Beach the other. Runs every 30 mins in May getting to every 15 mins in high season, also runs up to midnight.
So marks for the Studios 9 & half out of 10.
Marks for the Island and beaches 10 out of 10.
Where we ate in TROULOS
I have given the Tavernas marks out of 10 and brief reasons.
ANGELIKA scores 0 out of 10, worst food worst prices, Kleftico was 4 scraggy pieces of lamb mixed ... ...If I go back to Skiathos I would be tempted to eat here every night.
Also a word for the VICTORIA Bar they do Quiz and Buffet on Monday 5 euros, dont eat before the buffet , it was that good, we filled our plates more than once. And Wednesday they do Greek Night for 9 Euros again so much food bar b qued before your eyes. lamp chops, Pork Steaks, Sausages, Chicken Fillets, Meat on skewers
Tips for outings.
Skiathos is so small dont book expensive ...
poshtroika 29.07.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Skiathos (Greece)
Advantages: Everything here is delightful Disadvantages: None that we could see.
...run every 15 minutes from Skiathos town to Koukounaries and vice versa - all bus stops are numbered (about 1-26 at the last count) and each number serves a resort/beach and all are clearly marked and described inside the bus. The buses are great fun and, as all Brits want to travel in and out of town at the same time, can be crowded! Car hire etc. is readily available and good if you want to see the parts the bus service doesn't reach. TOWN - delightful! ... ...mopeds, bikes crossing from the side streets. It's very hilly with lots of lovely little side streets to explore - no matter how bad your sense of direction you will find yourself back at the harbour eventually. It has every type of eating place you could want from the wonderful Gyros stall at the bottom of Papadiamantis - 900drx. for a tasty snack that fills the lunchtime gap - right through to the posh Windmill high up at the top of the town. There ...
Yiassas 23.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Skiathos (Greece)
Advantages: Lovely Town, cheap, nice food, gorgeous weather Disadvantages: If you want lots to do you need to rent a car
I went to Skiathos last year for the first time with my boyfriend. We just wanted a week in the sun, lie by a pool followed by some nice food and something to do in the evening.
We flew out from Gatwick via First Choice in June. Flight was quite short, then onto a coach which was not too bad either. The hotel we stayed in was called La Pisine Art Hotel. From the outside the hotel looked nice but the area around it was still quite undeveloped. As ... ...you can actually see from Skiathos Town harbour. Our hotel was about 5mins walk away from Skiathos Town. We went down every evening, started off somewhere to have a cocktail! and then picked a restaurant for dinner. We had some gorgeous food, the traditional greek food out there was just lovely. If you are a seafood fan, you can get the fresh catch of the day in most of the restaurants. Shopping! there are some great little shops in Skiathos town, ...
emmaj13 25.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Skiathos (Greece)
Advantages: Island with something for everyone! Disadvantages: Quite quiet (although that might be an advantage for some!)
...to do in the evening. Skiathos was recommended to us by the travel agent as doing just that.
I'd only been to Rhodes before so I wasn't sure what to expect but after landing in Skiathos there was that same heat that hit you (a lovely 35 degrees when we landed at 6.10pm Greek time) and the same freindly Greek's.
After landing we hopped on a shuttle bus that took us to the main airport where we used the facilities (which weren't too bad - funny not ... ...in Sainsbury's saying that!!
Skiathos is a very very small Island - some of my freinds even managed to walk it! It's 5 by 9 miles... very cute! The main area where most of the exitement is is Skiathos Town which is found on the East side of the Island. Skiathos Town is absolutely brilliant. During the day all the shops are open selling souveniers of ALL kinds... there is the famous greek urns, calendars, postcards, donkeys, and even a McDonalds ...
beckyloveshack 26.03.2004 (28.04.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Skiathos (Greece)
Advantages: beautiful beaches, scenic Disadvantages: some may find the nightlife a bit quiet
...from a fantastic week in Skiathos one of the Greek Islands and it seems to have turned into summer in England whilst I’ve been gone!
With our first baby due at the end of August we were eager to get away to somewhere nice for a relaxing time whilst we still can and whilst I’m still allowed on a plane! Skiathos is an island fairly near to the Greek mainland and is one of the Sporades islands. The weather whilst we were there was mainly gorgeous with ... ...just outside the capital Skiathos town. It was a lovely small quiet resort with a few tavernas which provided reasonablely priced food. Also we had a sea view from our apartment so that made us happy bunnies.
A local bus road covers the length of the south of the island. It runs from bus stop1 in Skiathos town to stop 25 at Koukounaries beach, if you’re staying in the main tourist areas of the south you’re never far from a bus stop. The bus is fairly ...
ricci 19.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Skiathos (Greece)
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
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, except in the west part of Lagos. From Luz, a small resort about 5km from Lagos to Cape St Vincent (the most westerly point in Europe" there is very little to see or do. To the East, there is much more. Portimao, the largest town in the area is known as the "sardine capital of the world", and there are some famous resorts like Praia da Rocha, Albufeira and Carvoeiro. This area is renowned for having the best beaches in Europe, and from where I've been, only Skiathos in Greece has been better.
Facilities.
When we first arrived, Faro Airport was modern and well run, unlike the afore-mentioned Skiathos Town. Car Hire was very quick and easy. The Portugese drivers, however were terrible, and it was easy to see why Portugal has the highest accident rate in Europe.
The apartment we stayed in was only 5 minutes walk from the centre of Lagos ...
Advantages: Helpful reps Disadvantages: Aircraft problems and wet baggage
We had just completed a splendid 2 weeks in Skiathos, Greece. We went with First Choice, not for the first time, therefore flying with Air 2000. We were told at the airport our flight was about 20 minutes late, when we checked in at 12.30. Our bags were loaded onto the little trucks and left outside awaiting the arrival of our plane. Some time later it was announced that our plane had developed a technical problem and was in Thessoloniki. Our baggage was out in the rain. At 18.45ish we were called to board a coach and taken to a hotel for the night. Next day we went to the airport again, in the rain. Our bags were not even checked in, therefore not getting wet. 5 hours later we were sent back to the hotel again as the plane could not land on such a small runway in such bad weather. We eventually got off the ground 48 hours and 5 minutes ...
bluestreety 03.09.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of First Choice
Advantages: Off the beaten track Disadvantages: Very quiet
The pelion region of Greece is a few hours north of Athens and a short hop away from the island of Skiathos.
It's served by a military airport called Volos and this has it's disadvantages because it closes early which means that if a commercial flight is late it may have to be postponed till the next day! This nearly happened to me and my companion but luckily we weren't that late so we didn't miss our window.
The journey from Volos airport to our destination took a good 2 hours plus, the destination being 'Katiogoris' which is on the south west of that pennisula, the journey there however is spectacular and takes you over wooded moutains and through traditional villages.
The resort itself is very small and very quiet (three tavernas and no bank etc) it has good walks and great views out to Skiathos, on the second day we managed ...
robbostew 09.01.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of General: Greece
