Tailor made holidays to Skiathos - REDISCOVER THE WORLD - GREECE

This hill on the west of the Skiathos town was the site of the prehistoric and ancient village. Although nothing remains of these older times, it is still very nice to walk through its narrow streets. This is a residential area, with just a couple of restaurants. On top of the hill the Health Centre is located, with easy access to the main road. A short walk away starts the long and sandy Megali Ammos beach.

This bay between Akropolis and Bourtzi has been the town's harbour since antiquity. Nowadays, it houses fishing and excursion boats and some yachts. The harbour front is full of tavernas, cafeterias and bars. The locals love to take a stroll along the harbour front in the evening. The monument on the small quay, or Papadiamanti's statue at the entrance of Bourtzi are the usual meeting places for the night out.

The little peninsula that divides the port of Skiathos is called Bourtzi and was once a fortress. It was linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway, which was flooded at high tide, turning the fortress into an isle. The fortress was built during Venetian rule by the Ghisi brothers. It also served as their residence. The whole area was surrounded by walls with battlements and embrasures.

Bourtzi was probably destroyed by the infamous Venecian admiral Morozini (the same one that bombarded the Akropolis of Athens, destroying the south side of the Parthenon) when he seized the fortress back from the Turks in 1660. From the ruined battlements the Greeks bravely resisted the turkish effort to land on the island in 1823. Today, in Bourtzi almost nothing remain of the walls. The building is the old school, now turned into an exhibition hall. Its open air theatre holds music, drama and dance performances every summer during the Aegean Festival.

The church of Aghios Nikolaos (St. Nicolas), the protector saint of seamen, is located on the top of the hill over the new port. A clock (roloi) is on the church's bell tower. The square around the church offers an excellent view of the town.

It is the house in which Alexandros Papadiamandis, one of the most important Greek authors of the past century was born, lived and died. It was built in 1850 -1860 by father-Adamantios, the author's grandfather. The ground floor was used for storage and the 1st floor for habitation.

It is a small two-storie-building of folk architecture, 35 sq.m. in the ground floor and 40 sq.m. in the 1st floor. Its walls are made either of stone or of "tsatma" -light construction of wood and plaster. The four-inclination wooden roof is covered with tiles of the "byzantine" type. The doors and windows are wooden, quite big in dimention and made according to the local type called "nailed". The staircase and the floors are wooden and generally all its special elements preserve the original traditional colour. Works of general repairing and supporting of the building were done in 1990. in 1994 the basement was tuned to an exhibition room. The 1st floor is preserved as the house of Alexandros Papadiamandis with its original furniture and objects of the time, whereas the ground floor is functionning as an exhibition room of different traditional objects of Skiathos. In 1954 the building was bought by the State and since then it belongs to Skiathos Municipality. In 1965 it was characterized as a preserved monument by the Ministry of Culture.

Nowadays, the house is a museum. Many pieces of furniture and personal belongings of Papadiamantis are kept in the building, just as it was at the end of his life there. The municipality keeps it up with extreme care.

As the size of ships grew, the old harbour could no longer support them. So, a new port was made on the east coast of the town. Starting from Bourtzi, we cross the hydrofoil quay, the ferries, the sailing ships and the freight boats. The port front houses many shops, including cafeterias, restaurants, bars and discos, all the way up to the edge of the runway.

Tsougria is a small, pine covered island with many fine beaches. Boats run hourly in the high season from the port to a quay in the east coast of Tsougria. The journey time is 45 minutes. If you want to spend a quiet day swimming and lying in the sun, Tsougria is perfectly suited. The island is uninhabited; there is only a kiosk selling refreshments and hiring sunbeds and umbrellas. Ideally you should carry everything you need for the day.

A narrow stretch of fine sand on the south east of the Kalamaki peninsula, Kanapitsa lies 1.5 kilometres from the main road. This beach is never crowded, since only one hotel and few self catering units are nearby. There is a taverna-bar at the beach. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available, and so are some watersports.

A dirt road just after the road junction to Kalamaki peninsula, brings you to the beach of Vromolimnos. Its name means "stinky lake", surely named after the swamp behind the beach; fortunately it dries out in the summer.

This is the favourable beach of the youth, thanks to the beach front bars that open all day and play pop music. There is also a restaurant. Water sports are available. There is no accommodation in Vromolimnos, but many establishments higher up on Kalamaki peninsula are within walking distance. However, most of the holiday makers prefer to ride their bikes and mopeds to this beach.

This lovely sandy beach is about 5 kilometres from town and easily reached by bus. Available accommodation includes three hotels and a few self catering units. Tavernas and a supermarket are located nearby. A beach taverna, sunbeds and umbrellas are available. Except from the usual watersports, the visitor will find here a scuba diving school and a tennis court.

Nestling between the Kalamaki peninsula and Aghia Paraskevi, Kolios is a peaceful, sheltered, sandy cove with a small taverna and beach bar. Buses, supermarkets and a choice of tavernas are within easy reach. Kolios has many self catering accommodation, but no hotels. A small camping with basic facilities is located between the main road and the beach.

Achladies is a narrow beach of golden sand merging with the blue green waters of a small bay, backed by pine covered hills. Achladies is 4 kilometres from the town and easily reached by bus. There are tavernas, a variety of watersports, as well as sun beds and umbrellas. An A-class hotel is located on the beachfront; and two C-class ones on the main road. There are also many self catering establishments in the area.

Vasilias is located 3 kilometres from Skiathos town. It has an unusual, for Skiathos, thick grey sand. A few self catering apartments are situated on the hillside over the west end of the beach. There is also a taverna. It is never crowded, so it may be an alternative to Megali Ammos on those busy August days.

Megali Ammos is a narrow, sandy beach that start from north of the town and stretches for almost 2 kilometres. This beach serves not only the many tourist accommodations around it, but also the town itself. It gets as crowded as Koukounaries during the high season. Sun beds and umbrellas are available for hire. Watersports are available, too. There are restaurants and bars on the beach front.

Before tourists arrived in Skiathos the nowadays famous south side of the island was infamous for its swamps and poor cultivating soil. The best olive groves were in the north of the island and the best vineyards were at the airport area. These days Xanemos was the island's only resort. The sandy beach is always windy, but usually well shielded from the waves of the open sea. This is mainly is a local residential area. There are frequent bus services to the town.

The monastery of the Annunciation (Evangelistria) is found about 5 kilometres north of the town. It is built on a beautiful site, but invisible from almost all directions.

The coenobite monastery was founded in 1794 by the monk Niphon from mount Athos, near a small, ruined, older monastery also dedicated to the Annunciation. In the beginning it only had a church and a few cells, but under the trusteeship of the Patriarchate it flourished. When it was completed in 1806 it was called the "new monastery" to distinguish it from the other monasteries on the island which were older. Throughout the history the monastery was generous in offering its services. It helped the inhabitants of Kastro and supported the freedom fighter against the Turks. In 1807 the fighters took their oath before the first Greek flag, with its blue background and white cross, designed and sewn here. During the independence war it offered money and food to the Greek ships anchoring in Skiathos. After 1850 the monastery fall into decline and the number of monks gradually decreased.

The catholicon of the monastery is modelled on those of mount Athos. It is a cruciform byzantine church with three domes, an inner and outer narthex. Frescoes are only to be found in the sanctuary, but the real treasure is the magnificent carved wooden iconostasis. On 15 August, the monastery's feast day, the ceremony of the Burial of Our Lady is performed. This is a tradition unique to Skiathos. Access to the monastery is by bus or car, by organised mule ride, or, for the more sporting of you, by walking through the beautiful Skiathos hills.

Aghia Paraskevi (also known as Platanias) is a long sandy beach, about 6 kilometres from town. A couple of the most exclusive hotels in Skiathos are located in this area. There is also a great number of self catering units. Almost every kind of watersport is available during the season. A few tavernas, bars and grocery shops are within easy reach. Aghia Paraskevi is easily reached by bus

Troulos is now a village with supermarkets, bars, tavernas and even a Chinese restaurant. There is something to suit everyone. There are numerous self-catering apartments and studios in Troulos and a couple of hotels, too. Locations vary, but the beach is within walking distance of each. Guests are usually allowed to use the swimming pools of neighbouring establishments. The Troulos bay is well shielded from the wind, and its beach has thin golden sand. It is very favourable with families. There is a beach front taverna, sunbeds and umbrellas. Watersports are available, too.

A two kilometres long stretch of golden sand, azure water and green pines, Koukounaries is probably the most famous beach in Greece. If there is only one beach you can visit, this is it. Sea sports are available at both sides of the beach and include skiing, parasailing, jet-ski and scuba diving. Behind the pine forest lies the lagoon of Strofilias, an important biotope for migrating birds. There are numerous hotels and self catering accommodation in the area, all of it located at the north of the lake. Thus the beach is a pleasant walk through the pines and the beach front retains its full beauty. Koukounaries is 12 kilometres from the town and getting there is easy. There are bus services to town every half hour and frequent boat trips from the harbour.

Banana is the nudist beach of Skiathos. It offers fine golden sand and it is actually shaped like a banana, thus its name. This resort is accessed on foot from the Koukounaries bus terminal. No accommodation facilities are located nearby; there is only a taverna on the beach. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for hire.

On the west end of the island, across the sea from mount Pilion lies the beach of Aghia Eleni. In the height of the summer you can feel hundreds of newly born fish around your feet. It is a quiet beach, with a small fish taverna. A perfect alternative for someone who wants to get away from the busy Koukounaries. It is just a short walk or drive from the main road, 11 kilometres from the town.

Mandraki, famous for its sand dunes, is situated at the north-west of the island. This is the site were the Persian fleet harboured before the naval battle of Artemision, thus the area is also known as "Xerxes' Harbour".

Aselinos is a fine sand beach. Facing north, the sea is usually rough, but when the winds blow from a southern direction it is calm and peaceful. This resort was first discovered by campers, but the camping opens only during the high season and offers very basic facilities. There is no other accommodation available in this area.

Large Aselinos is a scheduled stop of the round-the-island cruise, but can also be reached by car from Troulos. Combined with a visit to the monastery of Kounistra it is a nice way to spend the day. A restaurant and a cafe-bar are on the beachfront. The neighbouring bay of Small Aselinos, can be reached on foot from Kounistra, although the narrow, steep path that descents to the beach intimidates the holiday makers. The beach is relatively hard to reach, other than by boat. There are dirt roads from Koukounaries and Troulos that allow a car drive for most of the way. An off-road motorcycle is the best way of visiting this and other remote areas of Skiathos' countryside.

The monastery of Panagia (Holy Virgin) Kounistra is located on the west side of the island, about 13 kilometres from town. It is located on the sight were the holy icon of Virgin Mary was found. There are various interpretations of the origin of the name, the most popular being that the icon was found hanging from a tree and swinging back and forth ("kounistra" means "swinging" in greek).

The church of the monastery is a tiny, single nave basilica with a dome. The interior is painted and from the frescoes, that were seriously damaged in a fire, one can distinguish full length figures of martyrs and saints. It is interesting that St. Christopher is depicted with a dog's head. The iconostasis is beautifully carved and decorated with vine leaves and grapes and even a representation of Jonas and the wale. The actual icon of the Virgin has been moved to the new town cathedral. Access to the monastery is easy by car or motorbike. It is also a relatively easy walk uphill from Troulos.

The open bay that is found on the north-west Skiathos is called Kechria. It was the site of the islands' shipyards during the middle ages. Nowadays is relatively deserted; only a few villas stand among the olive and pine trees. However, the most interesting part of the excursion is that the dirt road winds through the unexploited and rarely seen interior of the island. For those driving the 15 or so kilometres from the town there are a couple of small tavernas, open during the high season: one on the sand beach known as Alygaries, the other on the pebble cove of Kechria itself. The abandoned monastery of Kechria, also devoted to Virgin Mary, is a steep walk uphill from the latter, although it can be reached more easily from the road to Kastro.

Kastro, the medieval town, is situated on the northern end of Skiathos, a good 3 hours walk from the modern town. It is built on a gigantic rock and is more of a natural fortress than a man-made one. Three of the four sides overlook the sea, the tall, steep rock face giving excellent protection. On the landward side there is a strong wall with battlements and the fortress' gate with its turret and cannons. On this side the rock has been sharply cut, obviously by human hands and an awesome chasm gapes before it. The only link to the mainland was by a wooden drawbridge.

The Kastro was built in the mid 14th century to counter the pirate attacks, which had forced the island inhabitants to abandon the ancient city and seek refuge inland. It was the only settlement on Skiathos until Greece's independence, when it was in turn abandoned and the modern town was built. For its inhabitants, all this period was a time of misery. The danger of attack from pirates, robbers and conquerors was constant and only made worse by the restricted space and lack of basic amenities. The people lived in such a state of fear and insecurity, that they were in danger of starvation, as they could not cultivate the fields or go fishing, but remained in Kastro like birds in a cage.

The tradition says that there were 20 small churches in the fortress, but only one survived in good condition. It is the Church of Christ, a small basilica that used to be the cathedral of the medieval town. It's construction is very simple, befitting to the days of hardship, and its few preserved frescoes are excellent examples of post-Byzantine art. Access to Kastro in nowadays easy, as steps have been built on the rock, either by boat from the town, or by car and/or walk across the hills of the island.

On the north of the island, accessible only from the sea in good weather, stands Lalaria, an impressive beach with smooth white pebbles. The water may be deep and the currents strong, but the sound of the waves breaking on the pebbles in magnificent. The pebbles are created from rocks that fall from the cliffs towering above the beach and are grinded by the waves during the winder. East of the beach there is Trypia Petra, the pierced rock. Small boats run every morning during the high season to Lalaria, or Lalaria and Kastro. The round-the-island cruise also schedules a stop here. On the same boat trip you may visit the two caves Galazia Spilia (blue cave) and Skotini Spilia (dark cave).

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