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Your sailing charter vacations will be
cosmopolitic in Skiathos. It is an idyllic paradise with more than 65 bays and sandy beaches, many of which you can reach only by boat. Skiathos is surrounded by nine smaller islands including Tsougria and Arkos with their verdant beaches.
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| Skiathos is the livelier island in Sporades with active nightlife. In the town of Skiathos you can find almost everything. |
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Harbors in Skiathos
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Skiathos town
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Koukounaries
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Platanias
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Go Back To Sporades Islands Map |
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Of the more than 70 beaches
on Skiathos only a few are heavily visited. It is still possible
to find wonderful deserted beaches throughout the island
although it does help to sail with your
charter boat to these beaches. The island is small enough
to circumnavigate with a speedboat in an hour or two. You can
also take a caique (a small wooden boat) from the old harbor in
Skiathos Town on a five-hour around-the-island tour. This is a
fantastic way to see the island and visit its many beaches
without having to ride the crowded buses with the masses.
The main beach on Skiathos is at the southern tip. Koukounaries
is a kilometer-long (half mile) white sand beach on a horseshoe-shaped
bay. Thick pine forests and well-tended olive groves grow right
up to the white sand: the contrast of green trees, white sand,
and deep blue water is truly candy for the eyes. Many people
refer to Koukounaries as the best beach in the Aegean Sea. The
open expanse of white sand, easy access from Skiathos Town, and
its renowned beauty attract a large number of people. Despite
the crowds and many beach umbrellas, Koukounaries is an amazing
beach well worth the visit while you're on Skiathos.
Not far along the coast from Koukounaries is Banana Beach.
Banana Beach is renowned nudist hangout, although nowadays
you'll see not more than a few bare bodies. It is also a
beautiful sand beach, smaller than Koukounaries and less crowded.
The northern coast of Skiathos bears the brunt of the northern
winds and as a result the beaches are less popular for swimming.
The northern coast is also virtually undeveloped. The only
northern beach accessible by vehicle is Megalos Aselinos.
North of the airport you will find the beaches of Xanema, Yialos,
and Lalaria, the latter two are only accessible by boat. The
sand and pebble beach at Lalaria is set against a backdrop of
cliffs and is extremely picturesque.
There are several things of interest to see and do on Skiathos
apart from lying on the beach. Inland, there is the Monastery of
Evagelistra, whose claim to fame is that it was the first place
to raise the Greek flag during the fight for independence from
the Ottoman Turks. Not far from the monastery, on top of a hill
with a commanding view, is the Church of the Prophet Ilias (Elijah).
From here you can hike down to the old Kastro, where the
villagers of Skiathos used to take refuge from marauding pirates.
It is now abandoned, but you can still walk through the
impressive ruins that sit on an imposing rock peninsula. While
the Kastro was in use, the only way to get onto the peninsula
was by a drawbridge that has long since disappeared. |
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