Skiathos is a verdant island in the Aegean Sea. It has an area of 48 km and a coastline of 44 km. It has 70 beaches or coves bordered by a sea almost in the colors of the Caribbean and wooded hills. Some consider it has the most beautiful beach in Greece, Koukounaries.
Cosmopolitan, ideal for lovers of sailing but also for luxury lovers.
The oldest and most mountainous districts above the old port, around the churches of Tris Ierarhes and Agia Triada, preserve their charm with their small squares and garden houses, although the north has been affected by tourist development. Arriving in the port of Skiathos, you will be welcomed by Bourtzi, a peninsula located between the new port and the old one, covered with pines where are the ruins of a Venetian citadel built in the thirteenth century. Directly opposite, you can see the amphitheatrically layout of Chora with its houses with red roofs.
Two and a half kilometers from the town, to the north-east of the Skiathos mountain range, the 13th-century Evanglistria monastery (opened daily from 10:30 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 20:00) is the first monastery in Skiathos. An eclectic museum (3 km) contains many documents and photographs of the wars, as well as a folklore wing centered on an old bread oven.
At the northern end of Skiáthos, Kastro is a fortress that once protected the inhabitants of pirates since the 16th century. After 1830, when the Greek state cleared the seas of the marauders, the place was abandoned in favor of the current city. There are 22 ancient churches that have survived the centuries-old or murals of the birth of Jesus Christ, but also the embedded ceramics of Agios Nikolaos.
The beaches:
The beaches of Lalaria and Koukounaries are among the most beautiful in Greece.
– Lalaria: Beach that has made Skiathos famous in the four corners of the Earth. Turquoise waters, white pebbles, steep rocks. Very busy.
– Koukounaries and Strofilia Lake: As famous as Lalaria, it is considered the most authentic of the Mediterranean. Golden sand and beach surrounded by pine trees. A little further on, Strofilia Lake is a biotope that catches rare species of birds.
– Banana: Small nudist beach of the island. Fine sand and crystal clear waters.
– Mantraki: Wild beach and quieter, crystal clear waters.
Do not miss:
The Kastro, the monastery of Evangelistria, the beaches of Koukounaries and Lalaria.