Log in to become a member of Dabs Bannerman's Fan Club!
Flying into the Greek holiday island of Skiathos is definitely not for the faint of heart. The island runway is laid across a narrow neck of land between two hills. There is nothing at either end of the short runway but the Mediterranean.
Cheap flight air passengers are warned to expect plenty of noise when the wheels hit the tarmac and aircraft engines are thrown into screaming reverse. Pilots don't have long to stop; the alternative is a a drop into the sea.
No need to worry though. The airport, though tiny, has an unblemished record. As does the holiday island of Skiathos itself, which is now one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Greek islands. Skiathos sits in the Sporades group off east coast of mainland Greece. Sporades is Greek for 'necklace' and the islands are thrown out in a necklace-like arc across the Aegean.
Skiathos may be small, only 12 km long and 4 km wide, but it's big in the holiday brochures with more than 60 beaches, many of them splendidly sandy with warm, shallow waters - an ideal family holiday destination.
Skiathos Town is the main resort, a cosmopolitan mix of tavernas, restaurants, cafes and shops clustered around a double harbour with attractive islets just offshore. Many staying at beach resorts across the island will head here at night for the nightlife and the holiday shopping. Most of Skiathos' beach resorts can be found along the south coast where dozens of beaches lie in wait; scimitars of golden sand seems to lie around every headland. The bigger beaches have all the tourist facilities, beach bars, sun beds, boat trips and water sports and they are are linked by a well-surfaced road that snakes right along the coast to the world famous Koukounaries beach on the tip of the island and several times voted by travel industry experts as among the top ten beaches in the world.
Holiday makers who prefer to escape the crowds can find peaceful, small coves at almost every turn or they can head inland, through the pine forests and over the island's hilly spine to the north coast where less popular, but equally sandy, beach resorts can be found. Alternatively they can board one of the many boats that has daily trips to less accessible beaches, such as the fabulous white pebble beach of Lalaria, another stunning destination that features on many a holiday travel brochure.
Skiathos may be busy but it clings on to its authentic Greek island character. A ban on high rise hotels has done much to keep it falling foul of ugly tourist development and most of its holiday accommodation is small hotels and apartment blocks, nestled among olive groves and citrus orchards and framed by the scented pines that roll down from the hilly interior, often right to the shore. More adventurous holiday makers will board on one of the regular daily ferries that travel to the nearby islands of Skopelos or Alonissos where more Greek island delights await. These islands can easily be visited in a day or you could make an overnight stop in one of the many 'dhomatia' or rooms to rent to be found clustered around the island harbours.
Skiathos is truly a Greek holiday island with something for everyone, from the cosmopolitan nightlife of the main port, to big swathes of golden sand and tiny hideaway coves with just a beach cantina and a clutch of sun beds. Skiathos is truly a diamond in the necklace that is the Sporades.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
