Skopelos: A Top Island Destination in the Sporades

Skopelos is the largest island in the Sporades, located between the islands of Skiathos and Alonissos. It’s the second largest island in the Sporades chain after Skyros.

The stunning isle boasts naturally beautiful sea, greenery, history and churches- making it the perfect location for the filming of the hit musical movie ‘Mamma Mia.’

The town is also filled with fabulous bars, taverns and boutiques, so there is something to do both day and night for singles, couples and families alike.

Skopelos is virtually covered in forest, with 80% of this hilly island featuring pine trees. Several resorts lie scattered around the shore. Olive and plum groves also help make up much of the lush, green interior of Skopelos, and there are many pleasant walks along forest trails.

Skopelos is a popular day-trip destination, making it a great escape from the sometimes overcrowded and hour-away Skiathos.

The beaches →

Skopelos has wonderful beaches, including Koukounaries, Big and Little Banana, Agia Eleni, Agia Paraskevi, Lalaria and Vromolimnos.

With fewer sandy beaches than its more populated neighbour Skiathos, the pebble beaches here are mainly confined to the south coast between Stafylos and Loutraki. Most can be visited by bus, although some require a bit of a walk, so make sure you are prepared with good walking shoes, hats, and water. Sandy beaches are definitely worth the journey to get to, and most are quite tranquil, allowing both privacy and relaxation.

The town →

Picture-perfect Skopelos Town is filled with roofs of blue slate and red tile flowing down to the steep harbour amphitheatre. Visitors can enjoy the waterfront promenade of restaurants, bars, and shops pitched beneath mulberry trees. A cliff wall ends with chapels that lead up to a 13th-century Venetian Kastro. Now a designated preservation area, the streets have more than 130 churches hidden away.

The village →

Before climbing the hillside to the mountain village of Glossa, the main road passes through the Klima, which has two villages: Palio Klima and Neo Klima, although the whole area is also known as Elios-Klima.

When you get to Glossa, you will find a picturesque hillside village, home to 1,200 people and magnificent views. The traditional village way of life is still evident, and many houses in the village have wooden balconies. The surrounding fields are full of plum and almond trees. Several dirt roads provide walks to nearby sights of interest.

The sights →

These must-see sights include the monastery of Agion Taxiarchon, built on the ruins of a 7th-century Byzantine church and the Gourouni Cape lighthouse. Tracks lead down to often deserted beaches with coves at Myrtia and Koutria to the northwest and Perivoli, Pethameni, Hondrogiorgi, Keramoto, Mavraki and Spilia in the northeast. Many, however, are difficult to find, and only Spilia and Perivoli have roads leading to them. Pethameni is at the bottom of the path, but Hondrogiorgi has easier access and is popular amongst locals.

At Spilia, a cave and a chapel to Agios Ioannis are built on a spectacular headland above a double-coved beach. The headland was created when the cliffs collapsed into the sea, and the pretty chapel featured strongly in the popular film Mamma Mia.