Greece: Travel Guide: Sporades Islands: Skiathos

Greece: Sporades Islands: Skiathos

Skiathos (Greek: Σκιάθος), Latin forms: Sciathos and Sciathus is a small island in the Aegean Sea belonging to Greece. Near Skopelos, it consists of the main town (Skiathos (town)) and the communities of Koukounaries, Kanapitsa, Vromolimnos and Troullos. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Sporades group of islands. The mainland of Greece along with Magnesia are to the west. The name of the island dates back to ancient times.

The island of Skiathos has 70 beaches all around it. Skiathos town is a port which shelters small boats and from where ferry services connect to Skopelos, Volos, Agios Konstantinos and the rest of Greece.

Much of the island is forested. The area around the villages and Skiathos Town are farmland. The island's forests are pine and are located in the southeastern part of the island. The island of Skopelos can be seen from Skiathos with the more distant islands of Euboea and Scyros also visible in clearer conditions. The mountaintop, which has a communications tower, is to the west. The slope of the hill is to the north and contains several valleys.

Skiathos has approximately 70 beaches including one nudist beach at south end of the island in a resort called Bananna

The island is linked to mainland Greece with sea routes from Thessaloniki, Volos and Agios Konstantinos and also to the rest of the Sporades (all by hydrofoil, Hellenic Seaways). This costs roughly €12 a person return to Skopelos and €15 return to Alonissos (car Ferries are also available but not as regular out of holiday season). There also exists an airport at the northeast of the island. The airport has one of the shortest runways in Europe measuring only 3/4 of a mile (1570m) which means that aircraft landings can be a little hair-raising. Subsequent take-offs result in a short flight before landing at another airfield (primarily nearby Volus, Kavala, Thessaloniki) to refuel as most aircraft are unable to take off with the required amount of fuel for its flight from the short runway. However, in the early and late on in the holiday season it is possible to make it all the way back to the United Kingdom on most aircraft due to lighter passenger loads. If you are lucky enough to travel on a 757-200(the largest aircraft type to visit the island, operated by XL Airways, First Choice, Astraeus, Blue Panorama and Air Italy (info from the Summer 2006)) you will unlikely need to refuel which means you will save upto an hour on the journey home. There is airline connection (Olympic approx 45 mins) to Athens throughout the year.

An Air Malta flight prepares to leave from Skiathos International Airport.The roads are to the south and to the east and to the northwest. There are no gravel roads to the central and the northern part. There is only one major road and is linked with all of the four settlements on the island. The one linking to the northwest are not used and has the view of the eastern part of Magnesia.