Skopelos is part of the Northern Sporades Archipelago, located between Skiathos and Alonissos. Its name means “rocky” in Greek, and it is considered the most beautiful of its archipelago, ranking among the five most fascinating islands in Greece. Skopelos is a perfect mix of natural features, with a varied and rich territory. It covers over 90 square kilometers and its environment goes from mountains covered with fairy tale forests and pine forests to deep and fertile valleys of vineyards and orchards. Its highest peaks are those of Mount Delphi in the center and the Palouki massif to the southeast while its coasts are jagged with numerous coves and small promontories.

Mythology and History of Skopelos
According to Greek mythology, Skopelos was the home of Stafylos son of the God Dionysus and Ariadne who landed there and fell in love with it and decided to live right here. Confirming this legend is a tomb located in the area of ​​the same name considered the resting place of the king.

Its ancient name was Pepartihos, the name of the brother of the first mythological settler of the island, Stafylos. It was inhabited since the Mycenaean era with three important cities, the remains of which are still visible today where the Kastro and temples dedicated to Dionysus and Athena were built. At the end of the Peloponnesian War it fell under the occupation of Sparta and then passed into the hands of the Athenians who lost it during the conflicts with King Philip II of Macedonia. Then came the Romans who brought Christianity. Between the 7th and 9th centuries the Byzantines arrived while the following century it fell under the dominion of Thessaly. In 1207 after the occupation of Constantinople it passed under the Venetians governed by the Gizi brothers who granted privileges of autonomy to the island and then returned to the Byzantines and had a period of anarchy. In these years there were many pirate raids forcing a good part of the population to emigrate to the island of Euboea. In 1333 the Pasha Ormour invaded the Sporades, sacking and besieging them. Two hundred years later the pirate Barbarossa, leader of the Turkish fleet, destroyed Skopelos, remaining uninhabited for a long time. In 1600 it was repopulated and prospered with the production of wine, becoming famous throughout the Aegean thanks to its nectar until 1830 when it became part of the new Greek state.

Attractions and activities in Skopelos
Things to do in Skopelos, like in all the Greek islands, are always different. Don’t miss Stafilo Bay to the southwest in the small rounded peninsula where the tomb of King Stafilo is located, where the large golden sword, bracelets and a crystal pendant were found, which are now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Volos. An area of ​​astonishing colors, a clear and intense blue sea, rocks with pink veins, and pine trees that reach the sea climbing up the rocks.

The capital Skopelos Town, shaped like a horseshoe above low hills, is a succession of white houses with red roofs and wooden balconies adorned with colorful bougainvillea, a true postcard typical of Greece. Its labyrinthine streets and traffic-free at every corner will give you views that will leave you speechless. Wonderful typical taverns under terraces covered with vines with a view of the sea, shops of all kinds and little places where you can stay up late in a relaxed atmosphere. Go and visit the remains of the 13th century Venetian castle right on the top, the view is stunning, or enter the soul of Skopelos with the Folklore Museum or the church on the port of Eisodia tis Theotokou.

If you like trekking then its gentle mountains will be perfect! There are many paths to follow through uncontaminated and generous nature among fragrant almond trees and ancient monasteries. You can do it yourself if you are expert or rely on one of the many tourist agencies that deal with excursions.

In Skopelos you should know that there are almost four hundred churches and legend has it that they were built one for each icon that arrived from the sea during the catastrophe in Asia Minor in 1921 when the Greek Turkish population threw them into the water to save them. Someone or something wanted them to reach the coasts of Skopelos and be recovered by its inhabitants.

Another beautiful village to include among the things to see in Skopelos is Glossa village. Second in size to the northwest. With its port, it is a traditional location where time almost seems to have stopped. The most used means of transport is still the donkey. Its position offers a truly suggestive panorama.

But the most visited place is undoubtedly Agios Ioannis famous for the wedding scenes in the film Mamma Mia. A huge monolith that seems to magically emerge from the sea where on the top there is this wonderful little church that to reach it you have to do a lot of hard work but the reward is proportional.

Beaches and Relaxation in Skopelos
Skopelos beaches are all different from each other but have in common a spectacular sea. Perfect places to relax and recharge your batteries, far from the chaos and immersed in nature. Skopelos is a paradise to discover, where peace and harmony reign supreme. Make a stop at Panormos beach where they filmed a scene from the legendary film Mamma Mia, a beautiful bay with hills full of vegetation with a wide coastline with crystal clear waters but be careful because the seabed drops quite quickly, and also the beach of Kastani once quiet and hidden now famous and crowded, has a narrow shoreline of soft light sand with a sea that seems like a swimming pool for its waters of a thousand shades of blue. Here you can come for your family holiday with children as the seabed drops slowly. And finally Limnoari beach closed in an inlet where the sea is so clean that you can see your own shadow while swimming.

Why choose a holiday in Skopelos?
You choose a holiday in Skopelos for its abundant and lush nature, for its beaches, for its relaxed atmosphere where you can spend days in total tranquility, for its archaeological sites and to see the legendary church where the scene of the film “Mamma Mia” was filmed which gave it further fame. An island to be discovered forgetting about time where peace and harmony reign supreme what more could you ask for?

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