Discover Skiathos – the best things to do on Skiathos

Skiathos is a beautiful Greek island in the Sporades island group. It doesn’t have the party reputation of some Greek islands. It’s definitely one of the quieter choices you can make for your holiday. A trip to Skiathos is all about relaxation and exploring – both on the islands and across it’s neighbours. 

How to get to Skiathos?

Where to stay in Skiathos? 

Skiathos has an abundance of hotels, apartments and other accommodation options. Check out my post ‘Everything you need to know about Skiathos‘ to find out more.

What to do in Skiathos?

1. Enjoy the beaches

There are so many beautiful beaches in Skiathos. The majority are sandy and have good services, including tavernas, so you can spend the day. These tavernas usually own the loungers outside and charge a set amount for the day.

I stayed near Volios beach, a lovely little strip of golden sand with two good restaurants.
 

The most famous is Lalaria beach, know for its white stones. This beach is so beloved that there is a bin in Skiathos airport for guilty people to return the stones they’ve taken before they leave the island. Lalaria is not on the main tourist route – the only way to get there is by boat. Luckily, there are lots of boats in the harbours offering tours around to Lalaria so you’ll definitely find an option. For boat tours, I prefer to check out the timings offered the day before to make sure I’m not waiting around too long.

Some of the other beautiful beaches include Koukinaries, the largest and most popular. Beware that a pair of sunloungers on this beach can cost 50e a day (20e on quieter beaches). Koukinaries is one of the beaches furthest away from Skiathos Town, at the very end of the bus route. If you’re looking for something a bit nearer, Vromolimnos, Agia Paraskevi and Kanapitsa are on the main bus route. All have facilities including toilets and bars/restaurants.

2. Visit Evengelistria monastery

Nestled in the centre of the island, this monastery is a haven of peace and quiet. Built in the 18th century, it’s a traditional stone building built in the Greek hills. Apart from enjoying the peace and beauty of the site, there’s a small museum. There’s also a shop where the monastery sells items made on site/locally such as honey and soaps. 

The trip out from Skiathos town takes about 10 minutes. You can either drive yourself, or take the local bus from the stop in Skiathos port. Remember to check bus times and in high season, arrive early. To get up the mountain roads, the island can only provide a mini bus so it will get crowded at peak times. You can also walk up, with the walking time advertised as about 1h – beware it will be very hilly!

While the monastery is only a short trip, it’s stunningly beautiful and well worth doing, not least for the views of the island from the entrance. Definitely not to be missed!

3. Visit Parissis Winery

Skiathos’ only vineyard is high up in the hills in the centre of the island. Opened in 2019, it had a rough couple of years starting up due to the pandemic, but is starting to find its feet now.

You can drive yourself up to the vineyard, which is well signposted. Be aware that parts of the road are in bad repair and are also extremely steep. You can then buy a tour from the vineyard website.

A better way to visit is to take a tour bus up. This gives you the added bonus of being able to drink as much of the wine as you’d like! Many hotels will offer this, or trips are available on Musement Tours. 

The vineyard itself is relatively small (or at least the area visible to the public). If you take a tour you’ll be given an explanation of the types of grape they grow and why. You’ll also be taken into the winery, where they make and bottle the wines. 

Finally, you’ll get to enjoy the stunning views of Skiathos Town and the island while sipping on a range of delicious wines. The climate on the island is best for whites and roses, which are the majority of your tasting. If you take a tour, you’ll also have a cheese and charcuterie board to help line your stomach. The staff at the vineyard will explain each wine. This helps you to slot it into your frame of reference for more common wines, given Greek varieties aren’t well known. Finally, you’ll have a chance to buy a bottle to take home – who would turn that down!

While I highly recommend a visit to the vineyard, if you cant make it, Parissis wines are available at some restaurants on the island, including Infinity Blue (see below). 

4. Go island hopping

Like many Greek islands, Skiathos is near enough to it’s neighbours that it’s easy to go island hopping. The two most common destinations are Skopleos (of Mamma Mia fame, see below) and Alonissos.

To go on your island hopping adventure, you can either DIY by taking local ferries from the port in Skopelos Town, or you can take an island hopping cruise. The benefit of doing it yourself is the freedom this offers – you’re free to spend your time the way you want, with multiple ferries to Skopelos and Alonissos each day (depending on the time of year).

I chose to take a cruise, and went with Elizabet Tours. The benefit of this is that you can often do more in one day (leaving more holiday days to explore the beautiful beaches). The trip is also optimised to take you to places you might not otherwise get to see. For Elizabet cruises, this included a beach from Mamma Mia, as well as sailing past the chapel from the film. 

Skopelos

While smaller than Skiathos, Skopelos is a thriving island with a beautiful old town. Be sure to climb up to the Venetian fortress to take in the views of the island. There are two routes up. One is via stairs, directly from the port. The other route is via the back streets if you want to avoid stairs/see more of the town. 

Spend the rest of your visit wandering the streets of Skopelos town, which offer excellent touristy shops. There are some crafts and unique treasures as well as the usual tourist offerings. You should also make time to eat on the harbour front, and there are a plethora of restaurants to choose from. 

Finally, Skopelos is the location where much of Mamma Mia was filmed. You can choose a Mamma Mia cruise (see below). If you’re just island hopping, your boat might take you to one of the beautiful beaches featured in the film. You can also drive to some of these beaches if you’ve rented a car for the day, and as on Skiathos, most of the beaches on Skopelos have a cafe/bar and facilities.

Alonissos

Alonissos is a smaller island than Skopelos, and there is very little to do in the main port town. Most people who visit Alonissos go for the ‘pirate town’ up on the hills, which has a dramatic history. 

The town was a haven for pirates who attacked other islands within the Sporades island group (at least according to my guides from Skiathos!). The town is certainly ancient, with Byzantine churches and Venetian fortifications. Then, in 1965 an earthquake destroyed much of the town, and the residents were forced to move to the port town. From the 1980s, residents started to move back and rebuild. Today, the town is a thriving and beautiful spot, dotted with cafes and bars and little souvenir shops. Climb to the very top to find a cafe with excellent views over the coastline and island. This town is well worth a visit!

5. Explore Skiathos town

Skiathos Town is the bustling capital of the island. Your plane or ferry will arrive into the town. It’s easily accessible by bus from around the island (see my post Everything you need to know about Skiathos for more details on buses on Skiathos).

Like many Greek towns, Skiathos Town has many winding alleyways, white houses with abundant flowers and steep steps up into the hillside. However, it’s also a modern town with a busy main shopping street. This is filled with restaurants and shops that are much better than the usual souvenir-laden offerings (though those exist too).

One of the main sights is Skiathos Castle, built around 1360 and originally Byzantine until the fall of Constantinople. It was then taken over by the Venetians. Make sure you take the walk up, because the views are well worth it. You’ll also pass Agios Nikolas Church, a beautiful example of a Greek Orthodox church and clock tower

Finally, make sure you eat in one of Skiathos Town’s many delicious eateries – see below. 

6. Visit Mamma Mia locations

Ok, this is a teeny lie – you can’t see Mamma Mia locations while on Skiathos (although you can certainly live your best Mamma Mia life on any Greek island). Mamma Mia was filmed on Skopelos, one of the neighbouring islands. However, from Skiathos, there are lots of companies offering trips to these locations, so you can spend a day living out your Mamma Mia dreams from Skiathos.

You can find a trip by heading down to the port, where a number of companies offer shorter trips out to various locations, including the beaches and the chapel. Or you can book a full day cruise, which takes you to a number of different sites, offering you the chance to sunbathe and swim in the sea.

One of the main sites to visit is the Chapel, featured in the wedding in the first film. Some boat trips sail past this, while others offer the option to disembark and take a bus, followed by a steep walk, to the chapel itself. 

You can also visit Kastani beach, where the “Does your Mama know that you’re out” scene was filmed. This isn’t easy to get to by car, although it’s possible – the best way is by boat. While the pier and beach bar from the film were specially made and no longer exist, there is a lovely bar on the beach. This has a large number of sunbeds. Prices are reasonable, and it’s a beautiful spot to relax after a dip in the crystal clear waters.

My cruise also took us to beautiful Panormos for lunch. Although only used as part of the press tour for the film, this stunning bay is well worth a visit. It has blue water and beautiful sand, and a few beachfront restaurants to choose from. 

My experience

I took the day trip with Dolphins Skiathos, as this was the company offered by my hotel. To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it. There weren’t enough staff on the cruises, so the bartender was also functioning as the tour guide, and was often overwhelmed. They also mixed up some of the locations, and the trip up to the chapel was a significant extra charge (15e). 

If I were going to do it again, I would take a shorter boat trip from the harbour directly to the sites I wanted to see, and visit Kastani beach as part of the much better Elizaveta island hopping tour. 

7. Eat delicious food

There are lots of delicious food options on Skiathos, but three really stood out for me. 

• The first was Infinity Blue, on a cliff overlooking Kolios beach. Infinity Blue is all about the view. Set up high, it overlooks the bay in front. It also offers excellent fish and seafood, as well as a wide selection of wines – including from XXX winery above. Check in advance whether Infinity Blue is open – times depend on the season – and book ahead, especially if you want one of the better seats. You can get there easily via the Skiathos Bus, with the stop just below, as well as taking a taxi or driving.

• My second recommendation is Bourtzi. This beautiful restaurant is set on a small islet/peninsular overlooking Skiathos port and Skiathos Town. To get to the restaurant, follow the port until you get to the small hilly islet, and walk around until you get to the entrance. Bourtzi is all about the view – the food is fairly standard European fare, more suited to brunch/lunch than dinner, though it was good quality. But the setting makes up for the lack of local options, looking directly over the stunningly blue sea. There’s also steps down to a small landing where you can swim, as well as the best bathrooms I’ve ever experienced. 

• Finally, I didn’t get a chance to try Windmill restaurant, but I heard great things about this unique spot in Skopelos town. Set in an old windmill, the restaurant has very limited opening hours, so book ahead. It overlooks the whole of Skiathos Town and the harbour, as well as giving you the chance to dine in a historic building. 

A special shout out goes to Crazy Rooster, on the road into the hills from Kolios beach. This little bar/restaurant had amazing food and the rudest (but excellent) cocktails I’ve ever seen. If you’re staying near Kolios, it’s definitely worth checking it out.

Final thoughts

I’ve been to quite a few Greek islands by now and I can definitely say that Skiathos is one of my favourites to visit! Make sure you visit to take advantage of all this gorgeous island has to offer!