Destinations
Greece
Skiathos

Holidays to Skiathos, Greece

Overview

Skiathos has grown to accommodate its thriving tourist trade without losing its Greek charm!. The island’s outstanding natural beauty is protected by extensive limitations on building, pollution and overcrowding, but still attracts its fair share of partygoers. The bustling bars in the metropolitan Skiathos town keep the island’s nightlife competitive with some of its rowdier Mediterranean neighbours. Skiathos appeals to both beach lovers and adrenaline junkies who’ll love the abundance of water sports centres.

Skiathos is a wonderful place for exploring other Greek Islands and the mainland, as well as the local countryside, so it offers a perfect holiday for many.

The celebrity spotting potential in Skiathos starts to heat up along with the weather, with the mercury steadily rising from around May. By July the mid 20°C temperatures have turned to the upper scale, with days over 30°C perfectly common right through until September.

Beaches

The undoubted star attractions are the island’s 60 beaches, which rival any in the world for sparkling sands and warm turquoise waters. Many of the island’s best beaches are only accessible by boat and are a great place for a secluded picnic or a spot of quiet sunbathing. Our favourite is the beautiful Lalária in the northeast of the island, with its iconic ‘hollow rock’ that juts out into the bay.

Things To Do

Upon arrival in Skiathos there is one thing that strikes you above all else – the scenery. For all of its diminutive size there is an awful lot going on in the landscape. It is not just in the natural beauty that people are flocking to book Skiathos holidays, however. Its indelible culture is also very much in the mix, with Greek villages seemingly sprouting up in the most surprising of places.

In many ways, this is typified by Skiathos Town. Sprawling across two prominent hills with its whitewashed villas, this is far more than a quiet village, however. It is very much the place to head to see those celebrity visitors. History buffs can visit the magnificent ruins of the fortified town of Kastro from here too.

Skiathos packs a lot in for such a small island. Designer shops, destination restaurants and clubs that the world’s best DJs frequent are indicative of the modern Skiathos Town. The two ocean-going yacht-filled marinas and exclusive bars set the scene too.

Food And Drink

There is such a large array of restaurants and cafés that it is possible to eat out for every meal! Greek tavernas are wonderfully numerous throughout the island of Skiathos, with full-on flavour very much the order of the day. Skiathos is a great place to sample traditional Greek cuisine such as kebabs, salads and stuffed vine leaves. However, for the more trendy experience, fine dining is not hard to discover. For the more realistic evening experiences with food though, Skiathos Town’s ancient quarter is where you need to go.

Somewhat of a party destination already, nightlife just sees events being ramped up a little. Exclusive membership and invited guest-only bars are very much evident in Skiathos Town of course. However, there are a number of typically British bars and clubs, as well as more sophisticated jazz and blues bars with partying until the early hours.

Those in search of a party should head to the ‘bar street’ to the east of the harbour in Skiathos town, where you’ll find everything from laid back tavernas and shisha bars to raucous clubs. It’s good to remember that Greeks are notoriously laid back when it comes to kicking off the evening’s entertainment and that most clubs won’t even open until midnight!

For something a little more cultural, live performances of Greek tragedies as well as traditional music and dance are available in the stunningly set Bourtzi outdoor theatre.

Where To Stay

There is a complete mix of accommodation for those enjoying cheap Skiathos holidays, whether self-catering apartments or all-inclusive hotels are on the agenda. Families will find the Achladies resort perfect for example, while Troulos is a quiet haven. Beach lovers meanwhile would find Koukounaries perfect.