General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• errorm80 17 Sep 2011
  An authentic Greek place

  Skyros is a small island where you can spend quiet vacation with your family and friends. We stayed at a beautiful hotel at the town port, but we got the chance to see some of the tiny villages driving around by motorbike.
  
  For swimming, I recommend Atsitsa for the crystal waters, but if you want something more organized then Molos would be the best choice. Few lovely cafes line the sandy beach of Molos and in the evening they turn into bars. In Skyros, all landscape is green and this color reflects into the sea. It is a shame that few years ago there was a fire on the northern side, as the hotelier told us, hopefully it doesn't happen again.
  
  We enjoyed some calm romantic evenings in Chora walking up to the castle and around the narrow streets. The square has nice cafes and in the afternoon children were riding their bikes. Lovely images of daily life. Actually Skyros is not open to foreigners, most visitors are Greeks, so if you want an authentic place, there you go...
  
  Just a short flight from Athens but flights are not frequent so better book early.
  
• abigail 07 Jul 2010
  Trek to explore the island

  We reached the port of Skyros by ferry from Alonissos and drove to Kalamista, a remote beach where our accommodation was. The long beach is beautiful, set against a backdrop of a barren mountainside and it is ideal for swimming and windsurfing. We explored the region on foot.
  
  The amazing combination of picturesque landscapes and spectacular views really made our trip worthwhile, although the trek was quite tiring by the end of the day. On the way, we stopped at the grave of Rupert Brooke, the famous British poet, who died in 1915 and was laid to rest in an olive grove south of Kalamista. We saw a few Skyrian ponies in farms, a species whose number is declining rapidly making them a protected species in the region. A truly unforgettable experience it was.
  
  Besides beaches, we also liked the Castle and the monastery of Saint George beneath. Unlike other Greek islands, where the traditional cuisine is modified beyond recognition to cater to the international clientele, Skyros offers a fine gastronomic experience and the best meals we had were at the various taverns that are scattered all over the island, in the mountains, on the beaches or lining the port. Very tasty is the lobster spaghetti.
  
• olivrre 29 Jan 2010
  Outside the modern world

  Skyros seems totally outside the modern world sometimes. I have seen old women baking in ovens with woods, old shepherds waiting for their sheep to eat, beaches with no visitors except for us, I have travelled from top to the south of Skyros in May and haven't met any other car, and still there was life when we arrived in Chora.
  
  Food in Skyros was the best I have eaten in Greece, probably because all products were made in the virgin land of the island. Beaches were not the best, most were rocky and not organized at all. But I liked that they were so green and relaxing.
  
  Do not expect luxury hotels in Skyros, be satisfied with a lovely small studio at the beach. We had rented a room in Molos beach, right in a walking distance from Chora and every evening we walked in the narrow streets of the town and enjoyed the view to the sea. The Castle should really be lighted at night, it would make the atmosphere much more romantic!
  
• akan 20 Nov 2009
  Ponies and traditional sweets

  Arriving in Skyros, you meet the sweet village of Linaria. Linaria looks more like a village in Cyclades, full of bright white, small houses, all close to each other. From there, you can take a bus to Chora, the capital.
  
  If you love animals and you are after something special, spend one day to visit the Skyrian Pony Center and give these beautiful, friendly creatures a close look. Skyrian pony is protected from the Greek law, like the caretta turtle and the monachus seal. The center is running under the care of a young couple, that will give you information about the ponies and maybe accompany you to your visit. If you are lucky, you can see free ponies to the hills. Note that the Skyrian horse is one of a kind in the whole world and can be found only on Skyros island.
  
  Apart from the ponies, Skyrosis also famous for its original, traditional sevenbarn bread, a delicious bread, made of turnips. That's also available in crackers. If you visit Skyros in August or autumn, ask the locals, where you can find grape pies! Delicious!
  
• yuridd5rf 08 Aug 2009
  Greener than other islands and relaxing

  It is a fortunate thing that Skyros has an airport, otherwise it would be a tiring trip from Athens. We wanted for long to go to Skyros, from the photos it seemed a great place to be and very relaxing. Yes, it was very nice and much different from the islands of Cyclades.
  
  Chora was much alike villages in Cyclades but nature was very green and very isolate in some places. The white colour of Chora and the Castle ressembled a bit to other islands, but the beaches were better and far from touristic umbrellas, sunbeds and ski bananas.
  
  Rent a motorbike to travel around Skyros because buses are awful. They were always at least half an hour off time and twice they didn't come at all!! A motorbike is much cheaper than a car and better for the narrow roads of Skyros.
  
  Agios Fokas and Atsitsa was very clean and there are times when you can be the only person there. If you like organized beaches, go to Molos, this is the only organized resort on the island. Most hotels and rooms are in Molos. Note that the island lacks luxury hotels, you will most probably find a simple room to let.
  
• rania32 07 May 2009
  Carnival costumes

  I was in Skyros last February for the Greek Carnival. The locals organize big celebrations and dress up in traditional, strange costums. Also the tradition of the Old Man and the young Lady revives in the square of Skyros: a man wears beard and gets dressed in a traditional costume and another man is dressed like a girl and they present a show with local gossip. Also other dressed people hold cowbells and run around the village making noise. It was fun. As you understand, apart from the Town and Molos village, I didn't see anything else on Skyros. It was winter and the wind was blowing strong the one of the three days we stayed there. Also, apart from the Town which was a bit lively, everything else seemed to be closed up. There were only a couple of taverns open and fortunately we stayed in a friend's house, otherwise I don't know if we would find any accommodation.
  
• olivia3rch 03 Feb 2009
  Much remoter than I thought

  Skyros is a remote island, much remoter than I thought. Nightlife is very poor and concentrates in a few bars in Chora. There are not many htings to do, just trekking and swimming. I prefered swimming, as trekking is too tiring for me :)) The only thing to see is the Castle in Chora. Chora is actually the only proper village on the island. From beaches, prefer Molos. If you have a motorbike, go also to Agios Fokas and Atsitsa, where the ambience is nicer.
• greta1255iis 09 Jul 2008
  Much quiet for me

  Skyros was generally nice and very scenic, but not for my taste. We stayed for a week there and missed the noise and parties of Mykonos. Things were pretty quiet in June and a few beach bars would stay open all night. However, the beaches were fine, my favourite was Atsitsa. If you have small kids, though, do not go because they may get hurt from the rocky seafloor.
• sharon33 13 Mar 2008
  Too much noise

  Skyros is a lovely and quiet island. I traveled this summer there on my own, just with the help of two guidebooks. I booked my room last minute and I was lucky I found one. Chora is beautiful with a wonderful view of the sea. The beach below can get crowded in August. There are also some other lovely beaches accessible by car or motorbike. There is too much nightlife within the limits of Chora for my taste, which contributed to a great deal of noise at the edge of Chora by motorcycles all night long. The typical Greek food plus several Skyrian specialities were available everywhere. Some of them were excellent although sometimes I had to wait for a table. If you want to visit Skyros, avoid the middle of August. It was difficult to sleep because of the noise. Make sure to rent a car and see some of the island outside the Chora-Magazio-Molos area. If you expect to buy things, bring plenty of money because the ceramics and jewelry are expensive. This is a good island if you speak some Greek, which nearly all tourists do.
• tsapas 27 Sep 2005
  A great island

  A really great island for those you seach for a more authentic Greece, picturesque villages and amazing landscapes.
• karim 27 Sep 2005
  Lack of beaches but beautiful landscapes

  I went to Skyros last June. I had already been to the other Sporades (Alonissos, Skopelos and Skiathos) and I wanted to see what the most remote island of the group looked like.
  
  It is true that Skyros is the less blessed of the group in terms of beaches and this maybe the reason why it is attracting less tourists than its neighbours.
  
  But I found lovely villages, some beaches, impressive landscapes and astonishing views. I also learned that the island is the habitat of the endangered specie of a wild pony (the Skyrian pony) but I didn?t had the chance to see one. Maybe next time if I?m lucky.