Skiathos is an island of Sporades, in the Aegean Sea. Administratively, it is a part of Magnesia Prefecture. It is just 2.4 miles from the coast of southern Pelion and 4 miles from Skopelos island. It is extended in an area of 48 square kilometers. The southern part of the island has a large tourist expansion, while the northern
remains unaffected and unexplored.
It is the home island of Alexandros Papadiamantis, the famous Greek writer and in the town you can find and visit his house – museum.
In the 14th century the people who lived in the town of Skiathos, abandon their home, which was the centre of the island since antiquity because of the pirates. They made their new settlement on a high rock close to the sea, in the northern part of the island, called Kastro. After the Greek War of Independence the town of Skiathos became the centre of the island again.
Bourtzi is a small peninsula which separates the port of Skiathos. In the past it was a fortress, which was established by the Gizi brothers who occupied the island in 1207. It was surrounded with walls and embrasures and on the left and right from the gates there were two towers. In 1906 the primary school of the island was built there. Nowadays, Bourtzi is used as a cultural center.
More than 60 beaches grace Skiathos Island. Banana, Aghia Paraskevi, Maratha, Mandraki, Elias, Aselinos, Kehria, Tsougrias, Lalaria and Vromolimnos are just some of the many places worth visiting. Skiathos’ best-known beach, Koukounaries, has been declared the third best beach in the whole Mediterranean.
Skiathos is full of high-quality amenities for cosmopolitan holidays, offering lively excitement or peaceful relaxation.
The churches and monasteries of the island have played an important role in the history and culture of Skiathos. The local people continue to visit them on feast days, in accordance with the religious traditions of the island.
The church of the Tris Ierarches, the metropolitan church of the island, was built in 1846 and it is a three-aisled basilica. It contains the miraculous icon of the Panayia Eikonistra, found in 1650. The Evangelistria monastery, founded in 1704 by monks from Mt. Athos, is famous for the part it has played in the years of the Greek War of Independence.
There is a regular boat service to the island and the rest of the Sporades islands with departures from Volos and Agios Konstantinos. The boats are operated mainly by Hellenic Seaways, ANES Lines, Aqua Ferries and Aegean Flying Dolphins. Skiathos National Airport is connected with Athens. The line is served by Olympic Air, Aegean Air and Sky Express, while foreign airlines provide charter flights from a range of airports in European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus and Scandinavian countries.