Beyond the emerald-sapphire beach coves and impressive chapels of Mama Mia’s film sets, Skopelos is full of beautiful surprises and irresistible charm.
Located opposite North Evia where we live, sometimes your nearest neighbours are the easiest to overlook. Until they brought the island to our literal doorstep with the launch of a summer ferry service from our home in Mandoudi. It became silly to continue to ignore. So what did we discover on Skopelos?
Thoroughly family-friendly, Skopelos is unexpectedly, and quite exceptionally, attractive. Mama Mia! may have inspired boat tours that descend on otherwise calm beaches in a frenzy of ABBA, but otherwise, the island remains relatively unadulterated. So far escaping the degradations of development, it maintains a refreshingly relaxed authenticity.
Skopelos has also got edge. A new wave of entrepreneurs have set up Asian bistros, cantinas in the forest, and superfood-focused cafes. On a low-key roll, here’s how to maximise your itinerary when you’re in the company of tiny travellers:
THE SWIMMING SCENE
Like its sister islands (Skiathos, Alonissos and Evia) in the Sporades, Skopelos is lush. Fringed by pine tree forests, its luminous green and blue bays are cinematically beautiful and pristine. Even on busy beaches, vendors and guests seem to be an environmentally-conscious lot, keeping them cleaner than I have seen on the beaches of other popular islands.
The sand grain type here is of the pebbly (Bring Posca pens for rock art) variety – advantageous if you don’t enjoy sand sticking to your feet. Also, because of this texture, seashore gradients tend to run steep.
What are the idyllic bays to visit with kids? These are our picks.
VILLAGE CHARM
Skopelos’ Chora (main town) was designated a protected Traditional Settlement of Outstanding Beauty in 1978. A stone-paved waterfront (pedestrian-only in the evenings) is crowned by an ascending vision of terracotta roofed houses, while mulberry and plane trees dot the seafront boulevard. Unlike the dry Cyclades, there’s always a tree-shaded bench for baby to sneak a snooze on with Dad, while Mom slips off into Jasmine-scented back alleyways for a bout of island shopping.
Within tangled village streets designed to confound marauding pirates of the time, a colourful mix of tenants line and surround the Old Town walkways. The Skopelitan variety is polished and progressive in a uniquely Greekly-charming way: A coffee cum juice bar serving gluten-free bread helmed by a bearded, ponytailed barrister, a local micro brewery and bar, and locally-celebrated Rodio – a pottery shop specialising in bold, black earthenware made with a patented process… As night falls, warmly-lit boltholes glow with dark handsome barmen within. This is the kind of village I wouldn’t mind living in.
There’s more if you venture up towards the Venetian fortress, taking the seaside stairway where the 16th century Church of the Virgin Mary sits. Whitewashed and pared-back Donkee is a chic cocktail bar with ambrosial sips, soothing tunes, and sublime views that take centerstage. Cycladic style Anatoli near the top has tables scattered over terraces that open up into the breathtaking vistas. The walk up is not the easiest for young kids, but doable, and best done in sneakers
WHERE TO STAY WITH KIDS
The whole point of Greek islands in summer is the beach. And considering the glacial pace of how we move with children, beachfront accommodation is our choice of retreat. Ideally no more than a 5-minute walk to the sea. Happily in Skopelos, the seaside villages of Stafylos and Agnotas have waters that are both lovely for swimming, and not more than an 8-minute drive from the Chora where you are likely to be spending many evenings, and possibly mornings. While the beach at Stafylos is nicer, Agnotas is more complete with a café for morning espresso hits and mini mart popsicle stops.
Dominated by boutique hotels and apartment rentals, Adrina is one of two five-star resorts on the island if you enjoy a bit of luxe. Sitting aloof on the edge of Panormos, this is another covetable swathe of sand to seek accommodation in. Complete with an array of village amenities, Panormos a 20-minute drive out from the Chora.
DINING WITH CHILDREN, TAKEOUT & A SWEET STOP
Dining comfortably with kids for us means spaced-out tables in sprawling grounds. Or after a particularly adventurous day, better yet if we can bring the restaurant home to us. Here are some tasty tables that fit the bill:
— STOU DIMITRAKI (CHORA) —
It’s quite possibly a rule that the best tavernas are not the tourist traps clustered along the Chora waterfront. Looking on the outskirts instead, Stou Dimitraki is a buzzy-casual joint with a wide and well-priced menu. Our highlights: a velvety psarosoupa (fish soup), octopus in wine sauce, and baked eggplant.
— MOURIA FISH TAVERNA (AGNONTAS) —
Korali, we were told, was the place to dine at in the small port of Agnontas. But the sleek spot with menu options like scorpion fish carpaccio and tuna tartare felt like a mismatch with our fresh-from-the-sea savages. Instead, we gravitated towards the tables under the Mulberry trees (Mouria in Greek) at the water’s edge. Tucking into our usual seafood taverna assortment of fried zucchini, grilled sardines, shrimp pasta, cuttlefish with spinach (excellent), and grouper with onions (plaki), it’s the kind of long drawn out dining experience on the beach that is quintessentially Greek.
— MANOLIS (NEO KLIMA) —
Neo Klima transports you to traditional Greek village quietude before the rise of mass tourism, just a 6-minute drive from Kastani. Apart from a traditional menu of grilled seafood and chops, Manolis offers a buffet of ready-cooked meals that a Greek mom would lovingly prepare in her home kitchen: Oven-baked young goat (“katsiki”), “special” chicken and bell pepper stew, soul-warming gigantes (giant bean stew)… The draw of this set-up? Kids can preview their meals before they are dished out to avoid disappointment. And post-meal, a generously-sized playground next door is the perfect controlled environment for watching tiny tots run wild on a full stomach.
— TAKEOUT: GOURMET STREET FOOD & AZAN —
After a long day out, you might just want to kick-back and dine on whatever at home. Thankfully, aside from pita gyros, there are more enticing takeout options in Skopelos. Azan if you’re in the Chora, or Gourmet Street Food (also equipped with play equipment and farm animals that roam fun forest grounds) if you’re on the way back from the southwestern beach strip.
— BARRAMES (CHORA) —
Just about every waterfront cafe and taverna in Skopelos has an ice-cream counter onsite. But few are homemade, like Barramarres in the middle of town. With a giddying variety of flavours to choose from, regional spin-offs like Galaktoboureko (a beautiful Greek custard pie) and Kunefe (a Turkish sweet cheese pastry) convinces us we have made the smartest choice. The winning touch? Hanging swing chairs for the kids to spin around in while on their sugar high.
GETTING THERE
There’s no airport in Skopelos, but a few ways of arriving by boat. Fly into Skiathos and take a 30-minute ferry, drive to Mandoudi and take a 2-hour ferry, or drive to Volos and take a 2-hour ferry. Most ferries allow you to drive your car on board as well if it’s got its own ticket.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
June and September. With climate change heating up peak summer months unbearably and unpredictably in July and August, these are increasingly clear times to avoid for us. Note: The ferry from Mandoudi may only start operating from mid-June. Schedules are typically released in late Spring.
