Skyros

Skyros is an island in the southern Sporades Islands of Greece. The main town is also named Skyros, but is known locally as the Chora, as are the main towns on numerous other Greek islands.

Understand

A carnival of dance on the central square

During the summer the island population swells dramatically from 3,000 to 8,000, but the island doesn't feel exploited or overcrowded.

History

According to Greek mythology, Theseus died on Skyros when he was thrown from a cliff. Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, was from Skyros (or Scyros, as its name is sometimes transliterated), as told in the play by Sophocles, Philoctetes (line 239). In c. 475 BC, according to Thucydides, Cimon defeated the Dolopians (the original inhabitants) and conquered the entire island. From that date, it was colonized by Athenian settlers and became a part of the Athenian Empire. It was on the strategic trade route from Athens to the Black Sea. Cimon claimed to have found the remains of Theseus, and returned them to Athens. In 340 BC the Macedonians took over the island and dominated it until 192 BC, when the king Philip and the Roman Republican forces restored it to Athens. Rupert Brooke, the famous English poet, is buried on Skyros, having died on board a French hospital ship moored off the island in 1915, during World War I.

Get in

The north side of the island is 17 km from the town of Skyros.

By plane

Skyros Airport is served by both domestic and international airlines. The airport is near the village of Trachy.

By boat

Skyros has a ferry service with the following ports: Evia (Kymi), Skopelos, Alonissos. The best ferry service is the ferry from Kymi in Euboea to Linaria.

Get around

Especially to get to the secluded beaches you have to rent a vehicle, while for the main beaches between Kyros city and Molos the public bus service is sufficient

See

Brooke's square

• 1 Skyros town. A walk through the narrow streets inbetween the houses close to the mountain up to the castle and the St. Georg monastery is an experience. You can also visit the interesting historical museum and archaeological museum. (updated Jul 2018)
• 2 Linaria. small interesting harbor town where the ferry mooring and popular with sailors. (updated Jul 2018)
• 3 Archaeological site of Palamariou. It is a prehistoric settlement of the Early and Middle Bronze Age Aegean (2500 - 1800 BC). You can see the remnants of buildings and streets, the fortified harbor, which had great importance for the trade relations with the Cyclades, the eastern mainland Greece, Euboea and the northeast Aegean. In the rooms and courtyards stone terraces, fireplaces, stoves, numerous pottery, stone tools and utensils, bone tools, metal objects, obsidian processing residues and local flint were found. Most finds of Palamariou are exhibited in a special room in the Archaeological Museum of Skyros. The remains of the wall and its layout suggest that the settlement was well fortified, with massive U-shaped bastions, ramparts, moats and stone dams. This type of fortification appeared around 2300 BC. in the Aegean (updated Jul 2018)
• 4 Agios Nikolaos Chapel. Interesting and photogenic little chapel in a rock (updated Jul 2018)
• 5 Agios Arthemios Chapel. interesting chapel built in a rock, very photogenic (updated Jul 2018)
• 6 Agios Panteleimonas Chapel. Small chapel worth seeing because of its beautiful location and outlook . In the immediate vicinity is an antique quarry (updated Jul 2018)
• 7 Agios Fokas Chapel. small photogenic chapel near the beach (updated Jul 2018)
• 8 Grave of Rupert Brooke. For those interested in old English literature the once famous English war poet Rupert Brooke is buried on the southern part of the Island at Tris Boukes bay, where he died in 1915 and was laid to rest in a beautiful olive grove (30 minutes drive from Linaria). (updated Jul 2018)

Do

• Diving. the many underwater caves are particularly interesting diving area (updated Jul 2018)
• Sailing. many bays invite sailor to anchor (updated Jul 2018)
• Boat trips. there are very interesting boat trips around the island offered (updated Jul 2018)
• Horse riding. Horse lovers will appreciate the particular breed of Skirros (updated Jul 2018)
• Carnival. Carnival with traditional costumes 

Beaches

In addition to the beaches mentioned here, there are many more, but sometimes difficult to reach. Some of them are practically only accessible by boat

• 1 Tou Papa to Homa Beach. The picturesque but somewhat difficult to reach 'nudist beach' is located south of Magazia Beach, not far from Chora, just below the huge rock on which the Skyros town is located. It is a long and sandy beach. Tou Papa to Homa Beach is accessible only from the north side via a path from the main road. You have to go through a fence next to an old house, which is located along the main road and follow the path down. There are some caves and some rocks on the beach, which is pretty clean. Of course, there are no facilities on this beach, but Skyros Chora is nearby. (updated Jul 2018)
• 2 Magazia Beach. City beach of Skyros city (updated Jul 2018)
• 3 Lino Beach. (updated Jul 2018)
• 4 Aspous Beach. Sandy beach with taverns (updated Jul 2018)
• 5 Achili Beach. Sandy beach, not organized, isolated (updated Jul 2018)
• 6 Renes Beaches. several nudist suitable not easily accessible bays in the wild south of the island (updated Jul 2018)
• 7 Kolympada Beach. Nudist suitable pebble beach (updated Jul 2018)
• 8 Kalamitsa Beach. long sandy-gravel beach, not organized (updated Jul 2018)
• 9 Acherounes beach. beautiful beach with cafes, in the season pretty crowded right on the road (updated Jul 2018)
• 10 Fokiotrypa Beach. (updated Jul 2018)
• 11 Psarinas Cape. small beach in a beautiful bay with many rocks (updated Jul 2018)
• 12 Pefkos Beach. nicht organisiert, in schöner Landschaft, nicht überfüllt, mit Marina für kleine Motorboote (updated Jul 2018)
• 13 Agios Fokas Beach. Sand-gravel beach, with tavern, relatively sheltered from the wind. Parking on the beach. About 150m further west, another beach is accessible via a path along the rocks, which is often used for naturism (updated Jul 2018)
• 14 Atsitsa Beach. popular beach with a few taverns nearby but without beach chairs and umbrellas, many rocks along the water, not crowded (updated Jul 2018)
• 15 Kyra Panagia Beach & Kalogria Beach. Sandy-gravel beaches, not organized, (updated Jul 2018)
• 16 Agalipa Beach. small beach in a beautiful bay (updated Jul 2018)
• 17 Theotokos-Limanaki Beach. kleiner Strand in einer sehr schönen Bucht, sehr voll in der Saison, auch Markesi genannt (updated Jul 2018)
• 18 Agios Petros Beach. relatively large sandy beach, not organized (updated Jul 2018)
• 19 Palamari Beach. relatively large sandy beach, not organized, (updated Jul 2018)
• 20 Kareflou Beach. extensive sand-gravel beach, not organized, isolated, often windy with many algae (updated Jul 2018)
• 21 Gyrismata Beach. nice well-organized sandy beach, quite busy in the season (updated Jul 2018)
• 22 Molos Beach. the best organized beach of the island with many overnight stays, taverns and hotels nearby (updated Jul 2018)

Eat

Around the island you will find very nice beach restaurants everywhere. The food is usually good and differs only slightly. Fast food, pizza, gyros etc. are also abundant, especially in and around the capital.

• 1 SAINT PETER. Well-known restaurant in a beautiful location on the edge of the forest with a view (updated Jul 2018)
• 2 Anatolikos Anemos. Restaurant with one of the best views of the island. (updated Jul 2018)
• 3 O Stelios. very popular restaurant with beautiful sea view (updated Jul 2018)

Drink

Skyros is a rather quiet island without the noisy mass tourism of other Greek party islands, so the nightlife takes place at a low level. You should not expect big disco nights or wild parties, just a few bars and beach bars to enjoy a drink. These bars offer a wide variety of music styles, from Greek to international songs, but still quite relaxed. The nightlife of Skyros focuses mainly on the capital. There are also a few beach bars in Molos and Magazia, which are converted into lounge bars in the evening. Bars in Skyros are usually open until 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning,

• 1 Anemomylos. Very well-known cafe in an old windmill on the beach with good sea views (updated Jul 2018)

Sleep

Most of the accommodations are located at Skyros Town and Molos, because here, apart from the well-known beaches, you will find some nightlife, which is rather dull on the rest of the island.

Stay safe

You can safely move at night on the island, crime is virtually non-existent, except possibly pickpocketing. Beware of poisonous snakes between rocks and abandoned houses.

Go next

Excursions to the surrounding islands of Euboea and the other Northern Sporades Islands are only possible with great expenditure of time and not as day trips