And so it was time to leave the sunny Sporades islands. We’ve both loved them – I think we both prefer them to the Cyclades that we travelled last year. They were relaxed, quiet and calm, like the Greece we first discovered 30 years ago. They were pretty, very pretty – blue sky, cobbled streets, white houses, all fringed with verdant green pine forests on the surprisingly high hills inland. And the water was perfect: crystal clear, warm, calm, and deep, I loved every of the many minutes I spent swimming in it.
The ferries were fun, and easy, none of the (organised) chaos to be found in the ports of Paros or Santorini, and it was so worth going beyond Skaithios to Alonossis and Skopelos.
Having done a little scouting mission yesterday, we discovered that the Plakas part of town was charming – old world Greece at its finest, but the beach wasn’t as good as others had suggested, so we decided to head further afield on our one full day on the island. The island boasts a good bus service that runs regularly – and frequently (every 15 mins or so) – along the southern coast to all the beach resorts, but we decided to take the water taxi from the harbour to Achlades beach.
It was a relaxing way to travel – 15 minutes on the boat, 4 euros each (one way), and we were soon stepping of the boat.
After a couple of weeks practice, we are now well drilled at setting up camp on the beach and before long we had claimed “our spot” for the rest of the day …
… and it wasn’t long before I was in the water enjoying, once again, some crystal clear water (although it did seem a tad colder than all the other beaches we had swum from.)
After a full day on the beach, it was time to catch the water taxi back to Skiathos town. (We could have got to the same beach by bus, 2 euros each, one way) but it was fun travelling by boat.)
We ate our last meal at a taverna at the harbour front, watching all the bright young things queuing to board the party boat for a night of drinking, dancing and revelry on the high seas. We wished them well but, feeling our age, we were not inclined to join them.
Choosing, instead, a quiet night of contemplation at a local church (!!!!)
Both Alonissos and Skopelos have been wonderful, in part because of their quiet, calm nature; they have been the perfect get-away, an escape from the rigours and demands of day to day life, all framed by blue sky, blue sea, and pine forested mountains. Today we left Skopelos, returning to Skiathos, which although smaller than both Alonissos and Skopelos, is very much the “capital” of the Sporades, and it felt like a return to a busier, more noisy, modern world.
We arrived in the afternoon, had a little explore, found a small beach and some pretty streets, but as the sunset and darkness began to fall, the town came to life. It was definitely more “touristy” , which is not necessarily a bad thing. On the previous two islands, I had been more than happy to head home to read and sleep, my belly full after a delicious meal; in Skiathos, however, I was energised by the vibrant bustle around, watching the people parade up and down the main street in their finest going out gear, the water craft plying their trade in the harbour, the music – other than some low key local music, we had heard little on our trip, now “Mamma Mia” was being played by every returning day trip cruise.
We climbed some stairs to a high point (passing a bar on our way) and gazed down on the bright lights of the town below. Welcome to Skiathios, and welcome back to 2025.
