Where to stay in Skiathos
Most accommodation on Skiathos is block-booked by the tour operators from the beginning of July until mid-September so you’d be ill advised to arrive without a reservation in high season.
If you do turn up on spec you may be lucky enough to secure a room if any domatia owners are waiting at the ferry dock. Otherwise try the Room Owners’ Association kiosk on the harbourfront where an up-to-date list of any available rooms is available.
If you’re into shopping and nightlife you’ll probably want to stay in Skiathos Town which has a plentiful supply of good quality hotels, pensions and rooms to let. Families tend to prefer the self-catering villas and apartments dotted along the coastline or the resort hotels with easy access to the island’s beaches.
Most of the hotels here are geared to the demands of package holidaymakers, offering buffet meals and in-house entertainment such as weekly barbecues, discos and fancy dress nights.
The road behind the island’s most popular beach at Koukounaries is lined with hotels and apartments of varying standards and prices.
The nearby Koukounaries camp site is the preferred option of budget travellers. It’s only a short distance from the beach and has good facilities including a restaurant and mini market.
It’s a comfortable hotel in a quiet spot where you can relax by the pool, away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre.
The 90-room hotel has modern facilities including air conditioning and a minibar in each room and affords lovely views of the harbour, speckled with caiques and fishing boats.
At the other end of the scale there’s the super swish Atrium Hotel, which occupies a wonderful location at Platanias on the south coast, eight kilometres from town.
This is probably the classiest place to bed down for the night offering an inviting albeit rather pricey combination of stylish antique furnishings and all mod cons.
The hotel sits on a pine-covered hill 100 metres above the sandy beach of Agia Paraskevi. Facilities include an Olympic size swimming pool, excellent restaurant, billiard room and fitness suite.
One of the best equipped is the large Skiathos Palace which offers all manner of creature comforts including sauna and massage facilities, a hair salon, a freshwater pool and rooftop garden restaurant. Like the Atrium, this hotel nestles amid the pine trees on a hill and has wonderful sea views.