Sporades islands travel guide
The Sporades islands with their magnificent pine-covered beaches, the sea park with the Munich-Monk seals for the lovers of eco-tourism and the lively settlements that combine the local color with the intense life, the exuberant flavors with the relaxed, unadulterated summer atmosphere. Favorite choice for nature lovers and for those who prefer a quiet vacation, without missing the secular and sophisticated proposals.
Boat or inflatable rides, all-day nonsense on the beaches, fresh fish, but also nightlife in picturesque settlements compose the profile of the holidays in the Sporades. There are many who are not limited to one of the islands, but indulge in island hopping between Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, since the connection between them is regular.
Skiathos is the most cosmopolitan of the Sporades, with a lively city, good hotels and famous beaches. Green, ideal for nature lovers Skopelos, with low profile development, very nice beaches, picturesque Chora and routes in the pines.
You will prefer Alonissos for its beautiful beaches, its atmospheric Chora, which developed relatively recently, but maintaining its character intact, and the proximity to the seal park of the Monk-Monk seal. More isolated and different from the rest of the Sporades, Skyros turns a blind eye to the Cyclades and gathers sought-after visitors who are fascinated by its wild beauty and low-key development.
Alonissos
Wonderful beaches, an atmospheric country, with a cosmopolitan air thanks to its many foreigners, an important water park and many hiking trails make Alonissos a destination for a quiet vacation, with sophisticated color and ecological interest.
Alonissos has a solid network of marked hiking trails that allow you to explore a wild land covered with pines, cedars and oaks.
It is also part of a large maritime national park which is, among other things, a refuge for the monk seal, a species at risk.
Skiathos
Skiathos is a superb island with its 70 beaches or coves and its wooded hills. It is said to have the most beautiful beach in Greece namely the Koukounariès beach and tourists, both Greek and foreign, the latter arriving directly by charter, know this well. In summer, the capital of the island becomes a small Ibiza, and it is then very difficult to put your towel on the sand. Lovers of deserted coves and solitude, don’t linger too long in Skiathos.
Skopelos
Popular, but not massively touristy, the green Skopelos has the right infrastructure and natural beauty to win you over at first glance.
From the deck of the boat you will still be able to see the white picturesque houses of Chora that grow amphitheatrically on the hill above the port. Visit its churches that grow scattered here and there and stand to take a breath in its small squares.
The island of Skopelos like the other Sporades islands are conected daily with ferries from the small port of Agios Konstantinos.
Skyros
The largest and southernmost island of the Sporades offers quiet holidays, rich tradition and untouched landscapes. It is loved by the sophists and the alternatives, but also by the families who are looking for holidays with a scent of older decades. The ferry takes you to Linaria, a port not very picturesque, but a base for boat trips and a hangout for fish food. Skyros is very close to the island of Evia in the east part of the Greek mainland