SKIATHOS VILLA HOLIDAYS

There is however much more to the island than its sixty eight famous magnificent sandy beaches, fantastic watersports and resorts offering a cosmopolitan and sophisticated nightlife.

The west coast, for instance is spectacular and almost undeveloped. It appeals to those who enjoy wild and lonely landscapes with hidden valleys, wooded hillsides and cliff top paths. The air is filled with the scent of aromatic herbs and the only sounds are the waves breaking far below or bells sounding from a tiny village church.

The interior is rural with olive groves, pine woods and hillsides that few explore. Small, traditional houses can be found whose architecture blends in with the classical mansions in graceful Venetian styles.

Skiathos Town itself is littered with church towers and paved alleys. During the day it is busy with the hustle and bustle of the locals, their fishing boats and the arrival of numerous ferries. At night the whole area is transformed into an array of waterfront restaurants and cafes welcoming locals and visitors alike.

The history of Skiathos is also fascinating. The Cretans were amongst the earliest settlers here and its present name may be derived from the Cretan “Skiathos” or Dionysis. The Ionians came here in the 8th century BC and must have been pleased to discover an island as green and fertile as their own!

Over the following centuries up until the birth of Christ, the island allied itself at different times with Sparta and Athens. It was during this period that Skiathos became famous for the quality of its ships, shipwrights and sailors, using timber from the magnificent pine forests that covered the island.

This tradition continued into the Byzantine era, but unfortunately the island’s reputation for the quality of its timber and boat building, as well as its natural produce, became a magnet for the pirates that terrorised the Aegean. In fact, the islanders invited the Venetians to take possession of the island and the first major fortress at Bourtzi was built by two Italian brothers. The site is now a popular and interesting cultural centre that is well worth a visit. The island changed hands regularly over the next three centuries according to the fortunes of the Ottoman and Venetian Empires.

In 1807, the first Greek Flag was designed, woven, blessed and raised at the Monastery of The Annunciation on Skiathos, the island became a special place in the history of the Greek struggle for independence.

Modern Skiathos is very much like its larger Ionian counterpart, Corfu. It has magnificent beaches, bustling resorts with a cosmopolitan and sophisticated nightlife on the one hand, but also quiet, secret valleys, wooded hillsides and cliff top paths the air filled with waves breaking far or a bell sounding the hours from a tiny village church. An island of contrast with something for everyone.