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This page is the result of a quick visit to Skyros from Skiathos this summer (1998) and is just a summary of what we saw. Obviously there is much more to Skyros than we managed to see and do in a few short days, so if anyone has more information to offer or comments to make, please email us on: skyros@skiathosinfo.com
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Skyros Island is the fourth and largest island in the Northern
Sporades Island group which consists of Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnissos and Skyros. It lies further out into the Aegean than the other islands and is really more like the Kyklades in it's style of building and it's weather pattern. The main villlage (or Chorio) climbs up the slopes of a steep hill rising straight up from the sea and culminating in a castle (Kastro) at the top. This is an impressive, naturally fortified rock, which must have been almost impossible to capture and gave Skyros an important strategic position in the Northern Aegean. |
| The Skyrians have looked after their town and it retains it's
centuries old character with cobbled streets, stone-paved courtyards, and steps leading
down or up off the streets to the tiny well kept houses. The houses are more Kykaldic in
style with flat cement roofs and recessed windows. You can wander among the streets and
marvel at the ingenuity of the buildings and wonder how they got the materials there in
the first place. The very nature of the village precludes much development and this is certainly a good thing for Skyros. Much of the more recent development at the foot of the town and by the beaches of Molos and Magazia are more in the "modern" Greek style, built to cater to tourism with not quite so much care given to style. Never the less, Skyros can certainly be considered an unspoilt island and long may it remain so. |
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The views from the Kastro (and the monastery of Aghios Georgios
just below it) are absolutely stunning and it is well worth climbing up to it through the
beautiful, winding, cobbled streets of the village. You can drive up to the main square (but you cannot park there) from where the cobbled streets start. There are all the usual shops you will find in any Greek town or village, plus tavernas, cafes, bars and tourist shops. |
| The Skyros pottery is very beautiful as is the traditional, wood
carved furniture. There are other roads that lead up to higher parts of the village, but finding a parking place is not easy, and it is such a delight to climb up through the village streets that we do not recommend driving further up at all. Click here to see some beautiful paintings of Skyros and other places. |
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All the food we ate was excellent and very Greek (in other words, not yet "customised" for foreign tastes!) In the village, just below the square, we recommend the taverna "Glaros" which we picked because only locals were sitting there.
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