our last child free holiday (Skiathos)

Member Name: west_jenn

Product:	Skiathos
Date:	20/05/04 (1566 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: stunning beaches, scenic

Disadvantages: may be a bit quiet for some

I've just returned returned from a fantastic week in Skiathos one of the Greek Islands and it seems to have turned into summer in England whilst I'[ve been gone!
With our first baby due at the end of August we were eager to get away to somewhere nice for a relaxing time whilst we still can and whilst I?m still allowed on a plane!

Skiathos is an island fairly near to the Greek mainland and is one of the Sporades islands. The weather whilst we were there was mainly gorgeous with a few rainy spells that cleared up. But, it is a tad cooler than the more southern Greek islands such as Rhodes and Crete.

It's a small island, about 9 km wide and if you hire a car (we didn't) you can easily see most of the island. We stayed in Achailaides a small resort just outside the capital
Skiathos town. It was a lovely small quiet resort with a few tavernas which provided reasonablely priced food. Also we had a sea view from our apartment so that made us happy bunnies.

A local bus road covers the length of the south of the island. It runs from bus stop1 in Skiathos town to stop 25 at Koukounaries beach, if you're staying in the main tourist areas of the south you?re never far from a bus stop. The bus is fairly frequent twice an hour and this probably goes up in high season. The bus time tables give a time the bus leaves from Skiathos and a time it arrives Koukounaries or vice versa depending on the direction of the bus. It costs 1 euro each to go any distance.

Skiathos town is a pretty place. The old port has lots of tavernas and places to eat and it was great to relax in one of these and watch boats come and go. Papadiamanti Street is the main street with most of the souvenir shops, banks etc. The older part of Skiathos Town is very scenic with windy narrow streets and pretty whitewashed houses. If you want a meal with a difference try the windmill. It?s as the name suggests a converted windmill restaurant on top of a h
ill, walk towards the bus stop by the port you?re see the windmill. It?s a bit of a climb to get up there, but the view is amazing with had a fantastic meal spent looking at the sun setting over Skiathos town and the port.

Skiathos is a beach lovers paradise there are supposed to be over 60 of them. We went to Koukounaries beach which is a protected natural area and supposedly quite famous. It's in a sheltered bay which makes the sea very calm, it?s a long beach with golden sands and a background of pine trees. There are wooden snack bars that blend into the surroundings.

We went on a day trip to Skopelos and Alonissos, two nearby islands. We booked via our tour rep. But there is actually a boat that does special excursions and I?m sure you could get a cheaper ticket by arranging a ticket yourself. They're scenic islands with pretty port capitals. Skopelos old town was extremely pretty with steep windy streets and pretty houses, apparently deliberately maze like to disorientate pirates who used to invade from nearby Alonissos. It was a fantastic day and the icing on the cake was seeing dolphins jumping in the waters near Alonissos.

Skiathos doesn't have a lot of archaeological attractions, with 166 inhabitated Greek islands I suppose they can?t all have. Evangelistria monastery is supposed to be well worth a visit. It?s easy to reach if you hire a car. Otherwise it's over an hour?s walk from Skiathos town. If I wasn?t pregnant we may have given it a go but I?m not up to over two hours of walking. Keen walkers could probably cover most of the island in a week. The north side of the island has many bays and coves to explore the most notable of these being Lalaria beach which is supposed to be beautiful.

Skiathos has one of the shortest runways in Europe so when you leave the plane can't take off with a full fuel tank meaning you stop to refuel somewhere else in Greece.
Well that?s it for Skiathos and our l
ast childfree holiday for a while!

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