Troulos Bay Holidays

Troulos sits on the southern coast of Skiathos, with pine trees and olive groves sweeping around it. Restaurants serving up Greek meze dot the village centre, which lies inland, and there are more eating places down by the pretty bay. As for getting out and about, the cosmopolitan capital is only about 20 minutes away.

Soft, white sands shelve gently into crystal-clear waters at Troulos’ Blue Flag beach. Along the stretch there are lines of umbrellas and sunloungers – the cheaper ones are at the eastern end, by the way. You’ve got a watersports school here, and for eats there’s a seafront taverna, snack bars and a popular hotel restaurant that’s right on the sands.

The island’s national park, Dasi nisou Skiathou Magnisias, has been enticing hikers to the area since the 1970s. Two excellent round-trips through the dense pine forestry leave from Troulos and are not too difficult, if you can handle a 15-kilometre distance. Wild flowers perfume the route and the sandy Mandraki Bay is a welcome break where you can cool off before their return journey.

A big plus for Troulos is a 30-minute bus to Skiathos Town. Here whitewashed houses and tavernas mingle with hip cocktail bars and designer boutiques. Historical sights include the Bourtzi – a wooded peninsula with the remains of a Venetian citadel. When the sun goes down, the harbour waterfront comes alive – authentic Greek restaurants serving spiral cheese pie knock up against all-night clubs playing dance and techno music.