Skopelos Town Holidays

Skopelos Town is the centre of Skopelos, a little Aegean island just off the east of Greece. It’s achingly Greek, with family-run tavernas along the water and an old town which cascades down to the clear blue sea. The streets are narrow and lined with whitewashed buildings with red-tiled roofs. And if you’re after churches, there’s 123 of them here to explore.

Skopelos Town’s own little beach is a little close to the port for the locals. Most head out of town to the pebbly Stafilos, 5 minutes’ drive away, where there are enough sunloungers and umbrellas for both tourists and local families. On the other side of the island, Panormos is one of the island’s most beautiful beaches and it’s only a 15 minute drive away – for a bonus it has watersports, too.

The old town is where Skopelos Town really shows off. The Byzantine churches are hard to miss – some are tucked away between houses, while the 17th-century basilica of Agios Athanassios is one of the island’s biggest attractions. Right at the top of the town there are also the ruins of a Venetian castle – there are steps climbing up there, which help offset the steep streets.

Glossa is a village 25 minutes’ drive away and is the island’s other major spot. It’s got lots of 2-storey whitewashed buildings, wooden balconies and climbing vines. It’s a 15-minute walk from Glossa to the port of Loutraki, where there are ruins including the 5th-century Temple of Athena. For a bit of Hollywood, the hilltop chapel which features in the film Mamma Mia! is 5 minutes’ drive from Glossa.