Skiathos Island

A Dangerous Snorkelling Club Quick Guide

Skiathos has a mixed reputation. For some its myriad beaches, bustling capital and good transport links make it the destination of choice for bit of summer sun. For others its myriad beaches, bustling capital and good transport links means it’s full of tourists and therefore best avoided. However it has been rated as one of the best snorkelling destinations in Europe. So we decided to brave the hordes of package holidaymakers and see for ourselves.

 

Dangerous Snorkelling Weather

The History Bit 

Since ancient times the islands strategic position always drew unwanted attention. The first settlers were Ionians followed in turn by Athenians, Macedonians and the inevitable Romans. It became a Turkish possession in around 1539 eventually winning freedom in 1829. Skiathos is the birthplace of two of Greece’s most famous novelists; Alexandros Moraitidis and Alexandros Papadiamantis. That’s all we could find out about the place, so unlike other islands it is a little bereft of historical interest.

The Snorkelling Bit

There are some things that the modern Greeks don’t seem to understand such as taxes. For the visitor however, a more important lapse in their understanding is the idea of tarmac. The roads in many Greek islands leave much to be desired but in Skiathos they reach new heights of car damaging roughness, in fact it appears that no road maintenance has been carried out since the Romans marched around the place.

This means that getting to the best snorkelling beaches in the north of the island can be an adventure in itself. The two best beaches we found were Megali Auselinos and Mikri Auselinos. Both are reached via a bumpy, suspension-wrecking dirt track. At Mikri Auselinos however, you also need to navigate your way down a steep, ankle-twisting path before you reach the welcoming soft sand. We arrived at 7:30 in the morning at both sites, a good hour before the bewildered beach bar owners and three full hours before another tourist arrived. On either beach you should take a short swim around the headlands on either side to find the rocky seabed where the most interesting marine life hang out. Look out for Jellyfish, fireworms and small shoals of needlefish. To the right of Mikri Auselinos there is small beach nestling below a steep cliff face, which makes it unreachable from the landside and so utterly deserted. We spent three full days here just Snorkelling around in perfect solitude. Another option is to hire a boat from Troulos beach on the southern side of the island and head for the myriad uninhabited islands to the South East. However just as Greek Ferries don’t run when the wind blows from the wrong direction, the merest hint of poor weather, such as a cloud, and the boat hire company will decline your business on the grounds that having survived the drive down to the beach, your luck must surely run out some time and you and their boat will never be seen again. The island boasts many other beaches including Meghas Ghialos, which is a spear fishing and diving hotspot, we however found the other beaches, including Meghas Ghialos, were too crowded and lacking in the marine interest of the Northern Beaches. A word of warning; the north coast can be very windy and the sea quite rough. These are the type of conditions we look for, but, if you are interested in more sedate snorkelling, ensure that the wind is blowing from the south to guarantee the conditions are more suitable.

Common Fried Egg Jellyfish

The Tourist Blurb

Beaches, beaches, beaches. If your idea of a holiday is lounging about on sun drenched beaches, cocktail in hand, then Skiathos has much to offer. The beaches on the south coast have long stretches of golden sound and boast a variety of water sports. Should a glance in the mirror reveal a cooked lobster glow and you decide that a day off the beach is called for then a trip to the capital of Skiathos town is a good alternative. Skiathos Town has the usual array of tourist “boutiques”, shops, cafes and tourist trap amenities but a wander around the narrow streets and port is an interesting experience. Those of you with more cultural interests will however be disappointed. Yes Skiathos has churches and a 12^th century fortress but these don’t really have the appeal that other islands historic sites have and there is the overwhelming sense that the island has waved a dismissive hand towards the highbrow in favour of lowest common denominator tourism. That said though, as a snorkelling destination, Skiathos is well worth its rating as one of the best in Europe. The more adventurous types among you, those who are prepared to rise early and brave the cold morning sea should encounter a surprising variety of marine life that more than makes up for the islands other shortcomings, except of course the bloody roads!

The Path to Mikri Auselinos

The Tourist Q & A

Which is the best restaurant?

There are a great many restaurants and tavernas on the island and like all Greek islands they pretty much serve the same fayre. From the tourist chatter we heard, the two most highly regarded were the Windmill Restaurant in Skiathos Town and Salt & Pepper in Troulos. Both require you to make a reservation…. No Kidding! We were unable to get one at the Windmill but did manage to eat twice at Salt & Pepper. Salt & Pepper calls itself a garden restaurant, which means you are seated near grass! The food was nothing exceptional but clearly of higher quality than you would normally expect from the islands. The price wasn’t too bad either, if you have ever had a meal in London or New York the cost of a meal for four with wine won’t bring tears to your eyes – if you haven’t dined outside Scunthorpe before, you’re probably going to need oxygen. Apparently, and this is purely what the waiter told us, a number of major celebrities are often to be seen dining here, though he didn’t elaborate on who exactly, nor on how he defines “major” or “celebrity for that matter

Are there any good bars?

That depends on what you define as a bar. Skiathos Town suffers from that evil affliction of the lounge bar so we obviously refused to spend anytime in those. In Troulos there is the Christiakis Sports Bar which labels itself as the only bar in Skiathos that has BBC, ITV and Sky Sports. That of course means it has a lot of Televisions showing repeats of live matches and lots of Brits looking for a home-from-home experience. The majority of the bars, including Christiakis, are part of hotel set-ups the rest and there are many, are your average Taverna affair. All are okay for a few hours of Après-snorkel drinking but none of them are exceptional.

The Other Stuff

Wasps! The island, particularly the South, is infested with the infamous Skiathos wasp. These are not your usual, Irritating, picnic-wrecking insects. The Skiathos wasp is a particularly persistent little bugger. Every beach, especially around mid morning, echoes to sound of infuriated sunbathers cursing loudly whilst furiously waving towels, sandals and hats around in a futile attempt to get rid of the little blighters. Note: waving things in the air does not make the wasps go away; it just makes them angry! The only thing that we found that works was cigarette smoke. That of course is not an option if you don’t smoke or have someone in your group who does and more importantly, is prepared to go through fifty a day to keep the air clear of the striped pests. If this is the case your only option is to head for the water. A sting from these sods is painful but no more so than your average wasp, it’s just that by the third sting the pain seems to merge into one day-wrecking throb.

The Skiathos Cat

Not particularly part of the guide, but Skiathos also has an infestation of feral cats. Some are mangy, one-eyed, flea bitten wretches whilst others are impossible not to fall head-over-heels in love with. So let us introduce you to the cat we adopted for ten, leg-scratching, days. Ladies and Gentlemen we give you Psycho the Cat in usual contented pose. 

The Statistical Stuff

Population: 4000+

Area: 48 Sq. Km.

How to get there: Charter flights from major European airports operate during the summer months. Schedule flights operate year round from Athens; Ferry links operate from all major islands in the region.