The Villages

Skopelos is home to some of the prettiest towns and villages in Greece and the style of the buildings within them is particular to the north of the country, but the island also has its own certain architectural features which are protected and celebrated.

The overhanging upper storeys and balconies of houses in Skopelos come as a surprise to foreigners who have only seen the stark cubes of the Cyclades islands before. Their resemblance to European houses in the 15th and 16th centuries is remarkable and the narrow winding lanes they produce are made even more picturesque by the colourful additions of the painted woodwork and Skopeloti’s love of flowering plants adorning their houses. Just walking through the streets up and down steps, often carved out of the rock, is a marvel in itself. In Skopelos Town the 13th century Kastro (castle), which was fortified against incursions from pirates, is the centre of the old town and its alleyways run down towards the sea-front through the areas built in safer times, such as the 19th century when Venetian style architecture was prevalent.

The waterfront (paralia) is in itself the social hub in Skopelos and the evening stroll, or volta in Greek, is a way of life for the locals. Just sitting and watching this passage of people every evening is a favourite pastime and the many cafes, bars and restaurants are ideally suited for this sedentary people watching.

There are literally dozens of churches in the village, some say one for every saint (at least!) usually they have roofs finished with the local green slate and many are byzantine in origin. These charming chapels are hidden away and it can be quite a task to re-find them in the maze of alleyways.

The style in the second town of Glossa is slightly different with the slate roofs all but disappearing and byzantine tiled roofs being the norm. The houses are

also more often painted in brighter colours than in Skopeos Town itself. The two villages had no road joining them until the 1960s and there still exists a rivalry between them, but the most remarkable difference lies in the positions of the two. Whereas Skoplos town is quite low lying with a waterfront and faces south east, Glossa is perched high on the hill, ten minutes from its dock in Loutraki, and with a magnificent view to the south and west. Glossa is also even less developed for tourism and walking around its equally winding streets is taking more than one step back in time.

The other main villages on the island worth a visit include Palio Klima perched above the coast before Glossa. This village was abandoned after the earthquake in the 1960s and most of the inhabitants rehoused in the new town of Elios. Klima is now a quiet place with great views and the occasional glimpse of old Skopelos life. The other largely deserted village is Kalogrios (the monk). This east coast village is about a half hour drive from Skopelos town down a country (un-metaled) road and is more reminiscent of Tuscany than of Greece because of its nature and atmosphere. It only has occupants at weekends and holidays but is a charming place with great views and interesting flora.

Archaeological sites

Skopelos will never be regarded as a major site for viewing ruins but anywhere with such a history obviously has places of interest, although remains do not abound.

The pirate graves in Sendoukia are very visible and these carved rock tombs can be easily found, and although they don’t require a long visit, the area there is nice to walk around. Ancient Selinous, a Roman town which is now known as Loutraki, has remains, some

fortifications and some walls but probably the most interesting sites in Skopelos are the monasteries which are everywhere on the island.The area on the slopes of Mt Palouki, just opposite Skopelos Town, is the richest for them and provides an interesting walk in the hills combined with historical and religious content. Evangelistria is the most prominent and was established by monks from Mt Athos in the 18th century but its huge and impressive gold altar screen is actually 14th century and is from Constantinople. Above, and quite a hike, is the sixteenth century Metamorphosis. Recently renovated and with a single monk occupant, it has a small chapel in a flower strewn courtyard and is famous for hosting one of the biggest festivals on the island on August 6th. Prodromos (John the Baptist) is eighteenth century - just over the hill - and occupied by nuns, and finally Ag.Varvara is an unoccupied but fortified monastery with 15th century frescoes.

In Skopelos town there are a number of monasteries, some in private ownership. The most notable is Episkopi which is lived in by Apostolos Dimitriadis (owner of Skopelos Topos Real Estate) whose uncle was responsible for a great deal of the restoration and saving of ancient monuments on Skopelos. This is a gem of a building and the stone ramparts can be seen on the main road towards Glossa as it leaves Skopelos Town.

The monastery of Agios Ioannis just south of Glossa is also worth a visit. It is built on a large rock sitting in the sea at the end of a winding and beautiful valley. It is set for increased attention as it was recently the location used for the filming of “Mamma Mia!” the ABBA film. There is also a lovely wild beach next to it. Other interest at this end of the island is provided by the small but lovely Ag Taxiachon just north of Glossa which is also noted for its charnel house of skulls and bones!