Meet the Sporades
A quick look at Skiathos, Skopelos, Syros, and Alonissos
The Sporades aren’t the best known of the Greek island groups, with just four inhabited islands out of the 24 in the archipelago altogether. However, like all Greek islands they have their devotees, and the four islands are very different allowing you to choose the type of holiday you want.
And yes, the islands are also ‘sporadic’, as their name means the scattered islands. So here’s a brief intro to those four main islands, to give you a quick impression as to what to expect and which to choose.
Skiathos
Skiathos is the smallest but also the busiest of the Sporades. It’s the one to choose if you’re looking for a beach holiday, as it has over 60 beaches and most of them are sandy. Aselinos Beach (above) is one of the best on the island. Our tip, though, if you want to enjoy the beaches in relative peace is to travel in spring or autumn, when the weather is still good but visitors are fewer in number.
Skiathos is also a very wooded island, and this can cause a problem with mosquitos, although this applies to all of the islands in the group. The forests make it good for hiking, too, as you get a good mix of sunshine and shade. By contrast, it’s also the best island for nightlife.
Another reason for the island’s popularity is that it has an airport, so if you like to fly in and flop, rather than fly in and catch a ferry, this is the island for you. There are regular flights from Athens, and in the summer there are direct flights from all over Europe. The only other island with an airport is Skyros.
For more info on what to do, see our page on The Best Things to Do on Skiathos.
Skopelos
Skopelos also gets a fair number of visitors, but because it’s almost twice as big as Skiathos it’s got a less crowded feel about it.
The beaches aren’t quite as good although beach fans won’t go short of beaches to visit, and the walking is a bit better. Obviously being bigger helps in that respect. It also has a Retsina Trail! It’s noted for its churches, chapels, and monasteries too.
To get to Skopelos you’ll have to fly to Skiathos and catch a ferry. There aren’t any ferries from Athens so if you fancy a ferry you’ll again have to go via Skiathos. There are also ferries between Alonissos and Skopelos.
Skyros
Skyros is the largest of the Sporades and gets far fewer visitors than Skopelos or Skiathos. It has its own airport so it’s not as if it’s hard to get to, and you can fly there from Athens or Thessaloniki, with charter flights in summer from several European destinations. There are no ferry connections with Athens but otherwise it is well served, with ferries from the other Sporades islands, Volos, Evia, and Thessaloniki.
The reason it has fewer visitors is that there’s not a lot to do, although that’s the kind of Greek island that appeals to us! There are some beaches but they’re nothing to write home about. There’s the archeological site of Palamiri, and the grave of the British poet Rupert Brooke, who died on a hospital ship moored off Skyros. The ship was on its way to Gallipoli and had orders to leave immediately, so Brooke was buried in an olive grove, a site chosen by the close friend who was with him when he died.
Alonissos
Alonissos is a small island with a permanent population of under 3,000. It’s a place for people who want to get away from it all and enjoy a feel for that cliche’d place, ‘the real Greece’. In summer, though, you’ll still find lots of visitors, especially from Greece itself.
To get there by plane you’d have to fly to Skiathos and take a ferry to Alonissos. There are no ferries from Athens, but you can catch a ferry to Alonissos from Skiathos, Skopelos, Volos, and Agios Konstantinos on the coast of Central Greece.
The island’s main attraction is the wonderful Alonissos Marine Park, established here to protect the marvellous sea life, which includes the endangered Mediterranean monk seal. There are areas of the park where public access is permitted and you can go swimming and diving.
Alonissos isn’t great for beaches as most of them are pebbles not sand, but it’s good for hikers, birdwatchers, and other wildlife enthusiasts.
And that’s it for this week. If you get to visit, or have visited, the Sporades, share your experiences with us.
Mike and Donna