Skopelos – the Island of “Mamma Mia”, Beautiful and Romantic
Sitting between Skiathos and Alonissos Skopelos is a beautiful and romantic island. With its unspoiled charm Skopelos is a popular travel destination especially for couples and families. Since the filming of the Hollywood movie Mamma Mia Skopelos has become one of the famous Greek islands. Today, the beautiful church of Agios Ioannis Kastri, where the wedding scenes of Mamma Mia were filmed, is known as the Mamma Mia church.
Where is Skopelos Greece?
Map of the Sporades Archipelago
How big is Skopelos?
Why visit Skopelos?
What is Skopelos Famous for?
Sightseeing in Skopelos
Skopelos – Things to do
How to get there?
Skopelos and Island Hopping
Skopelos Beach Guide
Weather and Climate in Skopelos
Skopelos has two main villages: Skopelos Town and Glossa. Both built on hill tops they are boasting breath-taking views of the Aegean Sea perfect for strolling. The beaches in Skopelos are absolutely stunning! Crystal-clear waters for diving and beautiful beaches for relaxing are some of the best holiday activities in Skopelos.
Where is Skopelos Greece?
Skopelos is a Greek island, part of the Sporades island group in the western Aegean Sea. It lies east of Pelion peninsula on the mainland and north of the island Evia. The nearest inhabited islands are Skiathos to the west and Alonissos to the east.
Map of the Sporades archipelago
How big is Skopelos?
Skopelos has an area of 96 km2, making it slightly larger than Mykonos (85 km2) and Santorini (73 km2). The landscape of Skopelos includes two tall mountains, Delphi with 681m at the centre of the island and Palouki with 546 m in the south eastern part. Skopelos is also the name of the main port of the island, which has two other towns, Glossa and Neo Klima (Elios).
Why visit Skopelos?
Sporades Tours
TICKETS & THINGS TO DO:
Skopelos is a beautiful, lush green island with exotic beaches and picturesque villages. Skopelos Town and Glossa have houses built in a traditional, photogenic architecture. Here you will find most of the hotels, shops, and taverns in the island. Moving away from the villages of Skopelos you will discover a great many beaches with crystal-clear blue waters, like Stafylos beach, Panormos beach and Elios beach. Go for a drive along the coastline of Skopelos to discover the many secluded beaches.
What is Skopelos famous for?
Agios Ioannis Kastri is one of the most popular churches in Greece. Why? Because this is where the wedding scenes of the Hollywood movie “Mamma Mia” were shot. Today, travellers visit the church to enjoy the romantic setting.
Sightseeing in Skopelos
- Church of Agios Ioannis Kastri – standing on top of a rock this church was the perfect setting for the film “Mamma Mia” with its amazing view to the island and the Aegean Sea.
- Monastery of Agia Varvara – is located in a short distance from Skopelos Town, near the monastery of Prodromos and the monastery of Metamorfosi. It is a fortified monastery, and worth visiting for its beautiful frescoes from the 15th century.
- Lighthouse – in the northern part of Skopelos you will find the Gourouni Lighthouse, which is one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece, built in 1889.
- Folklore Museum – housed in an 18th century mansion the museum was donated to the municipality by the Nikolaidis family. It is hosting traditional costumes, paintings, ceramics, old furniture, icons, and other items depicting the life on the island.
- The Venetian castle – located in the main town is built on the ancient ruins of the city of Peparithos. It was built on this hill in the 13th century during the domination of the Ghisi family.
- Pirate graves – Legend has that there are graves of pirates in Sendoukia at Mt Karia. Here you can see ancient graves carved on the rocks.
Skopelos – Things to do
Scuba diving
Skopelos Dive Center is a certified PADI centre organizing guided dives and snorkel tours with safety and responsibility in open waters to discover the Sporades islands. Skopelos Dive Center has base in Panormos Bay.
Festivals & Cultural Events
Skopelos has with its many churches scattered around the island also many festivals in honour of their saints. During these days of festivals Skopelos is full of activities.
Religious feasts and festivals
- February 25th – The feast of Agios Riginos on February 25th is a popular annual feast.
- August 6th – The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is celebrated on August 6th.
- August 15th – A large celebration in Skopelos like in all of Greece is the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin. The festival takes place in Glossa with food, wine, and live music.
- December 4th – On this day, the feast of Agia Varvara is celebrated.
Cultural events
- Loizia Festival – is one of the major festivals held in August in Glossa. The event is organized to honour Manos Loizos (1937-1982), one of the most important Greek-Cypriot composers of the 20th century. During the festival concerts with songs of Loizos, traditional dances, theatrical performances, storytelling nights as well as a great feast with food and wine served for free.
- Wine festival – is organized by the Cultural Society of Glossa medio September. At this festival visitors are offered free wine where the dancing lasts until the morning hours.
- International Film Festival of Youth – is a festival taking place in July and August in Skopelos Town. Here you can attend cinema workshops and film screenings where artists from all around the world are participating.
Hiking
Like in many of the other Greek islands in Skopelos hiking is an enjoyable activity. Numerous old footpaths are crossing Skopelos island leading to tiny chapels, villages, secluded beaches, and hilltops with stunning views to the Aegean Sea. The best seasons of the year for hiking in Skopelos is during autumn and spring when the temperatures are still tolerable. In July and August long hikes can be quite uncomfortable.
Skopelos – How to get there?
Skopelos is a small island and as such it has no airport. The nearest one is in Skiathos. Skiathos International Airport “Alexandros Papadiamantis” is receiving flights from Athens International Airport all year. The flight duration from Athens to Skiathos is about 30 minutes. Skiathos airport is also receiving seasonal flights from various cities around Europe.
If you prefer to travel by ferry, Skopelos is connected by ferry with Agios Konstantinos port and Volos port on the Greek mainland. Skopelos is connected by ferry with Skiathos as well. During the summer months extra ferry routes are carried out to Skopelos from Kymi and Mantoudi ports in Evia. Find further information about the KTEL busses from Athens to Volos or Evia on www.ktelattikis.gr.
Skopelos and island hopping
Being part of the Sporades archipelago Skopelos is a perfect base for island hopping to both Skiathos and Alonissos. You can also choose to spend a few days at Mt Pelion and Volos before or after your stay in Skopelos.
Skopelos Beach Guide
Organized beaches
- Milia beach – Sandy, family friendly, 13 km west of Skopelos Town.
Partly organized beaches
- Kastani beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 15 km west of Skopelos Town.
- Stafylos beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 5 km southeast of Skopelos Town.
- Panormos beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 12 km west of Skopelos Town.
- Hovolo beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 18 km west of Skopelos Town.
- Elios beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 19 km west of Skopelos Town.
- Loutraki beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 25 km northwest of Skopelos Town.
- Glysteri beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 4 km north of Skopelos Town.
- Velanio beach – Pebbled, secluded, nudism friendly, located 5 km southeast of Skopelos Town.
- Limnonari beach – Pebbled, located 9 km south of Skopelos Town.
Non-organized beaches
- Agnontas beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 8 km south of Skopelos Town.
- Agios Ioannis beach – Pebbled, located 30 km northwest of Skopelos Town.
- Glyfoneri beach – Pebbled, family friendly, located 2 km north of Skopelos Town.
- Adrina beach – Pebbled, secluded, located 13 km west of Skopelos Town.
- Armenopetra beach – Pebbled, secluded, located 20 km northwest of Skopelos Town.
- Hodrogiorgis beach – Pebbled, secluded, located 27 km northwest of Skopelos Town.
- Perivolou beach – Pebbled, secluded, located 30 km northwest of Skopelos Town.
- Town beach – Pebbled, harbour, located in walking distance from Skopelos Town.
Weather and climate in Skopelos
Like in the other Sporades islands the climate is characterized by warm, sunny summers. The northern summer winds, “Meltemia” are blowing reducing the temperatures. The winters are mild with a great deal of rainfall.
| April | May | June | July | August | September | October | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air | 15° | 19° | 23° | 26° | 25° | 22° | 18° |
| Sea | 14° | 17° | 22° | 24° | 25° | 23° | 21° |
