Are you looking for all the great activities that Skopelos has to offer? In this blog post we’ll take you through the 15 best things to do in Skopelos – one of Greece’s most incredible (and greenest) islands.
On our last adventure to Greece, we spent 6 days on the magnificent island of Skopelos. Unfortunately I, Cecilie, was battling food poisoning half of the time, but I still managed to explore some of the best spots on the island. And the verdict is clear – Glenn and I have to go back to Skopelos and discover even more!
Skopelos has so much to offer – fun scooter rides, beautiful sunsets, green hillsides covered in pine trees, ancient pirate graves, Mamma Mia movie locations, and a clear blue sky. What’s not to like?
In this blog post, we will of course go through all the best things to do in Skopelos, but we’re also going to give you some advice on how to get there and where to stay – plus we’ll share our personal favorite things to do on the island. Now let’s get started!
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Things to know before you visit Skopelos
Before we jump into all the great things you can do and see on the island, we’re first going to give you some practical information. So here are some answers to 3 important questions: Why visit Skopelos? How to get there? And where to stay?
Why visit Skopelos?
There are so many reasons why you should visit Skopelos (hence why we’re making this blog post in the first place!), but just in case you’re wondering – here are our top reasons for visiting.
Many islands in Greece have a dry look to them – little green vegetation and landscapes dominated by a lot of rock formations and sand. However, Skopelos is one of the greenest islands you can find in Greece. This is such a great island for those wishing to also enjoy some nature – and it’s one of the reasons why we love Skopelos!
There is no doubt about it, Skopelos is a popular island, but it’s not nearly as popular as its neighbor Skiathos. I think there are less tourists here (or at least it feels like it!) – probably because there is no airport on the island. The only way to get there is by taking the ferry. It’s also the biggest island in the Sporades island group, so there is plenty of land you can discover on your own.
Another thing we love about Skopelos is that there is something for every kind of traveller here. Whether you’re looking for a luxurious retreat, or if you’re going on a family trip with the kids, or maybe even a romantic getaway with your special someone? You’ll definitely find something worthwhile to do in Skopelos! It’s a big island and it has so much to offer.
How to get to Skopelos?
As we just mentioned, there is no airport on the island, so the only way to get to Skopelos is by ferry.
There are 2 harbors on the islands – Glossa and Chora (Chora is also known as Skopelos Town). We took the ferry from Thessaloniki to Skopelos Town, but you can also get here from Skiathos (island) or Volos (mainland).
Make sure to book the ferry tickets ahead of time during the busy summer months. We booked our ferry tickets through Ferryhopper.com – it was honestly super easy!
Where to stay in Skopelos?
We stayed in Skopelos Town in a place named Studios Milos Skopelos. The apartment was good, but we didn’t have hot water for the 6 days we stayed here – even though the host promised it would be fixed on day 1 or 2… hmmm… But the best thing about the place was definitely the amazing balcony! And we bet the water issue is fixed by now – so yes, we would recommend this place.
However, we did some research on Booking.com to check out which places we would stay in Skopelos on our next visit and here is our top 3 list! (Notice that the prices are always subject to change).
Our top 3 hotel recommendations in Skopelos
- Aggela Guesthouse: One of the cheaper options on the island. Stay in a double room starting for as little as €36 per night and enjoy one of the best rooftop views in Skopelos Town.
- Anofli Suites: A Great choice of accommodation for families and couples looking for a place with a pool and breakfast included. Enjoy your own suite with prices starting at €91 per night for a couple.
- Villea Seaview Apartments: One of the most authentic Greek accommodation options you can find in Skopelos! I would love to stay here on my next trip. Enjoy a classic townhouse with incredible views with prices starting at €230 for a full weekend (you have to book at least 2 nights in a row in this accommodation).
15 Attractions, activities & things to do in Skopelos
So far, so good! Now you should be completely prepared to book your accommodation and ferry tickets to Skopelos – but what is there actually to do on the island? Or maybe you’re already in Skopelos and you want some inspiration?
Here is our list of the 15 best things you can do in Skopelos – Enjoy!
1. Check out Skopelos Town’s old streets
The first great experience we had in Skopelos was actually when we were searching for our hotel. This may sound strange, but getting lost in the streets of Chora (The real name of Skopelos Town) was just incredible!
We had to navigate narrow, steep streets while walking among white houses with colorful rooftops and pomegranate trees in the gardens. It was honestly like a fairytale – Although quite a sweaty one when you think of the steep incline, the baking hot sun, and the backpacks glued to our wet backs.
But we can 100% recommend getting lost in the streets of Chora as one of the best things to do in Skopelos. It’s just so authentic and beautiful.
2. Try a Skopelos Pie
One of the things you MUST try while you’re in Skopelos is one of the famous pies. The Skopelos pie doesn’t really look like a pie, it looks more like a long piece of batter folded like a swirl (or a turd – however you want to look at it – sorry!)
You can get it stuffed with cheese, spinach or other goods! It does taste really good, but it’s quite heavy for the stomach. So you can just split one if you’re a couple and see how it goes. One thing is for sure, trying the Skopelos Pie is one of the things you MUST do on the island.
3. Visit the Venetian Castle in Chora
While you’re in Skopelos Town, you should definitely visit the remains of the Venetian Castle in Skopelos, which is also known as “Kastro”. You can climb the steps from the harbor to the castle in just 20 minutes – and it’s all free.
At the top, you’ll find a great viewpoint over Chora, a nice restaurant, and many lazy cats lounging around. Even though there is not much left of the historical castle, except for some ruins, you can still enjoy the viewpoint.
We would recommend going here early in the morning before sunrise – there is just something about watching a city wake up while the colors of the sky are coming to live!
4. Explore more than 100 churches
Skopelos is FULL of churches that you can explore! It’s said that there are more than 100 churches in Chora alone… which we find hard to believe, yet, we really saw A LOT of churches here.
Some of them are very old and small – they’re quite unique to anything we’ve seen before. So make sure to pop your head in and visit some churches if you have the time. As always, make sure to be dressed respectable when you enter a holy place.
5. Rent a scooter and drive around the island
One of the best things to do in Skopelos, if you love to get off the beaten path, is to get yourself a scooter. You can also rent a car if you are more comfortable with 4 wheels – but oh it’s so much fun to ride around on a scooter!
We paid €15 to rent a scooter for 24 hours at a place called “Magic Cars”, and everything worked out perfectly.
The scooter gave us the opportunity to get around the island and explore some of the places we wouldn’t normally have been able to get to such as the ancient pirate graves, the Mama Mia Church, and some of the smaller bays. We also got some amazing viewpoints over Skopelos on the way.
6. Go for a dip in Stafylos Beach
Skopelos has so many great bays and beaches you can visit on your trip. We really liked Stafylos- and Velanio Beach, which are situated right next to each other (Just follow Stafylos Beach to the end and you’ll see Velanio Beach).
The water here is just incredibly clear!
You can get here by scooter, by car or by taking the local bus. The local bus leaves from Skopelos Town and goes all the way to Glossa – just get off at Stafylos or ask the driver to help you.
7. Visit the ancient Sendoukia pirate graves
One of the best and most unique things to do in Skopelos is to visit the ancient pirate graves – yes this is as COOL as it sounds!
The ancient pirate graves – also known as Sendoukia – are located in the middle of Skopelos island on the slope of Mount Delphi (Skopelos’ highest point). So you will have to drive there yourself… We (of course!) took the scooter and just followed the Sendoukia sign, which eventually led us onto a deserted gravel road and into a forest. From here there is a small trail, which you have to follow up the mountain until you reach the pirate graves.
Download the Skopelos map on the app maps.me, we used this map, and it was a big help!
You’ll know when you reach the 3 ancient pirate graves because you can see 3 sarcophaguses carved right into the rock located at one of the best viewpoints on the whole island! Such an incredible place.
8. Go for a hike by the lighthouse
One of the things we never got to do in Skopelos was to hike to the lighthouse of Gourouni. At the Northern tip of the island, you’ll find a beautiful lighthouse, and you can supposedly get there by following a nice hiking trail with amazing views.
As mentioned, we never got this far – mainly because Cecilie got food poisoning a couple of days into our trip and wasn’t up for any physical activities for a while after… But if you’re looking for something different to do while you’re on the island, then we’d suggest you look into visiting the lighthouse of Gourouni.
9. Visit beautiful Glossa
Glossa is known as one of Skopelos’ most scenic towns. It’s the second largest city in Skopelos, and it’s located closely to the other harbor on the island in Loutraki.
There are many cozy tavernas and cute guesthouses you can stay at in Glossa, and it’s a great alternative to Skopelos Town, which is a bit more crowded during the summer months.
We unfortunately never made it to Glossa on our scooter-exploration-day, but we’ve heard many good things about the town, and we can’t wait to visit some day!
10. Visit the Mamma Mia Church
One of the most popular things to do in Skopelos is to visit the iconic church and its surroundings, which was a movie location in Mamma Mia! The Movie from 2008 starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, and a lot of great male actors – some sang better than others… Have you seen it?
However, it’s of course not called the “Mamma Mia Church”. In reality, the name of the church is “Agios Ioannis Kastri”.
It’s a spectacular sight to see this little beautiful church sit on top of a rock in the middle of the ocean. However, getting there is not so easy! The road is narrow and steep, so please take your time to get there if you’re by driving yourself. Alternatively, you can join this Mamma Mia Island Tour if you don’t want to go there by yourself.
This location is an absolute must visit on your trip to Skopelos! Not only is it one of the island’s most popular landmarks, but you also get some spectacular views over the green island after walking up the 199 steps to the top. Make sure to also visit the tiny church on the top!
11. Eat lunch at Neo Klima
Neo Klima is a tiny village on the West Coast of Skopelos. It’s a quiet little village on the road between Panormos and Glossa – a great place to visit if you need a little rest before you continue exploring the island.
We had a lovely lunch here by the sea! And we can totally recommend a stop in Neo Klima for a bite to eat on your trip.
12. Have a drink at Panormos
On the way back from our trip around the island, we stopped at Panormos – a beautiful little village with a couple of authentic restaurants and a couple of nice beach hotels.
We stopped here to buy a well-deserved drink after a full day on the scooter, and we had the intention to catch the beautiful sunset. However, I, Cecilie, was a bit tired and wanted to head home before the sunset – I thought we could just watch it one of the other days. Unfortunately this is when I got sick, so we never got to experience the beautiful sunset at Panormos Beach.
Sometimes you should just stay and enjoy the moment… we would have stayed if we knew I’d be bedbound the following day.
13. Take a boat tour to the other islands
One of the absolute best things to do in Skopelos (and Greece for that matter!) is to get out on the sea. You can rent a boat or take a guided tour and either sail around the island or to nearby Skiathos or Alonissos.
Our best advice is to just head down to the harbor in Skopelos Town and look at some of the boat companies that offer guided tours and boat rental. We couldn’t tell you which company is better because we never got to rent a boat due to the ocean being too rough during our days on the island.
14. Go snorkeling or diving
Want to explore what’s underneath the surface around Skopelos? Go on a dive or a snorkeling tour!
Just like my poor advice in the former section about boat rental, we will once more advice you to just head down to Skopelos Harbor and see which companies offer which tours. Or ask your accommodation for advice on how to go on a snorkeling or diving trip – they’ll definitely be able to recommend someone since many of the inhabitants of Skopelos know each other.
Wondering what you can experience in the Aegean Sea? Dolphins, seals, turtles, whales and much more! But you probably won’t see all of these animals… Either way, you’ll be able to see some beautiful fish and enjoy a day in the ocean. And what’s not to like about that? Spending a day at sea is definitely one of the best things you can do in Skopelos and Greece.
15. Explore the island’s best viewpoints
There are some incredible viewpoints in Skopelos! The highest point on the island is Mount Delphi at about 680 meters. So it’s easy to gain altitude, which often results in great views.
Here is a list of our favorite viewpoints in Skopelos:
- Agios Ioannis Kastri
- Sendoukia
- Venetian Castle
- Following the ocean road on the West Coast
- Amarandos Cove
Our 3 favorite things to do in Skopelos
Now the time has come for us to narrow down this list of 15 things to do into our top 3 recommendations for Skopelos! And while we feel like the scooter ride around the island was actually our favorite activity, we think we should narrow it down to a couple of specific locations – since not everyone is up for riding a scooter.
So here are the 3 things you MUST SEE while you’re in Skopelos.
- Skopelos Town and everything it has to offer: We absolutely loved wandering the steep, narrow streets of Skopelos Town! The harbor itself is also an amazing place because of the many restaurants and the overall great island vibe in the area. We would totally recommend you to stay in this part of Skopelos if you want to have a great atmosphere around you.
- Sendoukia: An absolutely mind-blowing landmark. I mean… Ancient pirate graves?! We don’t know where else to find ancient pirate graves in the world. This was just a completely unique experience which was only made better by the fact that we had it all to ourselves and were blessed with amazing views over Alonissos.
- Mamma Mia Church: It is such a stunning setting! From the moment you stand at the bottom of the road, looking up at the church, until you’re at the top of the rock next to the church enjoying the views over the island… We can 100% recommend coming here whether you go by yourself or join the Mamma Mia Tour.
We really hope you enjoyed this blog post about the best things to do in Skopelos – one of the greenest islands in all of Greece! We definitely enjoyed our time in this island and we can’t wait to go back some day.
Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions about this wonderful island. Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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I am going to be staying in Skopelos for 10 days this August and I already feel like I have seen everything there is to just by reading this post and I won’t leave my villa lol ! Joking aside, thank you for this blog, it was very helpful!
Hi Nicola, I’m happy to hear it! Have a wonderful time in Skopelos. Safe travels!