At the height of season, you might want to escape the crowds. The north coast of Skiathos is lined with many fine secluded sand-and-pebble beaches. Some of them, however, can only be reached by boat excursions from the port. Reaching them on foot is difficult or even impossible. For a certain period each summer (notably in or around August), the north coast may be windy. The Aegean notorious wind, the meltemi, is sometimes unbearable.

One of the beaches that can be reached by car, driving east from the port town, is Xanemos. It is a windy, unprotected nude beach, right next to the airport runway. Not my idea of fun. The next beach along, Megas Gialos, with grayish sands, is nicer and less crowded.

Lalaria, on the island's northern tip, is a fascinating beach of pale gray pebbles which have been smoothed and bleached by the waves. The water is an especially vivid shade of aquamarine because of the highly reflective pebbles and marble and limestone slabs which coat the sea bottom. There are many naturally carved caves in the cliff wall that lines the beach, providing privacy of shade. The only way to get here is by kaiki from the port.

A new road from the bus stop at Troulos beach leads to Megas Asselinos, a sandy north coast beach, home to a taverna and campsite. It was so windy that we left to Koukounaries after 5 minutes. A right fork from this road leads to Mikri Asselinos, one of the less crowded beaches. Limonaki Xerxes is a nearby cove named for the spot where Xerxes brought in ten triremes to conquer the Hellenic fleet moored at Skiathos during the Persian Wars. This is also called Mandhraki beach, a relatively secluded beach with large pebbles and reddish cliffs.

 Home