It is the first and most famous of these green islands and offers 60 beaches and a dazzling landscape, while the town of Skiathos with its narrow streets and stone houses with balconies overflowing with flowers and the ruins of castle walls on a little hill overlooking the waterfront will draw you to her like a magnet.

Thick pine tree forests that sweep down to the sea, traditional towns like Glossa and Skopelos whose beauty is protected by law, 360 churches-museums and golden beaches, which like those in Skiathos are the most beautiful found anywhere.

A l o n n i s o s

Calm and serene in contrast with cosmopolitan Skiathos and Skopelos, with broad sandy beaches and an abundance of green, Alonnisos has important Byzantine ruins. From here you can sail north to the little islands of Kyra Panagia where we recommend you moor for the night and visit the monastery whose one monk-caretaker is known for his hospitality. Continue north to Psathoura where ruins of an ancient town can clearly be seen at the bottom of the sea just outside the little harbor. This little rock of an island has one of the strongest light houses in the Aegean, and its only inhabitants are the 5 fishermen who take care of it. The sea caves of Psathoura are the home of the Mediterranean seals and the whole area is a natural marine life park protected by law.

S k i r o s

To the SE of Alonnisos and quite apart from the other Sporades, Skiros is one of the most unusual islands in Greece. It is almost cut in two, with the northern part fertile and cultivated, whereas the southern half is mountainous. The main town of Skiros is nearer to the Cyclades architecture, as the houses are white and flatroofed, forming a mosaic climbing a steep hillside and rising to the walls of a Byzantine castle. Skiros is renowned for its folk art - woodwork and embroidery - as unusual as the island itself. Steep rocky cliffs dropping to the sea, forming sea caves at parts, wild ponies roaming free, tiny secluded beaches and works of art come to life: the villages of Skiros.