Best Things to Do in Skopelos Greece | Mamma Mia Island

Skopelos Greece is one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, and green Greek islands, located in the Sporades archipelago, north of Athens. West of Skopelos lies cosmopolitan Skiathos Island and Pelion Peninsula, the two other filming locations of the famous Mamma Mia in Greece.

Skopelos Greece is ideal to spend peaceful, laid-back vacations on an island characterized by stunning secluded turquoise, azure, and bright blue beaches surrounded by deep pine forests. The island is perfect for families as it has excellent facilities and the beaches are mostly easy to get to.

While Skiathos is more touristically advanced, attracting more adventurous, beach-bar-party visitors, Skopelos Greece is more for the romantics. With gorgeous nature, small fishing villages, and idyllic emerald water the island is a perfect place for families, and couples alike.

And if you are wondering what to do on the island, I assure you there’s no shortage of things to do in Skopelos Greece. The island is the outdoor lover paradise for hiking, diving, snorkeling, and of course, swimming in clear waters.

This guide to the best things to do in Skopelos Greece will help you tick all the boxes for fun vacations in the country!

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If you take the ferry from Volos, it stops at both ports on Skopelos: at the main town called Chora Skopelos and at Glossa port. Where you will get off the ship depends mostly on where you would like to stay on the island.

This guide to Skopelos Greece includes information about:

• How to Reach Skopelos: If you are traveling from Athens or an island
• Where Best to Stay in Skopelos Greece: My favorite accommodation in Chora and beaches
• Best Things to Do in Skopelos Greece: All the best sites, local eateries and delicacies, hiking, and of course the famous Skopelos beaches, which I highly recommend you try for yourself!
• Tips for Visiting Skopelos: when to go, how long to stay, and how to get around

Skopelos Quick Reference

• Best Hotel to Stay in Skopelos: Adrina Resort & Spa.
• Top Places to Go in Skopelos: Agios Ioannis Kastri and Kastani Beach.
• Unique Delicacy to taste on the island: Round Cheese Pie.
• Book your ferries with FerryScanner.

Explore Skopelos Mamma Mia Locations

The sleepy island of Skopelos became suddenly famous when in 2007 they filmed the famous movie Mamma Mia I. Ever since Skopelos has been known as “The Mamma Mia Island” and is considered the sole location of the film.

However, the film is the result of a genius-crafted video editing of locations including Skopelos and Skiathos islands, Damouchari village in the nearby Pelion peninsula, and Pinewood Studios in the UK.

I have listed below the main shooting locations of Mamma Mia for you to visit when you are next to Skopelos Greece. And If you are a fan of the film, you can take a guided Skopelos Mamma Mia tour to spend a day visiting all the film locations, with time for swimming!

The church of Agios Ioannis Kastri – The Wedding Scene

30 km north of Skopelos Chora you will find the most impressive and beautiful landmark of Skopelos Greece, the lovely chapel of Agios Ioannis Kastri.

Agios Ioannis (St. John the Baptist) stands on top of a rock where you can admire an amazing view of the coasts of Skopelos to Alonissos island.

The impressive rock is linked to the rest of the island through a narrow path with 110 steps carved into the stone but with steady handrails to support you. The interior of the church has beautiful icons and old ecclesiastical items to see.

The old stories about how Agios Ioannis Kastri was built, mention a fisherman from Glossa village, who while he was returning from fishing one night, saw a light on the top of the rock.

The same night he dreamt about a woman revealing to him that there was an icon on the top of the rock that he needed to retrieve. When he finally climbed to the top he discovered the image of St. John the Baptist and a church dedicated to the saint was built.

A small but gorgeous sandy beach is formed right beneath the rock, a very popular spot during the high season. If you climb to the church during summer, take some water with you, a hat, and some sunscreen. The entrance is free, and modest dressing is advised.

Glysteri Beach

Glysteri is an organized beach, inside a small protected bay, quite close to Skopelos Chora. It has small pebbles and the water is crystal clear, inviting you to jump into the sea as soon as you arrive at the beach.

In Mamma Mia film, this is where the arched stone entrance to Villa Donna was. Neither the entrance nor the villa exists on Skopelos as they were entirely filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK. The magnificent sea view, however, is of Glysteri Beach!

Kastani Beach

Kastani is a very beautiful sandy beach and appears quite a few times in the Mamma Mia film. The most characteristic scene is when Sophie with her fiancé Sky romps in the surf while singing ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’.

Kastani is located 15 km west of Skopelos Chora with easy asphalt access. The last 500 meters to the beach are on a dirt road, very easy to drive. There is parking for your car, a beach bar and you can rent beds and umbrellas to spend a full Mamma Mia Island beach day here!

Amarandos Cove

Amarandos is a stunning rocky cove laden with pine trees hanging over the sparkling blue water. This is where Sophie and her 3 dads sing together ‘Our last summer’.

There was a wildfire in the area in 2018 but the symbol of Amarandos, the three pines in the tiny peninsula, has miraculously survived!

Stay in Mamma Mia Film Crew Hotel

You can stay at Adrina Beach Hotel, a lovely 4-star hotel close to Panormos with its small beach, where the Mamma Mia 2 cast stayed to shoot the promotional videos. Or the nearby Adrina Resort & Spa, a gorgeous 5-star resort of the same family. Unfortunately, Mamma Mia 2 wasn’t filmed in Greece.

Stroll Skopelos Chora

Skopelos Chora (the main town) is built amphitheatrically on a hill and is a beautiful picturesque town with small cobblestone alleys. It has been declared a protected traditional settlement, in a Venetian-like architecture, with balconies and terracotta roof tiles and it is mostly car-free.

The port has numerous choices for coffee and taverns and this is the area where everybody will pass by at least once a day. At the end of the port, after you have climbed some steps, there is a lovely white church of Panagitsa of Pyrgos (Virgin Mary of the Tower). If you get in its yard, the view of the whole port of Skopelos is amazing.

There are also the remains of a Venetian castle that you can hike (which can be quite demanding during summer heat) or you can drive up to a certain point. When you get to the top you will find Anatoli, a fantastic tavern where during summer you can enjoy live Greek traditional music (Rebetiko).

For a great introduction to Skopelos, book this highlight tour with wine tasting and dinner!

Do not miss the Festival of Traditional Dances: For the 8th consecutive year, the traditional dance festival “Diamantis Palaeologos” takes place in Skopelos Town usually in July.

Tips for Skopelos Chora:

• There’s a large, free car park on the port front for your rental car.
• Visit Vakratsa Museum to see up close a middle-class Skopelos house of the 19th century. Open Mon-Friday, 10.00 – 13.00, entrance €2.
• Discover the pie shop of Michalis and taste both their cheese and their creamy pies! You can thank me later 😀
• Take the boat from Skopelos Chora port to the Marine Park of Alonissos, the largest seal Monachus Monachus protection area in Europe.
• Book a Private Cruise with a Speed Boat around Skopelos Island.

Where to Stay in Chora Skopelos

Skopelos town is the most practical place to stay as this is the most central place on the island. However, the nearby beaches are not the best on Skopelos. Book in town if you are staying for a short time in Skopelos Greece:

4-star Thimisi Hotel is a charming boutique hotel, with fine decorations and excellent lovely views of the sea and the port from the terrace.

Irene’s Paradise is within walking distance of the town with lovely sea views and beautifully decorated rooms.

Dive to the Best Beaches in Skopelos

Skopelos is blessed with numerous gorgeous beaches, some of them organized with beach bars and lifeguards in the high season some more remote and not organized. All of them are with wonderful crystal clear waters surrounded by trees.

Milia beach

Sandy, organized Milia is one of the most beautiful beaches in Skopelos Greece. It is also one of the largest, and most popular beaches on the island, ideal for families.

It is located 14 km southwest of Skopelos Chora, and right across from the Dassia islet which you can visit by boat. Some impressive rock formations on the beach split the beach in half and offer a great snorkeling field if you love exploring the sea.

Panormos Bay

1 km south of Milia is the gorgeous Panormos beach with pebbles and waters that deepen quickly, so if you have small kids, keep that in mind. Panormos is a protected bay, surrounded by pine trees, with taverns and restaurants to go after your swimming.

Panormos is a great place to be based for your vacations in Skopelos and a great option there is Skopelos Sunset traditional country house.

Agnontas

Agnontas Beach is where you come to have the freshest fish on Skopelos. The area is named after the Ancient Olympic Games winner Agnontas, as an honor to their athlete who won in 596 BC in Olympia.

At its picturesque and sheltered bay, you will enjoy freshly caught seafood while admiring one of the best sunsets on the island. It has very easy access by road as it is only 8 km from Skopelos Chora.

A fab accommodation to stay in is Agnontas Luxury Villas!

Stafylos

Stafylos is another popular, sandy, and organized beach, 4 km south of Skopelos Chora. It is a protected green bay with a beach bar and lifeguard. It might be slightly tricky for some to get to the beach if you arrive there by bus as you have to walk a 500-meter downhill. In walking distance is the island nudist beach, Velanio.

Hike to Sentoukia

If you love hiking to archaeological sites, Sentoukia is ideal for you!

You will need to drive to Karya mountain (660 meters peak), a lush pine forest 10 km northeast of Skopelos Chora to get to the start of the trail to Sentoukia.

The path starts inside the forest and is gently uphill, on an easy-to-follow trail. As you get higher the trees give way to bushes and as the slope faces the eastern part of Skopelos, you will be amazed if you get there for the sunrise. The higher you go the more you see of Alonissos island and you finally get to the Sentoukia or more precisely to the tombs!

There are four ancient tombs of the Roman or early Christian period carved inside the rocks. Three of the tombs are complete with 2.5 m covers of monolithic slabs and were found inverted. Sentoukia is a great place if you love endless sea vistas!

Discover the Skopelos Settlements

Neo Klima is a lovely little village, recently founded, with a marina for fishing boats and yachts, with a specialty in fish soup, and lobster spaghetti in its taverns.

Near Neo Klima is the fabulous Hovolos beach. To get to Hovolos you need to spot a large monolith, walk towards it – beware of any rock falling – and discover the beautiful hidden beach. It is an unorganized, quiet beach with very small pebbles and azure, crystal-clear waters.

Loutraki

The second port of Skopelos is officially called Glossa although if you see the map, Glossa is the village on the slopes of the mountain and the port village is called Loutraki. The confusing names have happened because years ago when Skopelos was far from a tourist destination, the tiny port was there just for Glossa village.

Tip: You may find interesting a visit to Antoniou Olive Oil Museum near Glossa.

Loutraki today is a beautiful village with a great choice of taverns and accommodations. Nearby you can also find two lovely beaches with pebbles, one of them with a few ruins from the archaeological site of ancient Selinous.

Would you like to stay in Loutraki? Check out the exceptional Aegean Wave – Faros Hotel

Visit Skopelos’ Byzantine Monasteries

If you love religious art, Skopelos is your island as it has about 400 churches and 20 monasteries! Palouki Mountain, with a peak at 546 meters in the southeast of Skopelos, houses a string of 7 monasteries. This is also an ideal place for hiking and exploring the beautiful nature of the island.

Agia Varvara Monastery

Agia Varvara is the oldest Monastery on the island built in 1648, a large Basilica temple with a dome. The inside of the church is richly decorated with golden flowers and vine leaves and the outside is protected by high walls that protected it from any raids during the last centuries.

Other monasteries you can visit in the same area:

• Evagelistria, Iera Moni Sotiros of the 16th century, Timios Prodromos, Agioi Taxiarches, Agia Anna, and Pano Panagia.
• The monasteries accept visitors from 8.00-13.00 and 17.00-19:00.
• There’s no entry charge but donations are appreciated. Alternatively, you can buy items in their shop.
• Monastery dress code: women should wear long skirts (below their knees) and have their shoulders covered. Men should wear long trousers and have their shoulders covered.

Taste Skopelos Local Delicacies

Skopelos is famous for its sweets and pies so do not miss tasting:

• walnut pie with ice cream
• hamalia (almond-based confectionery)
• rozedes (walnut sweets) and avgato (a plum preserve)
• all kinds of cheese and vegetable phyllo pies

You may also enjoy: Mamma Mia Greece Locations

Go to Skiathos Island

Skiathos is the most cosmopolitan island in the Sporades group, and the one closest to Pelion Mountain and Volos Port (1 hour by ferry). It is a very green island, ideal for nature and Greek culture lovers, and dancing till morning at beach parties and clubs that thrive on the island!

Skiathos is another Mamma Mia island, a gorgeous, vibrant place that you should visit. The island is between 1 to 1,5 hours away from Skopelos, depending on the vessel you will get.

Where Best to Stay in Skiathos: La Luna Hotel, 90 m from golden sand Troulos Beach!

Wander Magnificent Pelion Greece

Since you are in the same part of Greece, it would be such a shame not to visit my favorite area, my beloved Pelion Greece, and discover another Mamma Mia location, Damouchari.

Pelion, Greece, is a large, forested peninsula. On its gentle slopes lie some of the most beautiful traditional villages, boasting centuries-old houses and monasteries. Surrounded by the Aegean Sea, Pelion also boasts stunning beaches like Mylopotamos, Fakistra, Agios Ioannis, and Papa Nero.

Best Hotel in Pelion: Archontiko Sakali in Pinakates.

Hotels Skopelos: Where Best to Stay

Skopelos Village Hotels

As mentioned before, Skopelos Chora is the most convenient area to stay with my favorite hotels being:

• Thimisi Hotel (Mid-range)
• Kohili Villas (Luxury)
• Irene’s Paradise (Budget)
• Thea Home Hotel (Budget)

How long to Stay on Skopelos

To enjoy Skopelos, I suggest spending 4-5 days seeing a good chunk of its incredible beaches and spectacular scenery. If you are visiting from Skiathos or Alonissos, you can see a lot on a day trip but I would suggest you stay overnight, it is such a beautiful island and needs more than a day trip to enjoy it.

How to Get Around Skopelos

You can get around Skopelos by using public buses, but there may only be a few buses per day, especially outside the high season, and on Sundays, there is a possibility that there are no buses at all. The bus station in Skopelos town (Chora) is right by the port where the ferries arrive and timings are listed on a noticeboard.

Taxis: Taxis are available in Skopelos Chora, Loutraki Port, and Neo Klima. Your hotel receptionist can usually book one for you, or you can keep the phone numbers of a few local taxi companies on hand. If you are going to use taxis a lot, it would be best, cost-wise, if you rented a car.

Where is Skopelos Located?

Skopelos is the second-largest island of Northern or Thessalian Sporades, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea located north of Evia island and east of Thessaly where Pelion also belongs. There are 19 islands and islets included in the group of Northern Sporades with only 6 of them inhabited:

Skyros, Skopelos, Alonissos, Skiathos, Kyra Panagia, and Peristera.

All these islands are characterized by beautiful beaches with lush vegetation that often reaches the shores, in contrast to most other islands of the Aegean Sea, like the Cyclades, which tend to be barren.

How to Get to Skopelos Greece

Athens to Skopelos

If you are in Athens, the most scenic (and longer way) to get to Skopelos is with a private rental car. You can take the ferry to Skopelos from Volos, Agios Konstantinos, or Evia Island.

Flights to Skopelos

Skopelos has no airport but you can fly to Skiathos Island or Volos town in Pelion and take the ferry to Skopelos.

Ferries to Skopelos

You can take the ferry to Skopelos ports (to Skopelos Chora and Glossa) from several nearby ports (not from Athens though):

• Volos port (324 km from Athens)
• Evia Island (Mandoudi port, 133 km from Athens)
• Agios Konstantinos port (mainland, 167 km from Athens)
• Skiathos island
• Alonissos island

Some of the routes are working only during summer. Check out routes, and timetables and book your seats with FerryScanner for the best deals!

Best Time to Visit Skopelos

The smaller Greek islands like Skopelos tend to have a shorter season for visitors than larger islands (such as Rhodes, Crete, or Corfu) or the mainland such as the Peloponnese.

Generally speaking, Skopelos is at its liveliest between May and September, and in peak season from July to August, it can get very busy. The sea water is at its warmest (25-28 C) in August and September.

What to Wear in Skopelos

This depends on the season you are visiting but anytime between May and October, essential things to have in Greece are:

• comfortable walking shoes as Greece is mountainous and archaeological sites with their marble floors can be slippery
• organic sunscreen to apply as often as possible
• UPF sun hat for all day out
• women’s Tunic Swimsuit Cover-Up for the strong Greek sun
• a CUPSHE Bikini for impressive beach appearances
• cotton beach towels
• and a beautiful dress for romantic nights in Greece

When is Best to Go to Greece

Greece has 4 distinct seasons with considerable temperature differences if you are in Thessaloniki in the north or Crete in the south. The islands never close, they have permanent residents but they are at their liveliest between May and September.

Plan My Trip to Greece

Do you need a custom travel itinerary or a transfer within Greece? Are you traveling solo, with your family or friends and need a tailor-made multi-day tour or a transfer?

If yes, please visit my dedicated Plan My Trip Page for a free itinerary!

Athens Airport to Piraeus Port

• Bus: If you are arriving at Athens International Airport you can travel straight to the port by taking the X96 express bus (€5.5, children <6 yo, free entrance), which departs every 40 minutes and the average trip lasts 1 hour – runs 24/7.
• Metro: (€9) is easily found across airport arrivals (blue line – M3) going directly to Piraeus port. The average trip to Piraeus lasts 1 hour.
• Taxis are available in front of the airport (around €40 to Athens, €55-60 to Piraeus (depending on the traffic in Kifisos), and take up to 3 or 4 people with small luggage)
• Rent a car with Discover Cars for reliable, new cars at affordable prices
• You don’t like driving but love hassle-free solutions? Book a Private transfer with an English-speaking driver from Athens International Airport to Piraeus Ferries, or anywhere else in Greece
• Are you looking for domestic flights in Greece? Check out the official Aegean Airlines Website.

Where is your dream summer destination? Would you go to Skopelos?

I’d love to hear about where you’re spending your vacation this year, especially if you have any exciting travel plans! There are so many things to do in Skopelos Greece! I hope that you get the chance to try as many as possible. Till next time, Evgenia❤️

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