"Skopelos island" Top 5 Page for this destination Skopelos Island by StefanosS

Geographically Skopelos is an Aegean island situated in the central-northwest Aegean, east of Pilion peninsula and north of Evia island. Skopelos is the second island in the Northern Sporades chain, it is also the capital and historically the most important, due to its wealth, generated by the fine locally produced wine; counting from west to east, it is the largest one, located between Skiathos and Alonnissos. Following a lengthy narrow shape and being 17km long and 8km wide, it has an area of 95.8 sq km and 67km of rich rugged coastline. It is situated on latitude of 39, like Sardinia, the Majorca islands and Ibiza of Spain, the Azores of Portugal and California of the USA. The climate of Skopelos is mild and healthy. The island has rich sprouting with pine trees, olive trees, almond trees, plum trees and vineyards.

Skopelos is very mountainous, made up of two massifs of unequal size and the coasts are mostly rocky. The biggest bays are the bay of Skopelos, where the port is, Agnontas bay and Panormos bay. The mountain folds form many ravines and gorges that become small torrents during the wet season. Geographically speaking, Skopelos can be regarded as an extension of the Pilion peninsula.

According to the last census in 2001, the whole island had 4,727 inhabitants

Skopelos is possibly the greenest island in Greece. The International Organisation of Biopolitics, on July 5 1997, officially proclaimed it "Green and Blue Island". The green of the pine-trees and the dense forest, covering 50% of the land, mix with the deep blue of sea and sky, creating the picture of unrivalled nature beauty. Charming and lovely, exciting and sophisticated, lively and tranquil; there are many such adjectives to describe this shimmering emerald of the Aegean. Skopelos is an island ideal for those who want to do more than lay on the beach all-day and away of cosmopolitan squeeze.

The island belongs to the prefecture of Magnissia (Magnesia) and forms the municipality of Skopelos.
The town of Skopelos has about 3,000 inhabitants.
There are also three more villages on the island.
Glossa (1,300 inhabitants) with Loutraki, the second harbour of the island, being the port of it.
Elios (350 inhabitants)
Klima (50 inhabitants)

In the island of Skopelos one can find many hotels and private villas with all modern comforts spread around the island.

The sights of Skopelos are many. You will need many days to be able to see them all. You will be able to visit Byzantine and other historical monuments on the island, such as the pirate's graves at Sendoukia.

Skopelos' mountains with their many wells and pine trees form another unique attraction on the island: picturesque bays, wonderful beaches and unique landscapes.

For those who enjoy walking or mountain biking, the interior of the island has a multitude of unmade tracks and trails which pass through tiny hamlets, past peaceful country chapels, and often giving unexpected glimpses of the sea and wonderful views. In one walk you can go through rolling hills and valleys filled with almond, plum, walnut, chestnut and olive trees, past numerous mountain springs, and up steep mountain tracks surrounded by the extensive pine forests, meeting on your way a friendly farmer or two, with his mule or goats. Here the only sounds are of the wind in the pines, birds singing, and the distant tinkle of goat bells.

Chora of Skopelos island as seen from my hotel.

The island was probably inhabited in the Neolithic period. Its ancient name was Peparithos and is mentioned by the pre-Hellenic people who were living in the Aegean region in the period 2800 - 2000 BC. This name is mentioned likewise by Thukydides. Around 1600 BC Cretans whose leader was the mythical king Staphylos settled the island bringing the cultivation of olive trees and vineyards. According to Mythology, Peparithos, the first name of the island, was also the name of Staphylos’ brother.

Between Staphylos bay and Valanio bay there is a small peninsula. At the tip of this peninsula the tomb of King Staphylos was discovered containing his golden sword, a double axe being the symbol of Minoan Crete and many other artefacts, representing some of the most important finds of workmanship from the Mycenaean and Minoan period. These precious findings are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Peparithos island had important ancient towns, such as Knossos, Panormos and Selinos. Today a large part of the ancient castle of Panormos is preserved. Knossos' name was changed to Glossa and Selinos' name was changed to Loutraki, where some remains of an ancient castle and an ancient settlement are still visible today; a statue of Aphrodite was also found there.

In the 6th century BC, when the exporting of local wine and olive oil began, prosperity and progress was brought back to the island. Aristotle refers to the famous wine of Peparithos renowned for its aphrodisiac qualities. Peparithos participated in the Athenian Alliance and was involved in a lot of wars. Its policy was democratic. The island also participated to the ancient Olympic Games. In fact Agnon, an athlete from Peparithos, had won the running competition in 569 BC, and the bay of Agnondas keeps his name until today. Even at the oracle of Delphi, the inhabitants of Peparithos had dedicated a cooper statue of Apollon. Later the island came under Philippos II of Macedonia until 146 BC when the Romans seized all Greece.

The name Skopelos appeared for the first time in texts that Ptolemy wrote in the 2nd century AD and is probably due to the many reefs that protrude around the island. During the Roman and Byzantine times the island declined and was in obscurity. The Byzantines used it as a place of exile. After the conquest of the Byzantine Empire by the Crusaders, the island was under the Dukedom of Naxos, then passed on to the Guizi family residing in Skiathos and later returned to the Byzantines. In 1453 the residents offered their island to the Venetians to escape the Turkish occupation.

In 1538 the Algerian pirate Chaerentin Barbarossa, later Admiral of the Ottoman fleet, came to the island and slaughtered the inhabitants. About 1600 people, who survived and found shelter in Evia and Thessaly, returned back to the island and then the Turkish occupation started. The residents were self-governed and were only obliged to send to the Pasha their taxes plus 30 sailors to serve for one year in the Turkish navy. No citizen of Turkish origin ever settled on the island.

Since 1750 the first Greek revolutionaries started coming to the island from Olympus, Chalkidiki and Thessaly. During the Greek Revolution of 1821 the sailors of Skopelos helped their brothers and the island provided 35 trade ships to assist in the struggle wherever they were asked to. When the revolution failed in Thessaly and Macedonia, 70,000 people, men, women and children, along with diseases and unhappiness settled on the island. Skopelos finally entered the first liberated Greek State in 1830.

Panayitsa, Skopelos island

In World War II the Italians came first and then the Germans. After liberation, the 5 year civil war came, poverty and immigration followed. Since 1980 the touristic development began. This brought also other activities, which urged many young people to remain on the island and many others to return from the urban centres and abroad, some of them temporarily during the summer months.

In Greek history it is astonishing how myths and reality get interwoven in a unique way. Skopelos has maintained it's unique cultural foundation: the legends and rich traditions, likewise the historic and artistic monuments, the castles and monasteries, ancient churches, the famous woodcarved altar screens, all the work of highly skilled and dedicated local artists. Skopelos was a Bishopric, a fact that highlights the island's prosperity and spirituality. The legend of Saint Riginos, (the patron saint of Skopelos), who slew a dragon which was terrorising and killing people on the island, says that he chased it to the area between Staphylos and Agnondas. There, at that spot the mountain broke apart and the dragon fell and was killed in the abyss - that site is today called "Dragon's Chasm".

The people of Skopelos have maintained their traditional shipbuilding skills, as well as woodcarving and producing beautifully decorated pottery. In earlier times shipyards were in operation in Skopelos. They were occupied, too, with the art of weaving and the traditional Skopelitan garments were famous. The traditional knifes of Skopelos are also unique, as, one line folk verses are carved into their handles.

Skopelos is proud of two literary men:
Kaisarios Dapontes (1714-1784), scholar monk and
Pavlos Nirvanas (1866-1937), writer.