Portbook exploration team in Skyros island

Portbook exploration team in Skyros island

• Τετάρτη, 26 Νοεμβρίου 2014
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Portbook’s exploration team was in Skyros last summer. The southernmost island of Sporades region, just one and a half hour west-northwest of Kymi port, is an ideal place if you are looking to get away from the hordes of tourists and yet have a taste of the scenery of Aegean islands.

In fact, island’s scenery balances between the Sporades feeling with portions of heavily pine wood, in the southern region while on the other hand the typical Aegean style of flat surfaces with small white houses can be found in northern part as long as the center of island, Chora.

We did not use a boat but we used the public transport vessel M/V Achileas owned by Skyros Shipping Co that connects Evia island with Sporades region. The 100 min trip was pleasant and the ship was almost new. Linaria, located in the southwest region, is the main port of Skyros and we were fascinated by the look and the organization of the harbor.

Linaria, from our point of view, is an exquisite example on how local authorities and port fundsγ should operate their ports. Everything was in place (fenders, stainless cleats, carts to carry goods to vessels, garbage disposal bins etc). The presence of information were vast and everywhere but in fact we already knew much of them from the excellent site that Port fund is hosting.

Port of Linaria as seen from north and south, respectively.

Except from Linaria, Pefkos cove is ideal for sheltering from north winds, even though the seabed is deep, sandy and with lots of seaweed. Some vessels tie ropes on the rocks on the north side of the cove. Nevertheless the beach is beautiful and unexplored. Only a small shop exists there, “kantinaki”, where you can find coffee and water but also the tavern of Kyra Stamatia. From Pefkos Cove the boat of Eftihis feelingreece leaves for sailing trips around the islands when the weather is favourable to explore the caves on the south east side of the island.

Pefkos Cove from above and the slipway on the southern of the cove (38°51'15.9"N 24°30'33.3"E)

Other southern side coves is Aghios Fokas, Atsista, Kyra Panagia and Aghios Petros some of them providing shelter from north wind and facilitating some amenities also like beach bar in Kyra Panagia (Cooknara).

On the northeast side of the island Girismata, Molos and Magazia are three consecutive sandy beaches with lots of beach bars, taverns and rooms to stay with the most prestigious among them, the newly renovated 4 star Skyros Palace, to lie near Girismata Beach. Excellent rooms with traditional food and a swimming pool which is a temptation for the kids.

Other than that, Faltaina’s Ice creams in Chora with many new flavours send us back in time remembering the old ice cream taste. It wouldn’t not be fair if we would not comment on the excellent souvlaki of Mantzourana in Chora and Cavos Café, just over Linaria port, which is the place to be for a midnight cocktail overseeing the picturesque harbor.

Chora alley and traditional yard

We left Skyros with a taste of bitterness. Was it because the vacation time was over or because we did not had time to visit the caves or Mouries Farm with famous Skyrian horses we could not tell. Maybe we will come back and then Eftihis will guide us with his boat along the coast or Crisanthi, his wife, will let us hike together on the hiking rides she organizes.

If you want to visit real island life with many scenery places, real people full of genuine Greek hospitality, away from the crowds and hords of running tourists, then Skyros is the place to visit.