A Skiathos boat trip leaves the harbour of Skiathos town for the coves, islets and neighbouring islands of the Northern Sporades. The trip is one of the Greece Tours on Greece Ville, listed with the other Greece boat tours.
This post covers the Mamma Mia film sites, the Sporades, the marine park, an ancient sea battle, shipwrecks, ferries, the best months and common questions.
What is a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip is a trip by sea around the Greek island of Skiathos. Eurostat lists Skiathos among the main passenger ports of Greece. Eurostat’s counts leave out cruise passengers. Skiathos has a population density of 122.6 people per square kilometre.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the rock of Daskalonisi sits inside Skiathos harbour. This small, uninhabited islet lies between the port and the islet of Arkos.
In 758, the Byzantine fleet lay at anchor in Skiathos harbour. It then sailed to help Thessaloniki. Skiathos town grew from 4,129 residents in 1981 to 6,160 in 2001.
On a Skiathos boat trip, Kastri lies to the south of the Skiathos channel. This beach village of south Pelion sits about 61 km southeast of Volos.
- Solar lighthouse: A small lighthouse on Daskalonisi collects solar power by day to shine at night.
- Busiest quarter: The record quarter was July to September 2009, with 335 thousand passengers through Skiathos port.
- Low point: The quietest quarter on record was January to March 2021, with only 9 thousand passengers.
Katigiorgis sits on Cape Sepia, about 70 km southeast of Volos. This cape is the elbow of the Magnesia peninsula facing Skiathos.
Which Mamma Mia film sites does a Skiathos boat trip reach?
A Skiathos boat trip links with Mamma Mia at the Agios Ioannis chapel on Skopelos. In the film, Meryl Streep sings “The Winner Takes It All” on its steps. The chapel stands at Kastri, on a cliff about 100 meters above the sea.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the beach of Agios Ioannis lies at the foot of the chapel cliff. Agios Ioannis Cave lies a little further along.
The small chapel is dedicated to St John the Baptist. By road, it is 9.1 km from Glossa port and 30.3 km from the main port of Skopelos.
On a Skiathos boat trip, Kastani beach sits about 15 km northwest of Skopelos town. It looks out to the islet of Dasia and to Skiathos.
- Studio stage: The bulk of the film was shot on a studio stage in England.
- Living trees: Donna’s villa set used real trees, watered daily by an automatic system and given daylight.
- The yacht: Bill’s yacht, the Fernando, was really the ketch Tai-Mo-Shan, built in 1934 in Hong Kong.
In Greece, the film opened on July 3, 2009, and reached number one in its first weekend.
Which Sporades islands lie around a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip sits among the Sporades islands. Since ancient times, the name Sporades has meant the Aegean island groups that lie outside the central Cyclades. Skopelos, Alonissos, Kyra Panagia, Gioura and Piperi each have their own story.
On a Skiathos boat trip, Skopelos and Alonissos are the first two names to know. The 2021 census counted 4,518 people in the municipality of Skopelos.
Alonissos has hills and low mountains up to 493 m. Its north has steep shores, and its east has small plains. In ancient times, Peristera was called Eudemia.
On a Skiathos boat trip, Kyra Panagia has a monastery. The monastery on its east coast took 8 years of work to restore. A single monk lives there.
- Gioura: The 1991 census counted one person there, making it Greece’s smallest municipal district by population.
- Cyclops Cave: A team led by archaeologist Adamantios Sampson excavated this Gioura cave from 1992 to 1996.
- Piperi: It hosts up to 33 bird species, including about 350 to 400 pairs of Eleonora’s falcons.
After Skyros, Piperi is the easternmost island of the Sporades. Skyros was once called the Island of the Magnetes, later Pelasgia and Dolopia.
How does the Alonissos marine park protect the sea near a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip runs near the Alonissos marine park. Its rules set where boats can anchor and where visitors can land. The park is a member of MedPAN, the network of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the park idea began with one man. German zoologist Thomas Schultze-Westrum explored the islands in 1976 and first proposed a protected area there.
Six years later, Alonissos fishermen accepted the park idea and promised to help protect it. In 1986, Magnesia Prefecture signed the first resolution protecting the monk seal and its habitat.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the monk seal is a key part of the story. Scientists say two-thirds of all Mediterranean monk seals live in Greece.
- Psathoura: Visitors can land but must stay on the beach within 50 m of the coast.
- Gioura: When visits are allowed, boats anchor by day and passengers visit only the Cyclops Cave.
- Kyra Panagia: Tourist boats and yachts can anchor and stay overnight in Agios Petros and Planitis bays.
In 1990, a seal protection group set up a permanent field team in the area.
Which ancient sea battle was fought near a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip links to the battle of Artemisium, fought between Greeks and Persians in 480 BC. Herodotus wrote that a Persian squadron sent round Euboea sailed outside Skiathos. This kept the Greeks from seeing it set out.
On a Skiathos boat trip, “The Ant” is a sunken rock between Skiathos and Magnesia. Herodotus says three Persian ships placed a stone pillar on it, brought for the purpose.
Pammon of Scyros had shown the Persians where the rock lay. In modern times, Admiral Stylianos Lykoudis found stone blocks. He took them for remains of the pillar.
On a Skiathos boat trip, news from Skiathos plays a part. After that news, the Greek fleet left Artemisium for Chalcis to protect the Euripus. Lookouts stayed on the Euboean hills.
- The storm: An east gale drove Persian ships ashore at Ipni, “The Ovens”, below Pelion.
- Lost treasure: Long after, Ameinocles, a Magnesian farmer, grew rich from washed-up gold and silver cups.
- Persian Magi: They sacrificed to the winds, Thetis and the Nereids; the storm eased on day four.
Herodotus counted 1,207 Persian warships at Doriskos. He reckoned about 800 triremes were left at Artemisium.
Which shipwrecks lie off a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip links to wrecks near Skiathos. A survey under the Ephorate found part of a late Roman wreck at Tarsanades. It found another at Platania cove. A Byzantine wreck near the old harbour carried mainly roof tiles.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the Peristera wreck stands out for its cargo. About 1,000 amphorae were counted on its surface. At least three stacked layers lay beneath.
The wreck proved Greeks built ships carrying up to 150 metric tons from the 5th century BC. This size of ship was once thought only Roman.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the Peristera ship’s end is unclear. The museum says it possibly belonged to an Athenian merchant. It possibly sank in a storm or a deck fire.
- Tableware: Divers raised black-glazed and red-glazed drinking cups, ladles, jugs and deep cups, plus cooking pots.
- Construction: Fourteen wooden treenails, about 7 cm wide, gave the first evidence of the ship’s build.
- Letters: The amphorae carry the Greek letters lambda and upsilon, possibly a mark for the goods.
Alonissos lists the Skatzoura, Tselios and Faggrou wrecks and Kyra Panagia as future underwater museum projects.
Which ferries and ports link a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip links to the harbour of Skiathos town, which is a large natural port. The shape of the harbour and its south-facing position make it ideal for boats. Four green islets shelter this safe and spacious harbour.
On a Skiathos boat trip, the old harbour of Skiathos town is a film location. The harbour scene of the film Mamma Mia! was shot there.
The Hellenic Coast Guard lists its local offices in Skiathos, Skopelos, Agios Konstantinos and Mantoudi. Mantoudi village lies 4 km from the north-east coast of Euboea.
On a Skiathos boat trip, Volos harbour has a place in history. On 8 April 1827, a Greek fleet led by Frank Abney Hastings captured five Ottoman ships there.
- North Euboean Gulf: Agios Konstantinos lies on this gulf, which covers 1,060 km² and reaches 450 m.
- Pagasetic Gulf: Volos is its main port, and its deepest point is 102 m deep.
- Agios Konstantinos: The town stands on the site of ancient Daphnous, an important walled port.
The Hellenic Pilot, volume 3, gives sailing details for Skiathos. One Greek chart covers all the Northern Sporades.
Which months suit a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip can be planned with records from Skyros, in the Sporades. Greek weather service data for 1955-2010 average 1.6 rain days there in July and 1.6 in August. Skyros is driest in July, at 5.9 mm of rain on average.
On a Skiathos boat trip, other months matter too. June averages 2.7 rain days on Skyros, and September 3.7. The month after April averages 5.2, and October 7.0.
December has the highest number of rain days on Skyros, at 13.0. January follows with 12.9. December is also the wettest month, at 81.1 mm of rain on average.
On a Skiathos boat trip, wind direction counts. From April to October, the main Skyros wind blows from the north. From November to March, it blows from the north-east.
- Skyros wind: Its mean value is lowest in the month after April (7.3) and highest in February (12.9).
- Steady rise: The value climbs every month from the month after April, reaching 9.5 in September.
- Etesian winds: Aegean buoy records show their peak at the end of July and start of August.
No waves reach the Skyros buoy from the west, because the Sporades islands block their path.
What do visitors ask about a Skiathos boat trip?
A Skiathos boat trip brings questions about safety and health. Visitors ask about child life jackets, seasickness and sun at sea. They also ask about Blue Flag beaches and rules for water toys. The coast guard and distress calls come up too.
Can children wear armbands instead of life jackets on a Skiathos boat trip?
In Greece, inflatable armbands and simple floats do not count as approved life-saving gear. They suit only shallow, calm water with an adult watching.
Who gets seasick more easily on a Skiathos boat trip?
People whose relatives get motion sickness are more prone to it. For a share of people, after-effects last hours or days. Motion sickness causes no long-term harm.
What Blue Flag beaches line the shore on a Skiathos boat trip?
Only Koukounaries and Maratha held a Blue Flag in 2020. Skiathos jumped to 10 Blue Flag beaches in 2021. The current Greek list gives it 16.
What water toy rules apply on a Skiathos boat trip day?
Greek port rules keep pedal boats within 500 m of the shore. Everyone aboard must wear a life jacket. Non-swimmers cannot use pedal boats.
How can sunburn be avoided on a Skiathos boat trip?
At a UV index of 8 or more, the World Health Organization advises avoiding the midday sun. It also advises wearing a shirt, sunscreen and hat.
Which coast guard command covers a Skiathos boat trip?
The Hellenic Coast Guard’s 4th Regional Command, based in Volos, covers the Sporades. A DSC radio distress alert always carries the boat’s MMSI identity number.