Skiathos is small island in the Aegean Sea belonging to the Sporades islands. The island is located near to Skopelos and has two major towns - Skiathos (named same as the island) and Koukanaries. The other settlements of the island are Kanapitsa and Troullos.

This is the most western island of the Northern Sporades the total size is about 42 km (sq) - the population of the island is about 5000 - of course in the season it rapidly rises due to the tourists.

The town of Skiathos is also the capital of the island - after the WW2 when the islands was bombed by nazi germany and rebuild again. Most of the life and also the inhabitants concentrated here and rapidly growed both economically as well as socially. It is also the center of the islands nightlife - many cafés, clubs, bars and tavernas can be found here mainly at both sides of the harbour.

In recent Skiathos is enjoying a tourism boom as it is conisedered as one of the most developed islands of Sporades in meaning of services and infrastructure. However even extremly popular and often crowded it have not lost its great beauty and is one of the most attractive destinations in the region.

Skiathos has one of the most beautiful beaches (over 60 of them) including famous nudist Banana beach at the end of island for visitors of naturist lifestyle. Another beach at Koukonaries belongs to one of the most famous in whole Greece. There is also beaches ideal for families for example Agia Paraskevi.

Visitors can also visit its beautiful monasteries - Evangelistra, Kounistra, Xaralambros and Kechria. All these monasteries are very important to people of Skiathos as remains of their history and spirit that suffered during the ages - mainly later during the Ottoman rule.

Brief history of island
Skiathos is one of the few greek islands that did not change name during the history - it is believed the name comes from pre-hellenic settlement of Pelasgians - prehistoric tribes who inhabitated the greek islands.

Later on the Skiatos was inhabited by Cretans and due to its strategic position and fertile soil it attracted the others during the ages - for example Mycenaeans or Chalkidicians later on. According to legends it was an important stop for example for Greeks on their way to Troy and it is believed that Jason and the Argonauts stopped here too.

Later on in 478 BC Skiathos joined the Athenian Alliance and 74 years later after the War of Peloponnese it gained autonomy and independence. Sparta tried to capture island but Skiathos with help of Athens managed to force them out of the island and was independent for about 40 more years until it was transformed to a military base in war between Athens and Philip II Macedonian. When Macedonians took over Skiathos and installed a tyrany which lasted till 197 BC when the democracy was reinstalled. The Rome took over the reign on island in 146 BC and 58 years later the island was burned by Mithriades IV during the war between Rome and Pontos. After this Skiathos was mainly suffering by pirates attacks on Aegean islands.

In 325 AD the island adapted Christianity and built its first church in the year of 530 - the church of The Holy Trinity.