The largest of the Sporades chain with any area of around 60 square miles, Skopelos has a population of only around 6,000 with most living in the capital. Sandy beaches may be scarce but the island has attracted the more upmarket traveller over the years.
The discerning image has helped to jack up the prices in the past and this is still not a cheap place to stay. Olive and plum groves and pine forest make up much of the lush, green interior. Hillsides are dotted with domes of churches and monasteries - there is said to be one for every day of the year - and, if you can avoid the heat soaked months of July and August,there are many pleasant walks to be had.
Skopelos is much less well endowed with sandy beaches than its noisier neighbour Skiathos. Most beaches are stone and shingle and can be found along the south coast between Stafylos and Loutraki.
They are served by the island bus which runs the runs the length of the island along the single main road though many still require a longish walk down a track from the nearest bus stop. Not all of them are pebble however.
There is good sand to be found in the many near-deserted coves for those who hire a moped or are prepared to trek along more remote footpaths. Other beaches, especially those in the blustery north can only reached by boat - daily caiques go to the most popular spots.
With fewer visitors overall, Skopelos beaches tend to be more tranquil and less crowded and the further you get from the capital the more peaceful they become.
Walking to monasteries is one of the more popular pursuits on Skopelos, the other is just walking. Fortunately there are no end of churches and monasteries to visit. In Skopelos town itself there are around 120. The best are at Zoodochos Pigi which has an icon attributed to St Luke and at Chrisso with its splendid gilded interior and the dramatic 18th century church of Panagia Eleftherotria with a fountain beneath a huge plane tree and a slate roof dotted with brightly painted ceramics. Also close by is the Episkopi, a fortified Venetian monastery, left incomplete by the Ottoman invasion. There are also a clutch of monasteries to visit on the Mount Poalouki above the town. The route may be long and hot up a winding track but walkers are rewarded with lovely views. Tourist firms offer the usual overpriced excursions in the high season. Evangelistria clings to the rocks and enjoys the most magnificent views over Skopelos town and the bay. The monastery was founded by monks from Mount Athos in the 18th century but its huge and impressive gold plated alter screen is from Constantinople and dates from the 14th century. It is is now occupied by nuns. More masochistic walkers can attempt the climb to the 16th century Metamorphosis, which stands aloft in a clutch of pines. It was been empty for around 20 years but is undergoing a revamp with just one monk in residence now. It has a small chapel set in a flower strewn courtyard and hosts one of the island's biggest festivals on August 6. Prodoromus can be seen from Metamorphosis just over the next hill. Built in the 18th century it is dedicated to St John the Baptist and inhabited by nuns. Ag. Varvara is a fortified monastery now unfortunately abandoned but notable for its 15th century frescoes.
Skopelos was in ancient times known as Peparanthos. It is thought to have first been settled around 2800 BC. By 1600 BC it was under Cretan rule. The governor was a called Prince Stafylos and it is his tomb that is believed to have been found at the bay that still bears his name. Cretans are thought to have been the first to bring vines, olives and grain to the island. Skopelos fell into decline and was targeted, like many others, by pirates. Prosperity and stability came in the Classical era, when its wine and oil became much in demand, and through alliance with Athens, it set up its own democracy. The island followed a similar fate to that of many islands in the following years. It was conquered by Macedon in 338 BC, followed by Roman rule in 146 BC. and Byzantium from around 330 AD. Ottoman rule followed in 1538 when Barbarossa is thought to have slaughtered the entire population.
The island was at its most prosperous in the 18th and 19th centuries when merchants traded throughout the region. Between 1821 and 1826, local boats helped in the struggle for Greek independence against the Turks. It was during this time that the island population soared as it became a refuge for those fleeing from the mainland with a reported 70,000 refugees at one time. Skopelos joined the new Greek state in 1830.
