Skiathos, Meditation and Relaxation

How to prepare skiathos, meditation and relaxation

After 2 weeks spent on this island - we didn't even leave it for a fishing trip or to visit Skopelos island - we returned home more relaxed than ever. The island is small, you can drive across its length in about 35 minutes. It has only one town (Skiathos), otherwise there are just clusters of guesthouses, hotels and tavernas for tourists, scattered mostly along the southern shore, and a few inland.

Yet we weren't bored. Because there are interesting things to see and do there, but they're the kind of things you do at a slow pace as if the days had suddenly stretched. And our minds miraculously emptied.

Where we stayed in Skiathos

We chose our accommodation strategically, right at the western edge of Skiathos town. It's close enough (5 minutes on foot) to Megali Ammos beach but also close enough to town that we could walk to dinner (15 minutes). The location is idyllic, on a hill, with a direct view of the sea. Villa Athena has only 4 buildings with two studios each. They were so well designed that privacy was maximum... I didn't see my neighbors (nor hear them) except at the wifi spot. Oh yes... we had no wifi and no TV in the room, which made meditation the best option for spending free time. Do you meditate? I hadn't managed it until now. Until, on the first day at 7 in the morning, I sat on the terrace of our studio and looked towards the sea. And I stayed like that for minutes on end, my mind emptied of everything, impressed only by the beauty before my eyes. And this repeated daily, several times a day. The villa's garden is very beautiful, lush and well maintained.

In our area, a few dozen meters below, I spotted some other nice accommodation: Aegean Suites Hotel and Villa Yannis. The only minor inconvenience might be that these places are on a hill, quite steep (5 minutes climb). We were the only ones at Villa Athena who walked up and down, the rest used their cars. We preferred to put our feet to work. We kept our running schedule anyway, because at 7 in the evening Megali Ammos beach was empty and invited us to run barefoot.

Megali Ammos beach isn't the most beautiful on the island - I'll get to that soon - but it was nice, clean, moderately crowded, peaceful and it was convenient to have it close when we just wanted a swim and something to eat.

And so I've arrived at my favorite subject: food. In general the food on the island didn't impress me. Generally it was ok, but somehow everything was tastier on Lefkada. Especially the fresh fruits and vegetables (those served in tavernas and those bought from stalls) seemed tasteless to me, like supermarket ones. So I missed the "fresh stuff". However, grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, peppers), grilled fish, spicy feta cream, beetroot, local lamb and beef specialties, gyros and souvlaki were always well prepared and fresh.

Tip: oranges (the small ugly ones) were the only local fruits in the grocery stores; they're extraordinary for juicing; that's how we had fresh orange juice for breakfast

Where we ate on Skiathos:

Thessaloniki - on Megali Ammos beach -> excellent service, the lady there was always smiling and speaks perfect English. It was where we ate most often and not because it was close to us, but the grilled fish was always fresh and always perfectly prepared. Their salad with fresh tuna (note, they also have canned tuna) was by far the best thing I ate this vacation. Delicious grilled vegetables. So I recommend the place for anything prepared on the grill or for traditional dishes (kleftiko, giouvetsi, etc).

Mylos - on the promenade in Skiathos -> it's right at the end on the right, at the end of the promenade. I recommend it for the pleasure of eating traditional Greek dishes right by the sea. Try kleftiko, beef stifado, bread with garlic and feta (a kind of calzone made by them). Delicious. The waiters are a bit hyperactive, but I think it's because the kitchen is across the street and they have to run back and forth all the time.

Cucina di Maria - Skiathos town -> pizza and pasta; I recommend it especially for the more conservative or those with children. I didn't try the pizza, but the pasta was good, with well-prepared, balanced sauces. The white wine by the carafe was the best, because otherwise we didn't like the Greek carafe wine and preferred beer. The chocolate soufflé with ice cream was perfect. The place is quite romantic, under an umbrella tree. I appreciated more the atmosphere and service here.

Meating Point - Skiathos town -> pleasant for a tête-à-tête, hidden in the narrow streets of the town; dakos and tabbouleh (something fresh!)

Ergon - Skiathos town, right on the main Papadiamantis street -> chic, nice décor; also has a deli shop where you can buy edible "souvenirs" (olive oil, cheeses, cinnamon, bay leaves, cookbooks, honey). Interesting dishes, but I recommend only the traditional ones and the mezes. The rest seemed a bit heavy for summer. And breakfast is too heavy and the sweets so sweet they hurt your throat. They organize cooking classes.

Wok&Roll - Skiathos town -> fast food at the wok. Fast, decent and cheap; they prepare milk and fruit ice cream on the spot. Recommendation for the brave: noodles with chili&garlic sauce. It was so hot my ears burned and the girl who prepared them said it only has one chili!!!

Skilithri - just past Vassilias beach (between bus stops 12 and 13); fantastic location; varied fish and fresh. But... very poor service. I recommend only the grilled fish. I don't recommend the fish platter, not worth the money. Nor the octopus, it's rubbery. Better to go for lunch. For dinner you need a reservation and can opt for a table right on the sand (romantic, if the wasps leave you alone!).

Grill House Koziakas - Skiathos town -> any meat you want (lamb, beef, chicken, sausages) on a spit. The meat is very well cooked. I liked the lamb. No atmosphere, just meat 😋
Somewhere near this place there's a pastry shop, on the corner. It seemed the best in town, although it's smaller. Those on the main street have sweets with too "artificial" creams.

Marmita - Skiathos town -> a restaurant with more unusual flavors; the only one where I saw them using wild fennel in recipes (although it grows everywhere on the island); pleasant atmosphere

Platanos - somewhere in the center of the island -> superb view towards the sea and Skiathos town; Recommended for beer, coffee and many panoramic photos

And I was caught! You know when I told you I have more cheese than shoes? Well, at a restaurant, after I ordered, the waiter told me without appeal "too mutz tzeese" (meaning "too much cheese" with Greek accent). And then he changed one of my dishes with something he recommended. And he got it right. He brought me beetroot, which I would never have ordered in summer, by the sea. But it went well with feta!

Oh, and don't you dare ask for garlic sauce with fish, you'll get told off. Radu had a craving for garlic with fish and they started shouting: no garlic on fish, it covers the taste. Then they told us, slightly disgusted: garlic is only for the English who eat chips! These purists, if they knew how fish is eaten in Romania... drowned in garlic sauce.

Skiathos Beaches

At first we visited all the beaches (they have fine sand) to see which ones suited us and here are the winners:

Elias - our favorite; accessible by car on an unpaved road; wild, uncrowded; the water is shallow (waist-deep) for about 50m out; fine silvery sand; can be calm as a lake, but when it's windy it has some splendid waves; ideal for children too because the water is so shallow; has only one snack bar (runs on a generator, electricity hasn't reached there) which gets crowded around 3pm, so we always ate before. Dreamy!

Koukunaries - famous for its beauty; has the advantage of a pine forest behind it, so you can have natural shade. Black swans; clear water; several snack bars; disadvantage: it's quite popular, easily accessible (by local bus) so it's more crowded

Vromolimnos - the most dynamic beach; the only one with music and I think that's why young people prefer it; we liked to have coffee here, around 5pm when it was water fitness time; full of life and crowded, but sometimes you need that too

Skiathos Town

Nice, romantic, with narrow streets, crowded buildings, sometimes seeming stacked; full of life in the evening; to eat, better to get lost in the side streets than to eat on the promenade or on the main street; many boutiques but only about two were to my taste so I had nothing to spend money on 😊 they have an open-air cinema that always shows Mamma Mia (which was filmed on Skiathos and Skopelos; I was giddy just at the thought that Pierce Brosnan might have walked where I was walking - I know... don't bother commenting 😋 ); quite a few bars and clubs and I heard the nightlife is lively, but we didn't catch those party hours.

To Visit in Skiathos

The ruins of Kastro town are on a cliff; the area is accessible from the mainland too (the walk there was a pleasure) or you can take a boat excursion that takes you directly there.

After 1 week we were already so relaxed that neither boat trips to see dolphins nor underwater fishing (is it called hunting if it's with a spear gun and not a fishing rod?) appealed anymore. Just "strolling", from one beach to another.

Useful Information

• There's a bus line from Skiathos along the southern shore that goes to almost all beaches; runs every 15 minutes;
• Prices are only slightly higher than on Lefkada; a lunch between 10 and 20 euros per person (with beer and water)
• Coffee is very good almost everywhere; cappuccino fredo is and looks wonderful; costs about 2.5 euros
• Beer costs around 2.5 euros, but on more isolated beaches can reach 3.5 euros.
• A portion of souvlaki (3 pieces) costs 4.5 euros with chips and tzatziki included
• A pork gyros with everything, on a plate, comes to about 8 euros
• Diesel on the island is 1.4 euros/l, compared to 1.14 on the mainland
• Route chosen: Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Giurgiu, Ruse, Pleven, Sofia, Sandanski, Kulata, Serres, Thessaloniki, Volos, Skiathos
• The ferry from Volos to Skiathos island (for 2 people and a small car) costs 200 euros (round trip).

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