The Sporades Islands are considered one of the most beautiful groups of Greece. Yachts mingle with fishing boats, and fishermen will tell you of fishing spots teeming with fish. You can swim, sail, visit the blue grottos (sea caves partly filled with sea water with an entrance at or below sea level) and spearfish too. There is also the famous Leda Watersports Beach Club for your fun-in-the-sun vacation. Sporades consists of four main islands, Skopelos, Skiathos, Alonissos and Skyro. While the islands share a similar landscape with dense pine forests, fruit orchards, mountainous terrain and some of the bluest seas one will ever experience, each has its own beauty and charm and something unique to offer. Skopelos, the largest of the Sporades islands and famous for its superb wine, offers trees, which literally reach the sea. Its forests are so thick that not even sunlight can penetrate. The capital of the island offers beautiful two-storey Venetian houses with tiled roofs; narrow stone paved streets and whitewashed churches. There are lovely mountainous villages and fine sandy beaches and coves, which have a unique turquoise color due to the white sand or pebbles. The water here is so clear you will actually think you’re in a swimming pool. Here you can visit the scenic settlements, the traditional Byzantine monasteries, archaeological monuments, St. John The Beheaded’s Chapel and Hermit Cave, the House of Papadiamantis and the Monastery of Evangelistria. Skiathos is the most cosmopolitan picturesque island of the Sporades. It is covered with a dense pine forest, has a long golden coastline and fully organized sandy beaches. It offers many restaurants, taverns, bars and nightclubs, which stay open until dawn, as Skiathos is well known for its nightlife. You will also find the archaeological museum here. Alonnissos is gifted with impressive caves, lush verdure and crystal waters. Here you will come across the rare Mediterranean Monk Seal. This island has the wildest natural environment of the group. Visit Hora (Patitiri), Votsi and Steni Vala as well as the surrounding islets. The beaches in Alonissos are amazing, with colourful pebbles and emerald green crystal clear waters. Skyros, removed from the other Sporades and tourism, maintains its traditional character, while it is famous for the local furniture and the local horse breed. Hora or Horio, Linaria, Magazia and Molos are the settlements where you will find the most interesting sightseeing. There are plenty of hotels, apartments, traditional houses, studios, villas, rooms and a campground for all your lodging needs. Available too are many eating establishments on each island; restaurants, taverns, snack and coffee places are found around even by the seaside, offering all kinds of food. The nightlife is especially lively here. Sporades has so much to offer and the charm and beauty of these delightful islands will stay in your mind and heart for many years. The sights, sounds, colors and aromas found here are unique and you will not find them anywhere else in Greece. So plan to visit soon and begin your fun-filled, memory-making vacation on the amazing islands of Sporades. |