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Achladies Further along
and around a headland is this lovely narrow crescent beach. It is a short
walk from the main road down the side of the Esperides Hotel. This is the
first of the beautiful beaches with good bathing, watersports and good places
to eat. There is also a water taxi that runs to town and back, much better
than the bus!
Tzanerias Too difficult
to pronounce so just ask for Nostos Hotel. This is more of a bay and is very
sheltered. Again the bathing is good and there are watersports if you get
bored. Not such good places to eat as Achladies but definitely a beach worth
visiting.
Vromolimnos another impossible
word. This beach is a bit of a trek but worth every bit of the effort. It
is a favorite with the locals and its not difficult to see why. This is the
warmest water on the island for bathing. It is also the beach of the Kanapitsa,
the part of the island where you would live if money were no object. Good
places to eat and drink and party.
Maratha
Another narrow beach down a gentle slope from the road close to Skiathos Palace
Hotel. It is quiet and sheltered. No watersports but a lovely little taverna
/ cantina serving good food and drinks. While you are here take a walk up
to The Palace and out on the swimming pool terrace. There you will see Koukounaries
from the same position as the photographers of the postcards.
Koukounaries This is the
most famous beach in the whole of Greece and a pole conducted by "The
Times" of London rated it number three in the top ten beaches in the
world. It is a beautiful place, not only for the sand and sea but also for
the protected trees and the mini national park which is right behind it. Take
time to walk around the park and the fresh water lake, you will be glad you
did.
Banana This is one of the
most beautiful beaches in the world if you are a naturist or just love unspoilt
places. It is hard to get to so it doesn't get over crowded except in July
and August. You will find a track leading to it from the last bus stop (Koukounaries)
at the end of the main road but be ready for a long walk. It is very sheltered
and the water is shallow so safe for children. Because it is a naturist beach
there is no need to worry about clothes but don't let that put you off if
you are not. There is every kind of watersports here and three cantinas serving
good food right through the day.
Agia Eleni To get to this
beach you must walk back from the last bus stop and take the fork in the road
at the side of the Golden Beach Hotel. It is quite a walk so make sure you
grab a drink first. This is also a lovely beach and well worth seeing.
Mandraki You will need some
kind of transport to get to this one or be ready for a treck. It is on the
north coast and therefore not sheltered so expect rough seas from time to
time. This beach is very popular with the locals and good bathing is assured.
Asselinos
To get to this one
you must take the right fork off the main road at Troulos and then it's down
a track on the left after about 2km.
This is the place if you like your seas rough. There is a large but expensive
taverna that serves good food and has Greek speciality nights
in the high season. Good place to go on a windy day.
Kastro
Not really a beach to write home about, more a place to cool off in the sea
after walking across the island to see the ruins. However, in the high season
boats stop here with tourists who have come to see the place. That means refreshments
and possibly a lift back to the town if the thought of walking back is too
much to take.
Lalaria This beach is impossible
to get to by any means other than by boat. It is a "must see" place
to enjoy the crystal clear water, pick up a prized pebble and marvel at the
arch in the rocks cut out by countless thousands of years of rough seas. You
will be able to get a boat from the harbour in the town to get you here. They
leave at around 10am. each day.
Megas Yalos This beach
will be a huge disappointment if you have walked a long way to get to it.
However if rough seas and wild landscapes are your thing then this could be
the place you have dreamed of. You will probably have the whole place to yourselves.
To get there is not easy but possible by walking across the rocks from the
end of the airport runway.
Xanemos Having difficulty
saying this? try ksanimos, it should be closer to the correct way of saying
it. Having said that there isn't much more to tell you except it's similar
to Megas Yalos in so far as it's wild and rough and a little off the beaten
track. So, if you're in to wild things this could be the beach for you. It's
right next to Megas Yalos and at the end of the airport runway so you can
pull both in together.
That is a tour around the beaches
starting from the town. There are many many more than I could cover here that
are for you to discover. The basic rule to remember is, if you want sand keep
to the south, if you want rocks and pebbles go north. Easy isn't it?
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