Island life

At the moment it is very quiet on Skopelos. There are not a lot of locals or visitors around.
First off all there are no direct flights from abroad to Skiathos anymore so people who want to visit Skopelos, travel, via Athens and Thessaloniki.Many people don’t come here because they think the weather is not so good anymore. On the contrary. We have had really good weather the last couple of days and it is wonderful to enjoy a quieter Skopelos. There is a silence, you hear the waves arriving on the beach and you can hear the birds calling.

A second reason why it is quieter is because a lot of Skopelitans are on holiday . Every year announcements appear on bulletin boards in public places for trips to Italy, Spain, Turkey etc. and anybody that is interested in going can sign up. A busload of Skopelitans go together on holiday. We follow their experience via Facebook. The holidays are cheap in comparison because they travel by boat and bus .

A lot of restaurants and bars close too. It is time to take some rest for everybody who worked so hard. In Skopelos Town only one or two restaurants, some souvlaki places, two pizza places and a handful coffee places have stayed open. In Glossa and Elios even less. Many people who would like to leave cannot because their kids are still in school.

The second time a lot of people can leave the island, is for Christmas. There is a Greek saying: Celebrate Easter on an island and Christmas in the city. If you have family in a city, you go there. You stay at least until the first days in the new year. The beginning of the new year is not celebrated with fireworks like in other countries.

In the new year plans are made for the upcoming summer. What repairs will we need in our houses, apartments for rent, the villas that the holiday companies are renting? Especially the spring is a busy time. Business people are scouting for places to have their businesses. Employees search for accommodation but with many houses used for Airbnb it is difficult.

What about the people that stay behind most of the winter? They meet up with friends, think of new adventures for the future and go out in the nature. There is plenty to do here. Mushrooms, chestnuts, wild greens here we come !!!