Life with the corona virus on Skopelos

This photo was taken on the 17th of March. We visited a small church close to our home and this is the view from this church. I will tell you the story tomorrow.

I know, not a lot of travelling is going on but I still want to keep informing you about it. When you are a permanent resident on Skopelos and you need to travel please don’t forget to have with you (one of the three)
-your travelling equivalent card (see below)

-a tax return or
-a statement from the municipality stating you are a permanent resident

From Monday the 30th of March until the 30th of April the ferryboat Express Skiathos will travel only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
On the Hellenic Seaways website I see these times:

Because of the closure of all educational institutions earlier this month the Greek Education Ministry is going to offer educational television programs for primary and secondary school children via the Greek State television (Ert2)
The lessons are expected to begin on Monday. The teachers will not continue with the school curriculum at first but will start repeating the lessons that were taught before the schools closed. Greek universities have already started with lessons via Skype.

The programs for primary school pupils will run from 08.00 hours to 12.00 hours and for the secondary school pupils from 12.00-16.00 hours.

Today spring is in the air. The rain has finally stopped for a bit and a weak sun is trying to come through the clouds. Nature is not giving up and many trees are blooming. That we have such a strong ally must give us hope and the believe that things will get better. Almost the whole world has been reset and now it is up to us to make a new and better start.

Have a nice weekend everyone, hopefully you can make the best of the situation! My husband left the house with a paper that said that around 9 in the morning he is going to run an errand/shopping. I am hearing lots of stories from a lot of readers from all over the world. Everybody is trying to make the best of the situation. We could not have imagined that this would happen ever but I think one advice rings the truest at the moment: Stay home and stay safe ! xx Daphne

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Only permanent residents

The Greek government has decided today that anybody that wants to come to a Greek island has to prove that he/she is a permanent resident of that island. The measure is from tomorrow, Saturday. Papers showing this have to be shown.

Supermarkets will be open also on Sunday.

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Proteus ferryboat timetables until the end of the summer

Source: https://www.anes.gr/en/itinerary/sporades

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Skopelos is the Latest Addition of Jet2holidays for Summer 2020

Jet2holidays, the UK’s second largest tour operator, on Friday announced that it will launch holidays for the first time to the Greek island of Skopelos in summer 2020.

According to the tour operator, the move follows demand from holidaymakers wanting access to the unspoilt island in the north Aegean Sea, best known for being the filming location for the first Mamma Mia film.

“We are delighted to be offering award-winning holidays for the first time to the beautiful island of Skopelos… ideal for families and couples looking for an authentic, off-the-beaten track Greek holiday,” Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said.

Holidaymakers will have access to Skopelos through six weekly flights to Skiathos to be operated by Jet2holidays in summer 2020 from May to September – three weekly services from Manchester (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), twice weekly services from London Stansted (Wednesday and Saturday) and a weekly service from Birmingham (Wednesday).

This is the company’s latest expansion to Greece for Summer 2020 through its leisure airline Jet2.com, having already announced flights to 14 Greek destinations: Mykonos (new), Skiathos (new), Santorini (new), Preveza (new), Kalamata in the Peloponnese (new), Lesvos (new), Corfu, Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Kefalonia, Kos, Rhodes, Halkidiki and Zakynthos.

The tour operator’s travel packages will also include coach transfer from the airport to the Port of Skiathos and a private water taxi ferry to Skopelos.

Moreover, the package holiday specialist announced that it has put a selection of hotels on sale to Skopelos between May and September, with villas to be put on sale with Jet2Villas soon.

Source: Gtp.gr

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Greek Transport Ministry to Subsidize 12 Remote Island Air Routes to 2024

In efforts to secure year-round transport to Greece’s remotest island destinations, the Transport Ministry invited today airlines to enter a competition for subsidies to the tune of 24.6 million euros.

More specifically, 12 routes will be awarded to participating airline companies to be serviced between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2024 and to be subsidized by up to 24.6 million euros excluding VAT.

The competition is open for the following 12 routes: Athens – Skiathos, Athens – Ikaria, Athens – Syros, Athens – Leros, Athens – Astypalea, Athens – Kalymnos, Athens – Skyros, Thessaloniki – Samos, Thessaloniki – Chios, Thessaloniki – Kalamata, Rhodes – Karpathos – Kassos, and Rhodes – Kastelorizo.

The ministry will have the right to set the maximum fares based on route service period and minimum frequency of flights.

Recommended net fares (excluding taxes and fees) are: Athens – Skiathos and Athens – Ikaria (60-75 euros), Athens – Syros (55-70 euros), Athens – Leros and Athens – Astypalea (65-80 euros), Athens – Kalymnos (70-90 euros), Thessaloniki – Chios (70-85 euros), Athens – Skyros (50-65 euros), Thessaloniki – Samos (80-95 euros), Thessaloniki – Kalamata (85-100 euros), Rhodes – Kassos (45-60 euros), Rhodes – Karpathos (40-55 euros), Karpathos – Kassos (35-45 euros), Rhodes – Kastelorizo ​​( 40-55 euros).

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set the summer months of June, July, August, and September as peak season.

Source: GTP News

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Proteus from 27-01 until 28-02

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Boats and roads

The Proteus ferryboat is probably running again from Monday the 20th of January.
Source: Skiathoslife.gr. The link is Proteus back in business

There is also news of a new boat servicing the Volos-Sporades-Mantoudi route this summer. This news was published on a bulletin board from the coastguard. See below.
(Source: coastguard news)

The boat is called Megajet from the boat company Seajets.

(source: Seajets fleet

The boat will be sailing from 1/6/2020 until 30/09/2020 it says in the announcement.

The road along the harbor in Mantoudi has been asphalted.The photo’s are from the 3rd of January 2020.

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