Skopelos (Northern Sporades):

Boats in Skopelos town harbour

Skopelos is one of the group of Northern Sporades islands which also include Skiathos, Alonissos and Skyros. I spent a day on Skopelos in June 2013 whilst staying on Alonissos. It's a short journey of 30 minutes or less and as I had caught the 06.40 Flying Cat fast catamaran I arrived in Skopelos Town (Chora) around 07.00 as the sun was starting to rise.

This proved good light for photographing the harbour from all angles. If you follow the quay to the far right (looking inland) of the harbour you are in a good position to photograph boats and ferries coming and going -just be aware that the larger ferries create some wash which is likely to splash over the end of the quay.

Also on the right is the photogenic church of Panagia tou Pyrgou (pictured) which you can access via a number of steps from the harbour front to get good views over the town. Carry on from the church a little way and there are the ruins of an old castle. 

The old town itself is a maze of narrow alleys and steps with numerous churches and chapels to be seen. The usual adage applies here -if you get lost just head downwards and you'll reach the harbour front sooner or later. 

Skopelos Town from the harbour

Skopelos is, of course, a draw for fans of the 2008 film Mamma Mia! Most of the location filming was done in 2007 mainly at Kastani beach on the West coast. Don't bother looking for the long wooden jetty that features so much in the film  -it was built especially for the film and then dismantled. The other location that fans head for is that church used in the wedding scenes of the film. This is Agios Ioannis at the North East end of the island. Of course, if you are just on a day visit you're probaly not going to have time to get to these but worth noting that there are a number of excursion boat tours that will take you to the various locations. These also operate from Skiathos as well.

Church of Panagia tou Pyrgou on Skopelos

There are plenty of tavernas and shops along the harbour front but not so many as to make it feel overly touristy. Whilst having lunch I had a Greek island first when a funeral procession came past - priests, mourners in black and a grieving, elderly widow. Nobody told us what to do but I was pleased that out of natural instinct every person in the taverna respectfully stood up whilst the procession went past. Needless to say my camera remained on the table. It was one of those moments when getting a picture wasn't important and would have been totally inappropriate.

So Skopelos then, a very pretty old town with lots of churches and interesting buildings and, by all accounts, lots of nice country walks to be had inland. It is certainly well worth a day trip if you are staying on Skiathos or Alonissos and very worthy of consideration as a holiday destination in itself. Regards, David.

Alonissos shipping:

Achilleas ferry docked at Patitiri

Oe of the fascinating things for me on Greek islands is watching the endless coming and going of shipping of all kinds. Ferries, in particular, always create a stir as people and vehicles gather on the quayside as the time of arrival approaches.

Cargo ship Ioanna Chrisoula at Patitiri

In these pictures you see the Skyros Shipping Company ferry Achilleas docked at Patitiri harbour. This was making several trips a week between Alonissos and Skopelos and its home island of Skyros during my June visit. This opens up the possibility of a trip to Skyros, though you would need to stay there for a few days before your return. I didn't see this ship when I previously visited in September so I am guessing it may only run during the peak season.
The second ship is the cargo supply vessel Ioanna Chrisoula which operates out of the mainland port of Volos -bringing supplies and cargo to the various Sporades islands.

Hellenic Seaways Flying Cat 5 catamaran ferry

Finally, we have the Hellenic Seaways fast catamaran ferry Flying Cat 5 moored at Patiri. This image is from 2012 when it had this vivid red Vodaphone livery. When I returned in 2013 this had changed to the green livery of Greek telecommunications company Cosmote. Personally I would recommend the journey on the slightly slower regular ferries Express Skiathos and Express Pegasus (also operated by Hellenic Seaways) as you can be out in the fresh air and enjoy the view during the journey. The Cats do have a small outside area at the rear (upstairs) which the crew may let you out on while docked -you'll be ushered back inside
once under way.
A useful tip for anyone interested in ships and shipping is to note the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) number of the ship (it's painted on somewhere). Then just search that number on the internet to get the ships history and details -always useful for photo captions. Ship Spotters can even get real time details of its current location and destination! Regards, David.