Skopelos town
White houses and slate roofs climbing a bay to a Venetian castle, with a church at every turn
Skopelos town, the Chora, is one of the most beautiful island towns in Greece. It climbs the hillside at the back of a wide bay on the north-east coast, an amphitheatre of white houses with grey slate and red tiled roofs, wooden balconies and painted doors, up to the walls of a Venetian castle at the top. Dozens of churches are scattered through the lanes, from the little Panagitsa tou Pyrgou on its rock at the harbour mouth to the 11th-century basilica of Agios Athanasios inside the Kastro. Below, the long waterfront is lined with cafes, tavernas and the boats. Protected as a traditional settlement since 1978, it is the island's port, capital and the best base for a first visit.
- The climb through the lanes to the Kastro
- Panagitsa tou Pyrgou at the harbour mouth
- The Folklore Museum and the Vakratsa mansion
- A Skopelos cheese pie, rolled while you wait
- The monasteries on Palouki above the bay
