Skopelos Greek Island Holiday Walks - Monastery, Church and Hill Walking Guides.

If you enjoy visiting monasterys and churches whilst on holiday in Greece then the first Skopelos walk below is perfect since it visits lots of both.

Other Skopelos Greek Island holiday walks described go to beaches including Stafilos naturist beach where you can strip off and have a nice peaceful swim and sunbathe if you wish.

Probably the main thing to consider when out walking on Skopelos (especially between June and September) was the heat. For instance when we walked the Monasteries trail (above Skopelos Town) we ended up going on to the aerial masts (these masts on Greek Islands are a pest in that once you spot them them you just have to go up to them .. going to lighthouses is the same problem for us as well) - anyway this walk was mostly up and was around 10km long and pretty thirsty work. Although we had started quite early and had the benefit of shade of sorts most of the way - on our return trip there was very little shade and the temperature was in the mid 30s. The result was that although obviously we were walking back down, the return 10km's took longer and were more tiring.
We had a GPS receiver with us and some readings (WGS84) have been included with the walks in [..]s

 

Our Skopelos Walks and photos Guides - ** these open on a new page)

 

Moni Metamorfoseos - Aerial Masts - Skopelos Town This walk is very straightforward and simply involves following initially a tarmac road and then a gravel track for about 10kms or so, and then a retrace most of the way back. We decided to take a taxi (9 euros) up to Moni Metamorfoseos because we had decided to walk as far as the aerial masts making the potential walk quite long, but you can simply walk up the tarmac road from Skopelos Town to the Monastery and cut some of the road's corners off with various paths too if you wish.
From the monastery continue up the tarmac road take note of a small track on your right at a hairpin bend (which will be used on your return route and also where you get a distant view of the Moni Evangelistra) - the road eventually becomes a dirt/gravel track and winds on up high above the Moni Metamforoseos.

When the track reaches the top it veers to the right (there is a small track on the left which goes to the tiny church of Epano Panaitsa - quite a nice little diversion if you wish). Continuing up the main track you will eventually arrive at the Monastery of Agh Varvaras and then Moni Prodromou. At the Moni Prodromou there are also two small churches nearbye. Continuing on the main track after about 2kms there is a track down to the small church of Agh Traida but there is not a lot to look at down there really. Continue along the main track until you come to a sharp bend, where the track to Moni Taxiarchon is marked if you wish another (longish/steep) diversion. Otherwise the track just carries on to the Aerial masts on Mt. Palouki, it was quite nice and cool up at the masts but very very windy, also good views of a lot of the Island from here.

Return the same way you came until you reach the previously noted small track on you left going off the tarmac road, take this track and follow it down - when it forks keep right. When you pass a house on your right ignore the track going off the right beside this house (its a dead end), just go straight on until the track goes close by a farmhouse and ends.
Here you will spot a very narrow path in the undergrowth, take this as it winds down into the valley and eventually arrives at a small streambed, cross the stream, bear right and keep on the path until you come to a junction with a wall on your right.

Go on here through the quite heavy vegetation and eventually come out by a church - go round the front of the church and then bear right and continue down the road into Stafilos Town.

 

Skopelos Town to Agnontas Bay The walk starts off with a pleasant stroll through the valley but then involves quite a trudge up a steepish tarmac road and at the end a steep and slippery scree-path down into Agnontas.
Starting from the harbour by the bus station take the main road out of town, past the Amalia Hotel and up to the junction, turn right and then immediately left to go alongside the streambed on a small road opposite. Keep on this road - which eventually reverts to just a track - and follow it for about 20 minutes, you will see on the right the Monastery of Ag. Riginos and also a quarry comes into clear view.

Simply stay on this track until you eventually join the main tarmac road [ N39°06'07" E023°43'18"], turn left here and now for the harder bit - follow this road as it zig-zags up the hill - after about 2km just as the road bends right see a rocky/dirt-track on your left [N39°05'40" E023°43'02"], take this track up through the trees to meet a wide gravel track, turn left here and head towards the goat station. The path you need to go down to Agnontas is a little difficult to spot, but as the track starts to bear left around the goat station your path is on the right - anyway the people in the goat station will always yell out the way since they are obviously used to people wandering around helplessly looking for the way down. This path is quite steep in places and you really have to watch you don't slip on the scree and rocks. You come out right in the harbour at Agnontas and its tavernas, supermarket, bus stop and of course the beach.

Option 1 - C. Amarandos: Facing the beach, turn left along the road and follow it uphill out of Agnontas until you come to a wide track on the right, follow this track through the woods. It goes above the bay and sometimes very close to the sea and their are quite a few places to climb down onto the rocks for a picnic. As you walk along you will see a couple of trees on a white rocky outcrop [N39°04'29" E023°42'25"] (C. Amarandos) in front of you, when you get to a very sharp bend on the track you can climb down to the rocks and find a small path which leads along the edge of the sea to this outcrop. Return the same way back to Agnontas.

Option 2 - Limnonari Beach: Facing the beach, turn right along the road and follow it - guess what?? UPHILL as with knee-aching zig zags up to the Limnonari junction right on a sharp bend. There are good views of the coast on the way up (good excuse to stop and "admire the views" ) and these views continue as you walk the 1km down to Limnonari Beach. Again the return is a reversal.

 

After a day on the beach at Panormos Around one a km out of Panormos on the main road back towards Stafilos/Skopelos Town there is a very sharp hairpin bend, and leading off this is a track which is where you can have a great little stroll down to the coast and back, around 3kms in all walk.
Simply park nicely a few yards down the track making sure that you leave enough room for tractors and maybe fire-engines to get by, then it's just a question of following the really nice woodland track along until it comes out in a clearing. At the far side of the clearing there is a narrow path which you can if you wish follow on down to reach the coast at B. Amouditsa.

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