Skopelos Walks to Beaches, Monasteries and Churches.

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

Skopelos has lots of tracks and paths up in the hills and apart from areas close to the main road between Skopelos Town and Glosa/Loutraki you do not find many houses or villages etc., just some isolated farms and small-holdings. There is quite a network of tarmac roads as well, but these are mostly very narrow and twisty country lanes, often lined by brambles and other vegetation which spills right onto the roads so sometimes it's like going through a tunnel. Also there are hundreds of birds, bees and butterflies around - we only wished we had had the time to walk some of these inland lanes more.
We had a Roadmap Edition map and found this to be quite accurate as far as tracks and country lanes were concerned but this does not have all the footpaths marked, however in Sciathos we got a TOPO hiking map of Skopelos (this releif map has paths and tracks and is gps freindly) - there is also an Alonissos version of this which may be worth considering since having experienced the delights of Skopelos you may, like us, then want to visit Skopelos's close neighbour another time - so apart from a little dithering now and again - getting lost was not an issue, in fact with the quality of the maps, making up and then doing the walks was straightforward.

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

Moni Metamorfoseos - Aerial Masts - Skopelos Town This walk is 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 up to Moni Metamorfoseos because we had decided to walk as far as the aerial masts making the potential walk quite long. However you can walk up the tarmac road from Skopelos Town to the Monastery and cut some of the road's corners off with various paths 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 Moni Evangelistra).

The road eventually becomes a dirt/gravel track and winds on up high above 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.

Stay on the track until you eventually join the main tarmac road [N39°06'07" E023°43'18"], turn left and now for the hard 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 round 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 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 simply follow 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.

Skopelos Tracks and paths walking to Perivoli, Sendoukia Graves, Old Klima, Mount Delfi, churches, beaches, a lighthouse and Monasterys.

Note - If you are off wandering around Skopelos in the hills do take account of the heat - sometimes the weather does not feel as hot as it really is due to the wind but you do need to take a good supply of water with you plus of course a nice wide brimmed hat. n.b. We had a GPS receiver with us and some readings (WGS84) have been included with the walks in [..]'s

B. Perivoli to Lighthouse We did this as a short walk to give us a break and leg stretch during a day's sightseeing by car - it was a pleasant 7km leg stretch in all and easy going. If you look at a map there are several obvious opportunities to make a longer circular - for instance you could start at Glossa, head towards the lighthouse (there is a path from the track down to it but it's difficult to locate), then round to Perivoli and then back on the road and track to rejoin the track and then on back to Glossa. Park by the (closed) small drinks-kiosk at Perivoli then walk back up to the track junction and turn right. Now simply follow the track as it goes through a wooded area (you will find lots of butterflies and bees around here).

The route goes into the open and follows the coastline round to the lighthouse where you can enjoy a drink and/or picnic and then return back the same way.

Sendoukia graves and Mount Delfi This walk is around 10kms total and takes you for a look at the graves and then a wander up to the highest point on Skopelos. On the Skopelos Town to Ananias road around 1.5kms past Ananias there is a junction with a track to Pirgos, but ignore this and keep on until the tarmac ends just past this junction and park here for the walk.

Walk on up the track until you come to a very wide t-junction, take the track on the right which is the HIGHER of the two and is also marked for the Senoukia graves. fter around 1km you come to another junction and on your right you can easily see (it's marked) the track going up the side to Sendoukia. This track winds around a little and eventually arrives at the rocky top - take a leftish direction and follow the markers to the graves. [N39°08'11" E023°41'28"]. Retrace your steps to the junction and take a track almost opposite the Sendoukia path and follow it up into the Vathia Forest. Around 1.5 kms along this upward but quite easy to walk track turn left onto another track which then zigzags up for half a km.

It emerges on a dip by some ruins which are on your right - the path to the mountain top goes behind these ruins and is well trodden to start with. However things become a little vague and after about half a km spot a small cairn [N39°08'41" E023°40'16"] - the mountain top is left up the slope here and not very far but you may need to pick your own route if you lose the upward path because fallen trees etc are all over the place. The mountain top [N39°08'42" E023°40'12"] and 674m high] has good views and also a disused /delapidated firemans' watchtower which some of us - who should know better - then proceeded to climb up. Retrace your steps to your start point.

Old Klima to Panormos We really liked this straightforward 12.5km walk and would loved to have done it's reversal if we had had the time - it also has great possibilities for extended it if you want to walk further. The walk starts at Old Klima - on the main road heading towards Glosaa find a dirt road which is signposted Delfi. [N39°09'41" E023°37'38"]

Follow the main track for about 2kms - ignoring two tracks going off to the left and a footpath going to the right - until you come to a main T-junction where you go right. After around 1km another track comes in from the right but you should continue on the main track which bears slightly left here. This track then winds it's way round the base of the mountain - with views to the sea on your right and after a while also a view of Elios way down below. After about 4kms the track becomes quite rough and also turns quite sharply right and joins a very wide "white" track. Note on this junction we were really plagued by hundreds of wasps which were a real nuisance and made it impossible to stop for a breather or even a quick drink.

If you turn right on this track you can walk back down into Elios, however on our walk we turned left and went up the "white" track until after about 1km we reached a smaller narrow rubbly track going off to the right.
Take this track and stay on it as it winds it's way down to the main road and emerges by a bus stop (Milia Beach). We turned left and followed the main road into Panormos with it's tavernas and beach.

For more about holidays on Skopelos please see Our Skopelos Holiday Guides or our Stafilos Beach Walks which show three different ways to go to one of the three beaches at Stafilos including Velanio naturist beach.