I’ve just got back from my second trip to Skiathos – the first trip was in 2023, and I did mean to post about it then but… well, I’m here and posting about it now!
Although I had a pretty good idea of what to expect this time, there were a few things that had either changed or hadn’t remembered correctly (tap in Mandela effect).
Some things were quite minor, others are things I’d definitely have liked to have realised before I arrived.
So, in no particular order…
1. The cats weren’t quite as friendly
One of the things I remembered about Skiathos from my previous visit (as is the case for every Greek island I’ve been to) was the cats. Loads of cats. And, in my memory, lots of fairly flirty, friendly and grateful cats.
This time around? Not quite so much.
There were still plenty of them wandering around the streets, but they seemed a lot less interested in making friends (they were either dead asleep or dare I say, a bit aggy?Apart from one that tried to get a bit too playful with its claws on my brand new Dock and Bay towel) and turned their nose up at a lot of the food…apparently they’re not as into meat as I thought.
I’m not saying this should influence your decision to visit Skiathos, obviously. But if you’re a Greek cat person, I felt it was my duty to report back.
HOWEVER:
2. There are A LOT more dogs
Dogs everywhere, almost as many as there were cats! I seemed to see them constantly; all different breeds in all different locations – poodle at a taverna, German Shepherd on a catamaran, a Chihuahua on a paddleboard, a Jack Russel behind a bar and so many Westies trotting down the cobbled streets.
I really liked both cats and dogs, but dogs usually seem more excited to get attention from me so I had lots of lovely puppy strokes throughout my stay. Maybe the cats have gone on strike and dogs have taken over?
3. Not as much Greek food
This genuinely surprised me, especially that I didn’t remember it being a thing on my last visit.
It’s by no means difficult to find Greek food in Skiathos (there’s a whole playlist on my Tik Tok dedicated to the best restaurants we ate at that served it). We ate some absolutely delicious Greek food during our stay and there are plenty of traditional tavernas around Skiathos Town.
What I hadn’t expected was the lack of abundance of Greek dishes on the menus, compared with the other Greek islands I’ve visited.
Usually, I find myself looking at menus with pages of Greek dishes and struggling to decide what to order because there are so many things I want to enjoy. In Skiathos, I found that many tavernas had perhaps two or three Greek main dishes, with a slightly wider selection of Greek starters / meze small plates, alongside more general Mediterranean style or international options.
I also remembered something else…
4. Skiathos REALLY likes Italian food 🍕
There are a LOT of Italian restaurants.
I’m talking pizza. Pasta. Pizza and pasta. More pizza. This is one thing I did remember, likely because Skiathos had a lot of Italian influence (mainly from Venice) in its early days. But also, who doesn’t love a good pizza?
As it seemed just as prevalent as Greek food and almost just as authentic to the area, I really did want to eat at an Italian restaurant one evening to see how it compared to the likes of dishes I’ve had in actual Italy. However, a week just isn’t long enough to eat my way around my favourite Greek dishes so I never made it. I guess that means I’ll have to pay the island a third visit, what a shame…
5. Beach days aren’t cheap 🏖️
This was probably my biggest practical surprise and dare I say, slight disappointment.
Skiathos has some absolutely beautiful beaches, but getting yourself set up for a day on one isn’t necessarily the bargain you might expect.
At Koukounaries Beach (the biggest and probably most popular I’d say) we paid 50€ for two padded loungers and parasol in the fron. The padded loungers further back were €40. When we visit last time we managed to bag a pair for 15€ each, however they were at the beach and the smallest most uncomfortable metal loungers I’ve ever laid on in my life!
At Agia Eleni Beach (a more unspoilt and natural spot), it was again 50€ for padded loungers and a parasol at the front, dropping back to 30€ on the other rows (the beach was narrower so it wasn’t as big of a deal to be on second or third row and still be able to hear the waves, walk to the sea). There was a less developed area with one lone man offering unpadded metal loungers and parasol for 20€
In both places, the beach bars also had a fairly limited food selection when we visited – burgers and omelettes being the main options for around 15€ rather than easy and cheap Greek dishes we’ve been used to on other islands (though I’ve been reliably informed since that a couple of other beaches did offer options more like this). Also, most of the beaches I’ve visited in more recent years (Kos and Corfu spring to mind) the price paid for the loungers has been redeemable against food, or the loungers are ‘free’ providing there’s a a minimum spend of €€ per person at the bar/club. Skiathos approach felt more like I was at Ronda Beach in Rhodes rather than the slightly lesser known and laid back Mamma Mia island of Skiathos.
So, if you’re planning a beach-heavy holiday, – factor the price of loungers / food / drinks into your budget, research into beaches carefully to suit your needs, consider taking your own snacks and maybe even sunbathing OG style with a simply towel / blanket on the beach setup (there’s plenty of space for this on plenty of the island’s 69 beaches)
6. Skiathos Town is as easy to get lost in than Mykonos Town
This one might sound ridiculous, particularly if you’ve ever been to Mykonos Town and attempted to navigate its maze of whitewashed streets.
But hear me out.
I actually found Skiathos Town surprisingly easy to get lost in.
There are so many little streets, alleyways and corners that look like they must lead somewhere familiar… until they don’t. Or you think you’re miles away from the bar you’ve been studying Google Maps to find and boom, it’s round the next turn.
But because everything is so pretty and Greek, you don’t really mind.
You can wander off in completely unintended direction, discover a lovely little bar and realise you have absolutely no idea how you got there (or how to get back the next night)
If you’re exploring Skiathos Town, accept that you might get lost. You will probably find somewhere lovely along the way.
One final thing – when you Google a picture of Skiathos, the first image that comes up is usually of a beautiful street of whitewashed buildings with blue accents.
Well, there is in fact only one street in the Skiathos that looks like this. The rest are all very pretty (some are really quite unique, as you’ll see from my pictures) but if you’re expecting it to be a copy/paste of Mykonos or Santorini then you may be a little disappointed.
So, would I go back?
I will absolutely be going back at some point, YES. Not only that, but Skiathos has firmly retained the number 1 soot of my favourite Greek Island!
Absolutely none of these things put me off returning to Skiathos. If anything, going back a second time made me appreciate and get to know the island even better.
I’ve got a few more Skiathos posts planned; including where we ate and drank (I’ve posted videos on my social media accounts for every single day and night, as well as outfit videos for most days and nights too, if you’d like to see this in a more ‘spend the day with me’ format).
And maybe the cats will be feeling a bit more affectionate next time.
Thanks for reading,
J
Jenny Chat 