Drawn by the charm of Skiathos

By GREG DARDAGAN

The Greek island of Skiathos has a magic which is difficult to describe. There's not much to the place - a couple of hours buzzing around on a hired scooter and that's it, the island is fully explored!

But somehow when it's time to go you don't want to. "I don't wanna go home," my partner lamented with tears in her eyes as we waved goodbye to Stavros and the boys.

Skiathos has a romantic charm which makes travellers determined to return one day soon.

The town of Skiathos is a treat. Walking along the cobbled streets there is an expectation that the curtain is about to fall at any minute with a sign which reads: "End of Act 1" I had a feeling the town was built along the lines of a stage set but I was assured that was not the case.

The town is full of sidewalk tavernas, pubs and interesting shops, including a bakery whose owner is a great bazooki player who makes delicious baklava.

Certainly the price you see is not the price you pay, but still many gullible tourists fall for the sales talk and cough up. I managed to reduce the price of a cotton tablecloth from 100 Euros to 25 Euros without too much bargaining!

Then there's all those superb beaches with nubile young women showing off their assets which take one hellava beating from the sun. I swam in the Aegean and, just for the hell of it, took off my swimming costume when I was a decent distance from the shore - it felt good!

Island excursion boats call at Kastro which can also be reached by scooter or on foot.

But Skiathos is not just a beach paradise waiting for you to have your long-awaited Shirley Valentine-type experience, although most folk - especially the British - go for the night life and the beaches.

There is some breathtaking scenery which is best viewed from a scooter with a partner holding on to whatever she can get a good grip on from the pillion seat.

Apart from the great sea-view vistas, I enjoyed visiting Kastro.

This is the fortified, pirate-proof medieval capital of the island .

According to literature I found at the excellent Villa Ella where we stayed, the Greeks built a castle during the 15th century to take refuge from marauding pirates. It has been historically proven that when the Venetians took possession of the island for the second time in 1453, the only town on the island was inside the Kastro.

It seems likely the Kastro was built in the mid-14th century when the Saracens and other pirates roamed the seas and often landed on the islands and ravaged them (and any women they could find!).

Island excursion boats call at Kastro which can also be reached by scooter or on foot.

The scooter we had was fantastic. It carried two long-tall folk all around the island without a whimper.

The owner of Villa Ella told how many visitors leave the island battered and bust after scooter accidents - we left unscathed with our pride intact!

The monasteries of Skiathos, which helped the islanders both materially and morally, date back to the time of the Turkish occupation.

Two monasteries are in excellent condition - the monastery of the Annunciation (Evangelistria) which was built in 1806 and the monastery of Panaghia (Holy Virgin) Kounistra.

There are dozens of accommodation establishments on the island. Villa Ella is one of the best. It is run by South Africans Lina de Villiers and her son, Eugene, who make it a home from home for their guests.

The villa is named after Lina's mother, Ella Pienaar, who spent many years on the island building up the business into what it is today.

The self catering rooms have spectacular views of the beach and the bay which are a five-minute walk away.

Lina keeps the price very affordable - 40 euros a day in season (April to October) is a real steal.

The rooms have a bathroom/toilet, a fridge, a two-plate stove, crockery and cutlery etc.

Skiathos is a magical island with a magnetism that makes a vow to return almost mandatory.


- INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (SOUTH AFRICA)

www.skiathosinfo.com