Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kalamitsa Καλαμίτσα
This low wetland area, the largest on Skyros, takes its name from the Greek
'kalamia'
or
reed. It's an important Aegean stopover for migrating egrets, herons and falcons. In an-
cient times, young Achilles set off for Troy from nearby Achili Bay, a legend at the heart
of Skyrian folklore.
Taverna Mouries
serves traditional Greek fare - generous and tasty.
'Mouries'
means
mulberry, and several rambling old trees, planted by owner Manolis' grandfather, provide
welcome shade in summer. Lamb and goat grills are specialities.
Nearby
Amersa's Traditional House
(Amersa Panagiotou; 6973397693)
displays and
sells the artist's fine handmade embroidery with traditonal motifs.
Atsitsa Ατσίτσα
The picturesque port village of Atsitsa on the island's west coast occupies a woody
shoreline setting. The snappy all-organic
Sunset Cafe
(Atsitsa; drinks & snacks €1.50-4)
overlooking the bay offers Greek coffee and wine, fresh juices, ice cream, delicate cakes
and salads, all compliments of Mariana and family.
Tris Boukes Bay Τρεις Μπούκες Ορμος
The southernmost corner of the island is a windswept landscape partly restricted by a
Greek naval station.
One of the main reasons to come here is to visit English poet
Rupert Brooke's grave
.
The well-tended marble grave is in a quiet olive grove just inland from the bay; it's
marked with a wooden sign in Greek on the roadside. The gravestone is inscribed with
Brooke's most famous sonnet, 'The Soldier', beginning with the following epitaph:
If I should die think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England.
When Brooke's fellow naval officers buried him, they erected a simple wooden cross
(now in England) with an inscription originally in Greek: 'Here lies the servant of God,
sub-lieutenant in the English Navy, who died for the deliverance of Constantinople from
the Turks'.
A nearby rough dirt road (4WD recommended) leads to
Renes Bay
, from where a
5km
hiking trail
skirts a coastal plateau, ending at the
lighthouse
at
Cape Lithari
. Small
