Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SKYRIAN HORSES
Skýros has a race of native pony , related to the breeds found on Exmoor and Dartmoor. They
are thought to be the diminutive steeds depicted in the Parthenon frieze; according to legend,
Achilles went off to fight at Troy mounted on a chestnut specimen. In more recent times they
were used for summer threshing; communally owned, they were left to graze wild ten months
of the year on Vounó, from where each family rounded up the ponies they needed. Currently
only about 150 individuals survive, and the breed is threatened by the decline of local
agriculture, indifference and cross-breeding. To be classed as a true Skyrian pony, the animal
must be 98-115cm in height, and 130cm maximum from shoulder to tail. They're elusive in
the wild, but you can see (and ride) them at the centre opposite Mouries restaurant (opposite).
10
Ì Iy Istories tou Barba Mólos T 22220 91453.
Lovely setting with blue chairs on a blue terrace above
the Magaziá end of Mólos beach. The food is traditional
and interesting - crab salad, or cuttlefish with fennel
sauce and leeks - the atmosphere also, with black-and-
white photos of old island life in the menu. Daily lunch
& dinner.
Juicy Beach Bar Magaziá T 22220 93337. Beach bar
with loungers and umbrellas, plus a terrace with food
(sandwiches, crêpes, pasta), free wi-fi and a bar. Quiet
music by day, cranked up at night with summer events such
as a full moon party. Daily all day, breakfast till the early
hours.
Stefanos Magaziá T 22220 91272. Attractive, traditional
taverna with wooden tables on a terrace hanging out over
the sand at the southern end of Magaziá beach. Standard
dishes like stifádo (€9) or lamb with potatoes (€7.50) are
deliciously prepared. Daily all day.
Thalassa Mólos beach T 22220 92044. Beach bar by
day, with wi-fi, sunbeds, bar and snacks, cocktail bar and
club at night, when there's a huge dance space, though that
is only really busy in August. Daily 9am-3am.
LINARIÁ
Kavos All-day bar tumbling down a rocky cliff on a series
of terraces, with steps down to a private swimming area
below. Quiet daytime sounds which are often turned up
loud to greet the evening ferry; wi-fi, drinks and light
meals, plus late-night revelry in mid-season. Daily
10am-late.
Psariotis T 22220 93250. Probably the best of the
tavernas around Linariá's harbour, Psariotis has its own
boat to catch fish, which is marginally less expensive than
elsewhere. Also a good fish soup (€10) or lobster spaghetti
(€20), plus plenty of standard Greek dishes at regular
prices. Daily lunch & dinner.
Merói
A single paved road loops around Skyros's northern half, Merói . Heading anticlockwise
from Hóra the first possible stop is at secluded Karefloú beach, 1.5km down a poorly
signed rough track. Sandy and extensive, it's also exposed with no facilities at all.
Palamári
Mon-Fri 7.30am-2.30pm • Free
The early Bronze Age settlement of Palamári , inhabited from around 2800 to 1600 BC,
and then lost for 3500 years, is set on the ridge of a low cape at the northeastern edge of
the island, above a beach and a river which once formed a lagoon and natural harbour. The
site, still being excavated, is extraordinary: you can make out the houses, streets, drainage
and walls of a well-organized city, which must have been at the heart of Aegean trading in
the Minoan era. Informative signage and a small exhibition fill in the background.
Atsítsa and around
Past the airport at the island's northern tip, the west coast is infinitely greener,
heavily forested in pine. Around 2.5km of rough track leads to a couple of the
island's most scenic and remote beaches: nudist Áyios Pétros , more respectable
Limanáki , right by the airport almost at the end of the runway, and still more isolated
Agalípa . Atsítsa itself is well-known as the home of the Skyros Centre; its attractive,
pine-fringed bay is sheltered by an islet and has lovely clear water for swimming, but
not much of a beach.
 
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