Skyros Beaches: Molos, Magazia, Palamari & Kalamitsa

Skyros keeps its busiest beaches at Molos and Magazia, a 4 km run of sand just north of the Chora on the east coast. The rest of the coast is quieter. Sandy and pebble beaches ring the north and west, from Gyrismata and Palamari to Atsitsa, Acherounes and the windsurf beach of Kalamitsa, and several coves double as naturist beaches. Most lie at the end of a dirt track and have no facilities, so bring water, shade and, ideally, your own car.

Main beach

Molos & Magazia

Windsurf beach

Kalamitsa

Bronze-Age beach

Palamari

Family beach

Acherounes

Molos & Magazia

Molos and Magazia are two villages sharing a beautiful sandy beach 4 km north of the Chora on the east coast of Skyros. This stretch holds most of the accommodation on the island and a good choice of tavernas, and it is the only beach with a bus link from the Chora. Both are organised beaches where you can rent a sunbed and an umbrella. For a base right on the sand, the villages appear in the Skyros hotels guide.

Tou Papa to Homa

Tou Papa to Homa is the local naturist beach, a long sandy strand just south of Magazia below a huge rock, close to the Chora. It is reached only from the north, on a path that drops from the main road through a fence beside an old house. The beach has caves and rocks and stays fairly clean, but there are no facilities of any kind, so bring what you need.

Gyrismata

Gyrismata is a long sandy beach just north of Molos and Magazia. Several tavernas stand behind it and there are different kinds of accommodation to rent, which makes it busier in high season. Beyond the tavernas the beach has no other facilities. It is one of the beaches Hans rates most highly on the island.

Palamari

Palamari is a large, beautiful sandy beach in the north of Skyros, 13 km from the Chora, beside the ruins of a Bronze-Age town that dates from 2500 to 1800 BC. It is quiet and completely unorganised, so bring your own water, food and a good sunblock. The beach sits near the airport, which carries no international flights, and a military base, so it stays calm and free of aircraft noise. The excavation next door is described in the Skyros sights guide.

Kareflou

Kareflou is a long, quiet beach on the north-east coast, between Molos and Palamari. It is mostly sand with some pebbles and boulders, with no facilities and no trees for shade. Bring water and a good sunscreen. Its emptiness makes it a possible option for naturists.

Theotokos (Limanaki)

Theotokos, also called Limanaki, is a quiet secluded beach in the north-west of Skyros, about 12 km from the Chora, just above Agios Petros beach. The beach is sandy and not very large, reached over a dirt track, and it has no facilities, though Greek families fill it in high season. A few engraved tombs lie in the area.

Atsitsa & Agios Petros

Atsitsa is a sandy beach on the north-west coast of Skyros, set in the Bay of Agios Petros about 19 km from the Chora, ringed by pine trees that still give little shade. Facilities are few and there are no sunbeds for hire, though there is something of a taverna nearby. Just north lies Agios Petros beach, a large quiet stretch of sand and pebbles backed by dunes and cedar trees, reached by a dirt track near the air base and named after a chapel on a rock nearby.

Kyra Panagia

Kyra Panagia is a beautiful sandy beach just above Atsitsa in the north-west of Skyros. It is quiet, surrounded by pine trees, and has no facilities, no sunbeds and no taverna. A few small houses and a small church stand by the sand.

Aspous

Aspous is a sandy beach in a pretty bay on the north-east coast, about 5 km from the Chora. It is quieter than the beaches just north of the capital, with a few tavernas, a mini market and some houses scattered on the green hills above, but no sunbeds or umbrellas. A few trees give some shade, and the sea shelves gently past some rocks along the shore.

Achilli

Achilli is a quiet sandy bay next to Aspous, said in legend to be where Achilles boarded the boat for the Trojan War. A large marina now fills much of the enclosed circular bay and holds mainly fishing boats, which has taken away some of its charm. The pretty chapel of Agios Nikolaos stands on the beach, and the water stays calm with few waves.

Agios Fokas

Agios Fokas is a sand and pebble beach in the west of Skyros, south-west of the Chora and just west of Pefkos, about 13 km from the capital. Pine trees surround it, and the last 4 km is a dirt road reached by taking the Pefkos exit. A taverna opens in high season, but there are no other facilities. It is one of the island's naturist beaches, with a path behind the taverna to a further cove.

Pefkos

Pefkos is a quiet, isolated beach in the west of Skyros, just south of Atsitsa, set in a bay ringed by pine trees and facing a relatively flat island. Facilities are few, part of the access road is dirt track, and a taverna seems to open in high season, so bring your own water. The bay was once the site of a marble quarry, and marble was shipped out from here.

Acherounes

Acherounes is a beautiful sandy beach on the west coast of Skyros, 10 km from the Chora and a 10-minute walk from the port of Linaria. It sits in a small bay sheltered by hills on both sides, which protects it from the wind, and the shallow water suits families with small children. You can eat and drink here, though there are no sunbeds for rent. The chapel of Panagia Meglou stands by the beach, which looks out to the islets of Renes, Skyropoula and Valax.

Kalamitsa

Kalamitsa is a long sand and pebble beach just south of the port of Linaria, about 10 km from the Chora, so it can be a little busier. It sits in the path of the wind and is popular with windsurfers, and it is organised, with tavernas, cafes and a surf club. The chapel of Agios Mamas stands by the beach, and nearby lie a well-preserved sarcophagus and a Doric column. Just south is the pebble beach of Kolymbada, so quiet that it is used as a naturist beach.