Wonderful islands

As summer approaches...I thought it might be useful to provide a nice diary of the trip we made in 2007 to Greece, and more precisely to Alonnisos, Skopelos and Skiathos, three wonderful islands of the Sporades. We had booked only the return flights Rome-Athens and Athens-Skiathos. Departure 28/6/2007 and return 11/7/2007. Having little time between arriving in Athens and boarding for Skiathos, we decided to travel light, with only two carry-on bags to avoid wasting precious time at baggage reclaim. Finding a connection for Skiathos was difficult, despite the 'quiet' period, because the charter flights used have a maximum of 30 seats, so it is advisable to book well in advance if you decide to leave after the second half of July or in August. Arriving in Skiathos we asked the taxi driver who took us into town where to stay, and he, in reply, let us sleep at his house for 35€.

The next morning we took the hydrofoil and in almost two hours we arrived in splendid Alonnisos. At the port of Patitiri we found many people offering rooms for rent and we were convinced by a friendly old man who could only say 'room' and who, with gestures, made us understand that the cost was 25€ a night. We settled into a small, clean, essential room with air conditioning (we suffered a lot from the heat) and a little balcony overlooking the port. The next day we rented a scooter for 4 days for 80€; it is indispensable and very convenient but you need a lot of care...the roads are well surfaced but it is all ups and downs, there are many hairpin bends and some stretches leading to the beaches are dirt...so better to avoid small engine sizes, otherwise you have to push. We always took scooters with wide wheels and 80cc and always did fine.

Most of the beaches are pebbly...the most beautiful of all for us is Agios Dimitrios, where calm reigns supreme and you find just the little man renting two sunbeds and an umbrella for 8€. There is a small bar selling ice creams and a few sandwiches but it is better to organise yourself and bring at least water and fruit...for the rest it is a true paradise. Another beautiful beach is Leftos Gialos; here there is the typical Greek taverna where you must try fish and in particular the tuna of Alonnisos...a unique taste! The only sore point is that at certain times the boats doing the island tour arrive and the beach is stormed by noisy tourists eager to dive into the crystal-clear turquoise water. In the evening there is not much to do... either you stroll in the small port of Patitiri or you go to the enchanting old town.

There are bus connections but if there are a couple of you waiting at the stop it is worth agreeing and taking a taxi all together, the ride costs 5€. With the scooter it is better not to stay out too late on the way back, the road has terrible lighting and in places none at all. The old town has all its own charm...it is tiny, on a promontory and with a spectacular view, and when darkness falls it is striking to look into the distance and see that the only light comes from the moon's reflections on the water....unforgettable. There are small shops of local crafts, restaurants and a couple of places to drink and eat cakes or savoury pies while listening to strictly Greek music. After peaceful, relaxing Alonnisos we moved, again by hydrofoil, to Skopelos (I think I remember the ticket costs around 14€).

Here too on our arrival we found people offering rooms and we turned to an elderly Greek who knows a thing or two about how life goes and who took us to his hotel, just outside the centre, where we slept for 4 days paying again 25€ a night, a large room with a huge bed, a bathroom not the newest but functional, a balcony and the indispensable air conditioning. Skopelos has a lovely long harbour promenade full of little restaurants, cafés, shops of all kinds, but it is also nice to 'get lost' in the alleys leading inland. Here too we rented the scooter, which took us to discover the beaches of Stafilos, Limnonari and the beautiful Panormos. Usually for lunch we organised ourselves either with the classic Greek salad or with fruit...anyway we made up for it in the evening.

The paradox is that for breakfast you spend 10€ while for a grilled sea bream (chosen at the counter) with a side dish you pay 7€! If you like Greek yoghurt there is nothing better than starting the morning with a nice fruit salad with yoghurt and Skopelos honey, which has an almost pine-like aftertaste, the flavour is unique, as are the honey balls..little fritters covered in honey....a spectacle, and that comes from someone who doesn't do much with honey! I found very few good coffees or cappuccinos...and honestly I preferred the Greek coffee, which although not filtered at least tastes of coffee, otherwise the most popular is the shaken Nestcaffè coffee. After Skopelos we went to Skiathos, again by hydrofoil.

Arriving at the port we met Giorgia, who took us to her house and for 43€ we slept in a completely renovated room also equipped with a kitchenette...the best accommodation of all...the initial price was 47€ but Luigi, when he sets his mind to it, always manages to get some discount. Skiathos is the most touristy island of the Sporades and consequently also the most expensive. Beautiful it is, but we are a bit averse to the chaos of tourists...and here there are many...and we were in early July! Once we rented the scooter we set off to discover the famous beaches of Skiathos. There are beaches and coves at almost every corner of the island and all easily reachable. We had read that Koukounaries beach was the most beautiful of the Sporades, so we headed straight there.

Koukounaries is one of the few sandy beaches, rich in vegetation, emerald-coloured waters and very well equipped...but it was packed! The setting is truly beautiful but after two hours we couldn't wait to leave because of the loud music, the people shouting, the decidedly not-clear water and the very limited space....a whole other dimension compared with Agios Dimitrios or Panormos! After this unpleasant experience we decided to head off in search of less accessible beaches.

One day we ventured out to discover Mandraki...almost an hour and a half of dirt road...with the constant fear of falling off the scooter or of the scooter giving up on us on the climbs! Arriving at Mandraki we felt like survivors of a shipwreck...there was nothing...only beach and sea...a spectacular view and, fortunately, a taverna! On the way back we found a sign for Agios Eleni beach and, after necessarily leaving the scooter on the road, we followed the signs to go down to the beach; going down is easy but going up is a bit of a struggle...we arrived at this small cove with golden sand, equipped with a bar, and in total there were only 6 straw umbrellas and 12 sunbeds.

The beaches are undoubtedly very beautiful but the drawback is that it takes three hours to reach them and, moreover, for me they were three hours of anxiety!! The last two days at the sea we spent on the golden sand of Banana Beach...less crowded but just as beautiful. The Greek islands remain a very affordable destination, the biggest expenses were those for transport, but for sleeping and eating you truly spend a pittance! The G