Skiathos, Greek Island - An Emerald Isle

Skiathos – An Emerald Isle

“The name Skiathos is derived from the word "skia", meaning shade and "athos" for Mount Athos. It is argued by some that Skiathos cannot be 'in the shade of Mount Athos', but tradition has it that this is the origin of the name. The island is an extension of the wooded Mount Pelion on the mainland and its lush vegetation is ensured by an underground river which flows under the sea, popping up in the numerous springs on Skiathos. This makes it one of the greenest of the Greek islands. Olive and almond orchards are planted among the pine forests and grapes grow successfully on the slopes”

We landed in Skiathos late at night so had our first drive was on the wrong side of the road and in the dark! However, the drivers were all courteous, lots of holiday makers were still walking around after their dinner, and the welcome we received from Nostos was great! Our unit in the main hotel was very spacious with two bathrooms (bliss!!), two balconies and a big, comfortable bed.

Skiathos, we discovered, is a gem of an island. It’s small enough to get around easily with a car, the drivers are sane (not like Cretans!), the people are friendly and all in all, a lovely spot to while away 7 days or more.
Skiathos Town has the usual buzz of restaurants, with the more interesting ones being up the side streets away from the Waterfront, lots of interesting shops, and interesting hilltop streets. It was time to explore so we parked and set off on foot which is the only way to enjoy Skiathos Town itself. Scooters come hurtling up and down the cobbled streets. They are loaded with all sorts of goods from fresh vegetables to cement bags. It all happens on scooters in Skiathos! Helmets are for show only and are carried on the handlebars, on the arm, anywhere but on the head! It was great wandering around the old town, seeing how Greeks have lived for centuries.

We kept seeing black marks above doorways and wondered what that meant. Suddenly we came to an extremely narrow alley and were about to turn around when a young woman came out of her house and said we should just carry on through – me sideways! There was a black mark above her door as well so we asked her what it meant and with many hand-signals and Greek that we could not understand, we at last understood that “Papa – he gone” She crossed herself with a tearful smile and we commiserated accordingly. She very kindly agreed to pose for a photo outside of her front door, next to her washing which was hanging out to dry.

In afternoon drive took us to through the pine forests to Mandrake and Agristos beaches but the wind made it too cold for a swim. This Northern shore gets more wind than many of the other beaches so it must be great on a really hot day!

Kastro was our next expedition – Kastro was the biggest medieval town from the twelfth century till 1830. It was built on a very high and very steep cliff at the north end of the island. This position made it easy for persons to see any attack coming and they could defend themselves. Today many of the older buildings are in ruins but restoration appears to be taking place and the paths and gardens were full of flowers. The walk down to the beach is quite strenuous, but the walk back up is a killer!

We had parked about 6 km away as we had decided to stroll down to Kastro – bad idea! Going back uphill in the heat was a killer. Praying for somebody to stop I stood at the roadside, puffing and panting with no water! James has asked at the kiosk for water only to be told they would be open in 2 weeks time. “OK, I’ll wait” he said. The chaps were horrified and told him he could not possible wait! But suddenly as 4X4 came rattling along and the driver stopped! I could have kissed him – a farmer with hardly any English but he drove us back to our car much to my great thankfulness!

Skiathos has over 60 beaches – it does not seem possible on such a small island but it’s true. One would have to work hard to visit them all so we chose to visit the more out of the way and quieter ones. The popular beaches have rows and rows of deck-chairs and you can sun yourself, have a swim, eat at the beach Taverna, sun yourself some more and so on……..! The water is crystal clear and an absolute delight. The quieter beaches are normally reached by car and there always seems to be a Taverna around – even in the weirdest places!
All aboard for Kechria and Ligharies (Taverna on Kechria was open, Taverna on Lighares was still deserted) – this is a bumpy drive but well worth the effort. We met a couple from Yorkshire along the way – they suddenly popped out of the woods much to our amazement.

We found out that there was a lovely walk along the stream that they had followed so we went off to explore it for awhile. The most peaceful place, a stream running through, lots of ferns, flowers with beautiful butterflies and dragon flies busily going about their business. Skiathos has many walks – they are numbered but it would be advisable to buy a book first – not that one could get too lost in Skiathos! 

The beach at Kechria has a basic Taverna, which was very busy when we arrived. Our Yorkshire walkers were there, a family of 5 who arrived by boat, some sun tanners – all in this remote spot!

 Unfortunately, we were rather upset by the sight of a dog tied up along the road with a muddy bucket of water and no food. Dogs normally love James but this one did not even manage a flicker of a tail wag which was most distressing – poor thing appeared to have lost all hope for living.

It appears that Greece is not known for its kindness to animals – see article below

 Greek Embassy Demonstration

Anneka Svenska attended the Greek Embassy on Holland Park on the 26^th of August, amidst a fantastic turn out of demonstrators.

Both Anneka and Vesna, founder of the Greek Animal Rescue confronted an Embassy official and after passing the petition over, engaged in a strong debate surrounding the mysterious disappearance of over 15,000 strays in and around Athens in the run up to the Olympics.

Our favourite beaches included Kechria, Mandraki Beach, Agristos Beach, Asselinos, Ghournes, Nikotsara but we visited lots of them – each has it’s own character and appeal.

We visited the Evangilistrias Monastery where we got chatting to a lady from Norway about cameras! This Monastery is now only inhabited by 2 monks with a third due to join them the week after we left. They have a shop where they sell the wines made by the monks, lots of trinkets and tourist goodies. A museum inside is worthy of a visit.

Most people visit Skiathos for the beaches but this little island has so much more to offer, the scenery is great, loads of walking trails, an artist's delight and a peaceful atmosphere. For those wanting an active night-life visit the island in Peak Season July/August and you will not be disappointed!   

Highly recommended!

Beaches:

Koukounaries - the best of both worlds! Lovely warm water, sand and shady pine trees close by if you wish to escape the heat of the day. It a longish beach - approx. 1 km.

Banana Beach - again lovely sand, pine trees for shade, taverna and wonderful views. You can also do wind-surfing at this beach.

Troulos Beach - this is a very popular beach as there is lots of accommodation close by in the Troulos Valley and it's the 2nd village of Skiathos.

Little Banana - this beach is also known as Spartacus and is the "unofficial" nudist beach!

Other busy beaches with beach umbrellas and taverna's are:

Vromolimnos, Platanias, Achladies & Megali Ammos.

Kechria Beach is accessible by road or boat and has a great little Taverna.

Vromolimnos - this very popular beach has a Taverna and is also a water-skiing spot.

Kastro Beach - pebbly but great for a swim after visiting the old town of Kastro. There is the inevitable Taverna.

One could go on and list all 60 beaches but that would spoil your fun - finding that great beach that suits you totally and which you will return to again and again!



Narrow Streets in Skiathos Town





Restaurants invite you to sample their wares





Skiathos in Harbour





Take a trip to one of the other islands



Skiathos Town



The airport is so close to town you have to beware of the Jet Blast!



Beware!!





Tourist Trips





Whatever method of transport you use, make sure you explore Skiathos!



© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

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We receive regular Newsletters from Geof Baldry who has lived on Skiathos for 50 odd years - he has now written his autobiography!

From hippie to ?????

http://www.lucky-to-be-here.com

Cyprus - Land of Contrasts

Cyprus- Land of Contrasts

“Wherever you may go, always try to arrive with no expectations – then everything becomes an experience to enjoy, savour and treasure. Accept that a foreign country is different and it will enrich and broaden your outlook on life!”

Cyprus – an island of contrasts – the old, the new, the developed and the untamed. Our holiday in Cyprus was determined not so much by choice as by what RCI had available for us for the dates chosen. The visa requirements for South Africans travelling to Cyprus are fairly stringent and both our visas took nearly 3 weeks with lots of calls to Cyprus asking for info before the local Cyprian embassy was happy. So be warned and apply in good time!  But the destination sounded exciting although there is not a vast amount of information on the internet so we arrived there not really knowing what to expect.

We landed in Larnaca, collected our car (luckily, the driving is on the left as in SA) and drove to Pafos where were booked to stay at the Panaretti Pafos Resort. Cyprus has an amazing amount of hotels and all seem to be of a good standard so you can be spoilt for choice. We were happy with our smaller resort; the rooms were good, spacious and the staff very friendly and helpful.

      

Cyprus, we discovered appears to be “Britain by the Sea” as one is hard-pressed to find a genuine Cypriot in Lower (Kato) Pafos! The British tourists flock to Cyprus in their thousands and many appear to spend their 7 days lounging either on the hotel loungers in the sun or on the beach loungers in the sun! Nothing wrong with that if one wants total relaxation but we wanted to discover what Cyprus was all about so took to the mountains, the beaches and

the cities

At first sight Cyprus appears ugly with scrub vegetation, flat roofs cluttered with thousands of solar panels and water tanks, and development in the most unlikely places, scarring the landscape even further. Golf Estates are being built and are cause for concern with the locals as water is in short supply in Cyprus. However, Cyprus has much to offer the visitor – you just need to look beyond some of the dreary landscape. The absolutely best beer, Keo, we found the best Mousaka in all in Pafos, the Troodos Mountains, a safe environment, nightlife, water-sport facilities, golf, hikes, brilliant swimming and sunny blue skies.

   Limassol

 

One of the many Cyprus Cats!

The bigger cities like Limassol (Lemesos) Population approx. 170,000 and Nicosia (Lefkosa) Population approx. 210,000 are more authentic, very busy and thronged with locals as well as tourists. We strolled along the palm-lined seafront in Limassol which ends in the harbour where older fishing boats as well as more modern yachts are docked. We found a lovely arcade of small shops, a virtual oasis in the heat of the day, where we lunched and watched the world go by.

                

Nicosia, a 10,000 year old city, was a much longer drive from Pafos but we decided it would be worth a visit. However, we got the fright of our lives whilst walking down Ledra Street, to be suddenly halted by a policewoman demanding our passports. Whoa, are we at the border to Northern Cyprus we asked (there is no barrier at all) only to be told “Yes” rather curtly. We had been warned not to go into Northern Cyprus as we were headed for Greece later in our trip and the  Greeks and Turks do not see eye to eye! Whilst the locals appear to walk between the North and South boundaries quite freely now (with passports) and the foreigners were also entering, we decided to err on the side of caution rather than jeopardise our next 3 weeks by a walk down the same street but ruled by the Turks! Nicosia is now the only remaining city in the world that is divided, and in this day and age, it seems a great pity that it should remain so. The border is basically a Green Line on the map so it is difficult not to stray if it were not for the Police guarding strategic cross-over points.

Our safer option was to go to the 11^th floor of the Shacolas building (Ledra Lookout Point) for amazing views (and lots of information) of Nicosia.

The President of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have recently agreed to restart peace talks aimed at reunifying the island. This challenge has defeated generations of peacemakers. A UN peace process ground to halt in 2004, and a programme of confidence-building steps agreed in 2006 has brought few practical results.

The split occurred in 1974, when a Greek-inspired coup prompted a Turkish invasion of the northern third of the island. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983, is recognised only by Turkey.

A trip into the Troodos Mountains is a must, however try and find a good map first! We discovered that our local shop had them on the last day of our stay! We got lost many times as the mountain area is quite large and we battled with the tiny map that we had. The roads are very twisty with hairpin bends at times and seem to go in circles quite often so suddenly you will find yourself in the same village again!

We visited Pedoulas where we bought the most delicious cherries we have ever tasted, from an old man selling at the roadside. Very clever on his part as the village had about 10 mini- markets selling cherries as well! Needless to say, this village is famous for its cherries!

We also visited Prodromos which is the highest settlement in Cyprus and is known for its apple and cheery orchards.

The village of Galata’s claim to fame appears to be a few old houses in the main street with overhanging balconies. We did not feel it worth the detour!  

Kakopetria - the translation of Kakopetria means “evil rocks”. Many of these mountain villages appeared very deserted as it was not yet full summer when the Cypriots arrive to holiday away from the heat in the cities or the tourists are out in force. The shop-keepers appear desperate to make a sale and one wonders how they survive.

During 2007 a huge fire in central Cyprus destroyed several holiday homes and forced the evacuation of at least two villages. At the time, Agriculture Minister Photis Photiou described the fire as "a big catastrophe". He said the blaze threatened the Troodos forest - one of the most scenic areas of the eastern Mediterranean island.

Cultivated vineyards cover a large percentage of Cyprus’ mountainous land,

from sea level upwards. Most vineyards are located in the southern

Troodos area.  Wine drinking appeared to play an important role in daily life, as illustrated on the mosaic of Kato Pafos, dating back to the Roman times. There are approx. 23, 500 hectares of vines under cultivation, with the annual production of 200 million kilos of grapes.

            
We did not have enough time to visit all the villages, all the famous Painted Churches, or the Monasteries – so plan your time well! The mountains are worth at least a 2 or more night stays.

Omodos has a lovely cobbled main square which is surrounded by small shops and restaurants. The surrounding streets are quaint, twisty and cobbled and make one want to carry on exploring to see what is around the next corner. The Timiou Stavrou Monastery was closed so we could only view this from the outside. Unfortunately, Omodos was our last stop so we could not linger too long as we did not want to be on the mountain roads after dark.

The highlight of our visit was to the seemingly last unspoilt wilderness area in Cypress, the Akamas Peninsula. We visited Lara Bay, where you can view information boards on the Turtle Conservation methods being used. Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and leave their “imprints” on the beach once they hatch and make their way to the water. It is vital that the area remains largely undisturbed as Loggerheads mature at approx. 15-20 yrs and Green Turtles at approx.25-30 yrs.

95 Green turtles have been tagged as they are the most endangered and found mainly in Cyprus.

 

Lara Bay                 

Lara Bay beach is long and deserted so a good place to escape the crowds! The mountain roads are gravel, you suddenly come across a goat shed with the lovely name of “Villa Sea View”, a goat-herd and his flock with the beautiful sound of bells tinkling, a farmer with his tractor ploughing his fields, a French couple with their petrol tank on empty (we wonder if they ever made it!), donkeys in a field below, truly a serene, beautiful and bumpy drive!

We followed this with a leisurely lunch in the small, cute harbour town of Latsi – who could wish for more! One hopes that the very aggressive development taking place all over Cyprus will allow this wilderness area to remain unscathed.

    

Quote overheard in Skiathos “Have you been to Cyprus recently? No? Well they are building rabbit hutches and selling them to the Brits as luxury villas” Personally, we also felt that the developments are scarring the landscape as there appears to be no proper planning involved. However, many of the older Cypriot homes are in a state of disrepair, with crumbling walls and broken down doors and windows. It is a fairly common sight to see a modern building next to a crumbling, yet inhabited, ruin.

Cyprus is also known for its beaches and we managed to sample a few. However, please don’t compare the Cyprus beaches to South Africa’s kilometres of  white, sandy beaches – you could be disappointed – brown or black sand or pebbles – the Mediterranean water and the constant sunshine are the attractions – the sea is crystal clear and an experience not to miss!

Aphroditi's Beach

 

Restaurant at Governer's Beach

Governor’s beach – a lovely, quieter spot with a hotel right on the beach for a leisurely lunch.

     

Pissouri – this hilltop village appears to have managed to retain its traditional Cypriot character, while adapting to welcome visitors, and the money that they bring, to the village. The village itself stands on a hilltop with a sea level difference of 250 metres  The village centre has been preserved with Governmental assistance and a village square, which is surrounded by small family run restaurants and cafes, is extremely popular among both locals and foreign visitors. Pissouri Beach is worth a stop for a swim!

Coral Bay – Lots of sun beds with a Taverna on the beach

Lara Bay – deserted but for 1 couple at the time of our visit!

Latsi – a beach close to the town’s harbour with the ever-present sun umbrellas and loungers.  

Aphrodite’s Rock - this scenic stop for all the coaches is a MUST for a swim – simply divine! 

“Petra tou Romiou’, a rock off the shore along the main road from Paphos to Limassol, has been regarded since ancient times as the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love and fertility.

"According to ancient tradition, Aphrodite was born from the waves on the site off the coast of Cyprus. In his Theogony (178-206), Hesiod provides the following dramatic account of the event: "Chronos took the great long jagged sickle; eagerly he harvested his father's (Zeus') genitals and threw them all off behind.... The genitals...were carried for a long time on the waves. White foam surrounded the immortal flesh, and in it grew a girl... her name is Aphrodite among men and gods, because she grew up in the foam (aphrizo).

Petra tou Romiou means "the Rock of the Greek" and does not refer to Aphrodite but to another myth, that of the Byzantine hero Dighenis who threw the rocks at pirates to protect his lady"

 Stories and history abound in Cyprus, some more plausible than others!!

And last but not least, our local village, Kato Pafos.  The town has much to offer - Pafos harbour with its ancient castle, the huge Kato Pafos Archaeological Park with its mosaics depicting Dionysos, the God of wine, beautiful churches, a UNESCO listing in its world cultural heritage list, a lively, busy Waterfront, lots of one way streets to get lost around (the tip is to WALK not drive!), many restaurants, too many

tourist shops!

      

Time was too short (7 days) to enjoy but a sample of all that Cyprus has to offer. ….. As long as you don’t mind hordes of British tourists, book your plane ticket!

     

Some pertinent facts

Euro Currency adopted on 1/01/2008

Cyprus is the 3^rd largest island in the Med at 9251 square kilometres

International Airports at Lanarca and Pafos are currently served by 32 International Airlines

Approx. 70 shipping lines include Cyprus in their schedules

Over 300 days of sunshine a year!

Mild winters, except in the mountains, where skiing is possible in January/February.

Tourism presently accounts for 40% of the Gross National Product.

Solar Panels for Water heating are required on all new buildings

Wikipedia figures state Southern Cyprus population approx. 784,000 and Turkish Cyprus approx. is 264,000

Current Prices:

Breakfast up to Euro 6.00

Lunch from Euro 6.00 per dish,

Dinner from Euro 8 per dish

Water E.50, Beer Euro 2.00

Beach Loungers from Euro 4 – Euro 8

Car Hire – Small Euro 210.00 per week

Check out:

http://www.rci.co.za/  RCI Resorts if you are a member as this saves paying in Euros’ for accommodation

http://www.tripadvisor.com/  for unbiased reviews on accommodation and much more http://www.visitcyprus.com/  for further info on the island.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

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