Skyros: The Authentic Greek Island You’ve Never Heard Of

“Just follow the scent of jasmine,” my mother told me.

In the labyrinth of Hora, the main village on the island of Skyros, where the narrow lanes have no names and my Aunt Anna’s home will never appear on Google Maps, directions rely more on instinct than on signage.

Yet, vague as they sound, my mother’s words prove uncannily precise.

Walking through the whitewashed alleys of the village, perched on the slopes of a hill with sweeping views over the Aegean, I catch it at once—the subtle, intoxicating fragrance of Jasminum polyanthum.

The scent, more than the sight of its star-shaped blossoms, unlocks a flood of childhood memories.

Childhood Memories and Timeless Traditions

Suddenly, I am five again, playing in Anna’s courtyard among her cats while she makes a ladopita, a savory, thin, and crispy fried dough, and serves it with the island’s tangy xinotyri cheese.

Soft, white, made from local sheep and goat’s milk, its sharpness cuts perfectly through the ladopita’s warmth.

Anna, now approaching a hundred, sits in that same courtyard. When I ask her age, she answers, as always, “seventy-something”—the same reply I remember from my last visit, twenty-five years ago.

Time, it seems, passes differently on Skyros. Unlike Rhodes, Mykonos, or Santorini, the island has resisted the pull of mass tourism.

Its authenticity, preserved across generations, makes it an oasis for travelers in search of calm. I’ve come with little more than a yoga mat, a few books, and a notebook—essentials for slowing down.

Fittingly, Skyros is home to Europe’s longest-running yoga and wellness retreat, established over forty years ago.

A Journey Through History

It’s also a place where history lingers: the English poet Rupert Brooke is buried here, in an olive grove near Tris Boukes Bay, where Allied hospital ships once anchored during World War I.

A century later, a statue in his honor still gazes over the Mediterranean from a small square aptly named “Eternal Poetry.” From here, the views stretch east, across the sandy beaches of Magazia and Molos.

A short walk away, the Archaeological Museum of Skyros houses treasures spanning from the Early Helladic period to Roman rule.

My mother once joked I might find Anna somewhere between an archaic figurine, a geometric Attic pyxis, and a horse-shaped rhyton.

Local Cuisine and Traditions

At Pefkos beach, on the west coast of the island, I dive into crystalline waters before rewarding myself with the island’s signature dish—astakomakaronada, lobster pasta—at the seaside taverna Stamatia’s.

Lobsters, I once learned from Giannis, a local fisherman, are a favorite delicacy of the octopus (which is a favorite delicacy of mine).

He also told me that it takes eleven years for a lobster to reach a single kilo in weight—the same weight, as it happens, as the one cooked by Stamatia.

It feels less like lunch and more like an inheritance from the sea, the slow passage of time served on a white plate, the kind of detail that anchors a place in memory as firmly as its landscape.

Legends and Monasteries

Later, I climb to the Monastery of Agios Georgios (Saint George), tucked within the Byzantine castle that once defended the island from pirate raids.

The sole monk explains its history, while outside, the panoramic view stretches endlessly across the Aegean.

It begins in the turbulent years of Byzantium, when the empire was divided between iconoclasts and iconophiles.

The waves, so the legend says, delivered a miraculous icon of Saint George onto the island’s shores. Escaping destruction, the saint chose Skyros as his home, becoming its patron and protector.

History and legend intertwine further in the winter of 958. The Byzantine fleet, led by Emperor Nikephoros Phokas on his campaign to reclaim Crete from the Arabs, was forced by a violent storm to seek refuge in Skyros.

With him was Athanasios the Athonite, later founder of Mount Athos’ first great monastery. The emperor made a vow: if victory was his, he would gift Athanasios land on Skyros to build a monastery.

Athanasios spent that winter in a cave northeast of the castle, where today a small chapel stands in his name.

When Phokas triumphed, he kept his word. By 963, the church of Saint George was complete, richly endowed with vineyards, fields, and pastures.

The land at Paliambela, locals say, once held the vines of a temple to Dionysus, before being given to the new Christian monastery.

Later, when Athanasios founded the Monastery of Great Lavra on Mount Athos, the emperor transferred to it the estates of Saint George’s monastery on Skyros—an unbroken thread connecting the island to the holiest monastic center of the Orthodox world.

Nowadays, the monastery stands quietly beneath the castle walls, a reminder that Skyros has always been more than a dot on the map.

It is a place where sea legends, imperial vows, and sacred traditions continue to echo in stone and story.

Returning to Hora

Back in Hora, I wander past whitewashed houses, quaint tavernas, and sophisticated cocktail bars pulsing with summer rhythms.

Then, once again, the jasmine greets me. I whisper, “Thank you, mum,” and recall the late singer Arleta’s lines about making jasmine tea, returning to her childhood home, and searching for a golden prince.

Moments later, I step into Anna’s small house.

She isn’t really my aunt, but my mother’s aunt, the sister of my grandfather Stamatis.

On the veranda, I’m greeted by a regal white-and-golden-furred cat with emerald eyes. “My golden prince,” I laugh, stroking him as Anna proudly shows me her intricate embroidery and the painted ceramics adorning her walls.

The cat sits serenely on a traditional hand-carved wooden stool, a reminder of the island’s famed craftsmanship.

Anna serves me another ladopita, as always with tyri tis sakoulas—the local name for xinotyri—and asks if Stamatia’s ladopita was better than hers.

I smile, avoiding the trap, and promise her one thing: that another twenty-five years will not pass before I return to Skyros.

If You Go to Skyros

Getting There: Skyros is accessible by ferry from the port of Kymi on the island of Evia (about 1.5 hours), or by air from Athens and Thessaloniki (about 30 minutes).

When to Visit: Late spring through early autumn (May–October) offers warm weather, lively villages, and swimmable seas without the heavy crowds of more touristed islands.

Where to Stay: Charming boutique hotels are scattered throughout Hora and the seaside areas of Magazia and Molos. You can browse Skyros hotels on Booking.com for the best options.

What to Do: Explore Hora’s whitewashed lanes, visit the Monastery of Agios Georgios, swim at Pefkos, Magazia, and Molos beaches, and don’t miss lobster pasta (astakomakaronada) at a seaside taverna.

For wellness seekers, the island hosts Europe’s longest-running yoga retreat.

Local Delights: Try ladopita with xinotyri cheese, local thyme or pine honey, and the island’s famed sweets—especially spoon preserves made from figs, bergamot, or pumpkin.

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Author Bio: Alex is a Greek-born, London-based psychiatrist and travel writer. His work has been featured in The Guardian and he regularly publishes on his blog, TravelingPsychiatrist.com.

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