The Sporades islands are like an extension of the Pelion Peninsula, with green pine forests and white sandy beaches. You can reach them from the port of Ag. Constantinou and the city of Volos. There are frequent ferries and hydrofoils connecting these islands to the mainland and to each other. There are flights to Skiathos as well as a weekly ferry from Thessaloniki on its way to Crete and back.
Skiathos
The Mykonos of the Sporades. Fantastic beaches, among the best in Greece. Plenty of nightlife and lots of trees, forests and wildlife. With many foreigners living here year round it's not a bad place to visit in the off-season but gets very busy, especially in August so book early. Get there from Agios Constantinos or Volos by ferry or Flying Dolphin or else you can fly into an international airport.
Skopelos
People claim Skopelos is the greenest island in the Aegean and they may be right. A nature lover's paradise, Skopelos is home to a great many forms of wildlife due to its extensive forests and beautiful coastline, including the monk seal or what the Greeks call 'Monachos-Monachos'. The island, once a Cretan colony has a number of archaeological sites plus some 360 churches, monasteries and convents. Though not as wild as nearby Skiathos, there is plenty of nightlife and the islanders take great pride in their cooking. If Skiathos sounds too much like Mykonos and you are looking for something a little quieter but no less beautiful.
Skyros
Hard to get to but worth the trip they say. Very Green with nice beaches and some interesting Cycladic style villages and pagan customs such as the 'goat dances' of Skyros held during the pre-Lenten Carnival, the last two Sundays before Clean Monday. The island is also home to the Skyros Institute of
Holistic Studies which offers programs in alternative therapies, yoga and even windsurfing.
Skyros is also the gravesite of the English poet Rupert Brooke who died in 1915 on a ship bound for Gallipoli off the coast of
Skyros.
Alonissos
A green island of pebble beaches with one of the cleanest seas in the Aegean. Despite being a package tour island it still maintains a feeling of quietness. The old town of Alonissos has been bought up by wealthy Northern Europeans. Surrounding the island are a number of smaller islets which are rich in plant life and home of the Monachos-Monachos, or monk seal. This area has been designated as a marine park.
The
Sporades | Saronic Gulf Islands
| Northeast Aegean Islands | Ionian
Islands
Dodecanese Islands | Big
Islands | The Cyclades
