Skorpios Lefkas

island report and Skorpios map

Skorpios island Lefkas

SKORPIOS is one of the most famous private islands in the world, it once being owned by the former billionaire Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
It being a private island, visitors are not allowed to land and armed guards can sometimes be seen on the island which was privately owned by the Onassis family.
Skorpios is located in the Ionian Sea and it lies between Lefkas and the island of Meganissi. It can easily be seen from the main Lefkas resort of Nidri.
It is about 4km offshore and a very popular sail-by destination for Lefkas island tour boats. Visitors are allowed to swim off designated beaches around the island.
Skorpios is just one of 10 small islets off the Lefkas coastline. The others are Meganisi, Kalamos, Kastos, Madouri, Skorpidi, Thilia, Petalou and Kythros. Skorpios is thickly carpeted in woods and the main islland mansion is not visible from the sea.
When Aristotle Onassis was alive the island hosted many famous celebrities of the time. Maria Callas, the Kennedy family, Greta Garbo were among the many celebrities who stayed there.
Skorpios island was also the site of Onassis's wedding to former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968.
Although Skorpios was the main home of the Onassis family, Onassis’ granddaughter Athena only made occasional visits to Skorpios before it was sold in 2010 to the Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani for a reputed $193 million.