Wasp waisted Skyros is the odd one out in the Sporades group of islands that lie off the east coast of mainland Greece. The largest in the Sporades group (not counting Evia) it is also the most remote with no nearby airport and few direct ferry connections. Skyros's isolation
has helped preserve its distinctive character and customs - foreigners for example are
banned from owning houses here - and the islanders are resolutely traditional
despite a recent surge in tourism. Tourist beds number only
around 1,000 and islanders appear intent on keeping it that way though visitors that make the effort are warmly welcomed.
Skyros is a fascinating island whose split from the rest of the tourist-hungry Sporades group finds echoes in its own landscape - one half green and densely wooded, the other half dry, rocky and barren. The island of Skyros has long been noted for its arts and crafts, beautiful and much sough-after pottery and elaborately carved furniture that can be found in almost every Skyriot house. A tomb in the southern half of the
island is also renowned as that 'corner of a foreign field that is forever England'. It is where the verse's author, the poet Rupert Brooke was buried in 1915.
Overview
The most isolated of the Sporades chain, this remarkable
island has two very distinct regions, north and south, separated by a narrow
neck of land where most of the permanent population of 3,000 or so live.
While the northern half is green, fertile and smothered in pine forests,
the south is bare, barren and scoured by harsh winds.
Skyros island is not a great place for beaches. Sunbathers
tend to restrict themselves to the sands along the east coast around the
main town at Chora. Western beaches are more remote and consequently much
quieter. But many beaches are either hard to find or difficult to reach and can be spoiled
by the flotsam and rubbish regularly washed in on the tides.
There is a
bus service of sorts but visitors will need a car, bike or boat to get the best from
the island which is relatively big for the number of available beaches.
In summer there are organised boats trips to the more remote beaches, to Tres Boukes for the grave of Rupert Brooke,
to caves on the southern coast and from Linaria to the neighbouring islets.
Ferries
on the main hydrofoil route from the north Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos,
Alonissos) used to run regularly but have now apparently stopped. The main
route now is from Kimi on nearby Evia. 
During
the summer there are plenty of organised boats trips to the more remote beaches
( and the popular ones too), to Tres Boukes for the grave of Rupert Brooke and
to caves on the southern coast and neighbouring islets from Linaria. In the high
season they also head for grottos at Pentekali and Yerania as well as Sarakino
which has caves and wild ponies. There are trips to Platy island and the nearby
cliffs at Renes - very spectacular with majestic sea caves and dozens of falcons
sweeping off the cliffs.
The
road from Linaria to Chora, then north to the air base and Atsitsa,
is surprisingly good while the remaining dirt roads are predictably bad.
You need a bike, car or taxi if you want to see most of the island and
stout boots if you want to see all of it. The southern part of the island
has the worst roads of all and the worst signposting too - look out for
rough arrows hand-painted on roadside rocks and pray you are in a four
wheel drive vehicle.
Buses
run pretty regularly between Linaria and Chora - timed to meet the ferries
and there are occasional buses to the more popular beaches.
Two
to three Olympic Airways flights a week drop in from Athens otherwise but
no charter flights at present. The main way to arrive is ferry from Evia.
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