DESTINATIONS SPORADES | GREECE & CYPRUS


Hoppingmad t


Why settle for one gorgeous Greek island when you can have three, asks Kavi Shah on an island-hopping adventure in the Sporades


here are about 200 steps but it feels like many more. They are chunky, uneven and rocky; the path is steep and winding and, with the sun beating


down, the ascent is a real challenge. But the reward at the top is worth it: stunning views of the coastline and the teeny whitewashed ‘Mamma Mia! chapel’ – the church of Agios Ioannis Kastri, made famous in the 2008 movie and a highlight of our Mamma Mia! tour of the island of Skopelos. Skopelos is the second of three Sporades islands on our Olympic Holidays fam trip, testing out the operator’s expanded island-hopping programme. We start in buzzy Skiathos and conclude on more traditional Alonissos – two of the 24 islands that make up the Sporades, dotted across the Aegean Sea off mainland Greece’s eastern coast. And it’s immediately clear that they shelter some of the cleanest, bluest waters and are encircled by untamed pine forest and vegetation. A week here makes me feel I’ve eyed every blue and


green on the colour spectrum. The islands are compact enough to be explored in a few days and, as each has its own personality, it feels like three holidays in one.


SKIATHOS


Known as the ‘boomerang island’ that keeps people coming back, lively Skiathos is most famous for its pretty coastline (home to 60-plus beaches) and its nightlife. Getting around is easy: the bus service and water taxi run like clockwork, and driving is simple: clients can go from the top to the bottom of the island in half an hour.


The islands are compact enough


to be explored in a few days and, as each has its own personality, it feels like three holidays in one


Pause: Some of the best panoramic views can be enjoyed at Kastro, the island’s old settlement, which once comprised 300 tiny houses and 30 churches, but was later abandoned. The first-ever modern Greek flag was sewn at the imposing Evangelistria Monastery in 1807, which played a big part in Greek independence.


² travelweekly.co.uk 9 JANUARY 2020 71


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