Greece › Skiathos Hotels
By Santorini Dave
Koukounaries Beach taken from the Skiathos Palace Hotel.
- Skiathos Town makes a great base for a holiday vacation. Loaded with restaurants, shops, and nightlife.
- Koukounaries is the best beach on Skiathos and a 20-minute drive from Skiathos Town. There are two great hotels at Koukounaries: Mandraki Village Boutique Hotel and Skiathos Palace Hotel
- The funnest way to explore is by doing a boat tour around the island with swim and snorkel stops at the best spots. (Go to the harbor in Skiathos Town to find tour boats.)
- Best hotel near Skiathos ferry port: Meltemi by Manthos
- Best hotels for families: Mandraki Village Boutique Hotel • Skiathos Princess
The Best Places to Stay in Skiathos
• Skiathos Town: The island’s capital and main hub, Skiathos Town, offers a mix of traditional charm and modern amenities. Its lively waterfront, maze-like cobbled streets, and bustling marina make it an excellent choice for first-time visitors and a good base for exploring the island. You’ll find numerous shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as easy access to nearby beaches, such as Megali Ammos and Vassilias.
• Koukounaries: Known for its stunning sandy beach and crystal-clear waters, Koukounaries is a popular destination for beach lovers. Backed by a lush pine forest and boasting a range of water sports. There are several accommodation options nearby, catering to different budgets.
• Banana Beach: For those seeking a lively beach atmosphere, Banana Beach is a top choice. With its golden sands, clear blue waters, and vibrant beach bars, it’s a hotspot for fun and entertainment. Several smaller, quieter beaches are also located nearby, such as Little Banana and Agia Eleni, offering more secluded options.
• Troulos: A quieter alternative to the bustling Skiathos Town, Troulos is a small village surrounded by olive groves and pine forests. Its beautiful sandy beach, with calm waters and a relaxed atmosphere, is perfect for families and those seeking a more tranquil vacation. The village itself has a selection of restaurants, shops, and accommodation options.
• Agia Paraskevi: This picturesque beach, nestled in a sheltered bay, boasts golden sands and shallow waters, making it ideal for families with young children. Nearby, you’ll find several hotels, villas, and apartments, as well as a few tavernas and bars. Its location on the island’s south coast also provides easy access to other popular beaches, such as Vromolimnos and Kolios.
• Megali Ammos: Just a short walk from Skiathos Town, Megali Ammos is a popular beach with a lively atmosphere. Offering water sports, sunbeds, and a variety of restaurants and beach bars, it’s a good choice for those who want to combine beach relaxation with the convenience of being close to town.
• Lalaria Beach: For a unique experience, consider a day trip to the stunning Lalaria Beach, located on the northeastern coast of the island. Accessible only by boat, this pebble beach is known for its striking rock formations and crystal-clear waters.
The 11 Best Hotels in Skiathos, Greece
1. Mystery Luxury Residence – Skiathos Town
Elegant 10-Suite hotel, located walking distance from the ferry port and Skiathos Town center, having spacious, bright suites with mini-bars, wet bars, sleeper sofas and private furnished balconies. Deluxe suites have a yacht-like ambience, executive suites have outdoor jacuzzis with lovely views and the top-end (apartment-like) grand villa suite has its own private terrace. Hotel phone: +30 24270 29400.2. Bourtzi Hotel – Skiathos Town
Located in the heart of Skiathos Town, this tranquil, modern boutique hotel features immaculate, contemporary, colourful rooms with mini-bars, fridges, bathtubs (some) and private furnished balconies. The larger superior rooms have marble floors and overlook the swimming pool. Close to the ferry port, shops, nightlife, and restaurants. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 21304.
3. Magic Hotel – Agia Paraskevi
Set on a hill, 6 km away from Skiathos Town, the hotel offers nicely decorated rooms and suites with fridges and balconies with beautiful sea/garden views. Deluxe rooms add pretty 4-poster beds and bathtubs. Junior suites are two-level loft style suites with deep soak bath tubs, superior suites have 4-poster beds and whirpool baths, and the top-end executive suites have jacuzzi/whirlpool bathtubs and more spacious balconies. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 49453.
4. Skiathos Princess – Agia Paraskevi
Located right on the beach, 7 kms outside of town, this kid-friendly resort has family rooms and suites with bathtubs, mini-bars, and verandahs. Top-end rooms feature private pools with sea/garden views, wooden patios and direct garden access, and top-end family rooms have private gardens. Suites add sitting areas and range from ones with beach/pool views to those having large private pools, verandahs with patios & gardens and sea views. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 49731.
5. Meltemi by Manthos Hotels – Skiathos Town
A quick stroll away from the town center, next to Skiathos’ port, this contemporary hotel features minimalistic, somber toned, rooms, suites and triple rooms with touch panel room controls, mini-bars and private balconies with sea views. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 22493.
6. Mandraki Village Boutique Hotel – Koukounaries
A short walk from fantastic Koukounaries beach and 12 km from Skiathos Town, this family-friendly, boutique hotel set in an acre of beautiful gardens, features bright hued, cheerful rooms and suites with sofa beds, mini-fridges and balconies/terraces. Suites add sitting areas and hydro massage jet showers. If the hotel is sold out (as often happens) the nearby Skiathos Palace Hotel is just as good. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 49301.
7. Kassandra Bay Resort – Vassilias Beach
Beautiful beachfront resort with 2 saltwater pools, 3 kms from town, featuring a range of modern, large, airy rooms, suites and maisonettes, having fridges with mini-bars and good-sized balconies/terraces with garden/sea views. Upgraded rooms have living areas with sofabeds, masionettes have bathtubs and basic suites have en-suite jacuzzis. The high-end KB suites (wide range) have private balconies with panoramic sea views or outdoor jacuzzis (with sea views) or terraces with private pools & garden & sea views, depending on the category. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 24201.
8. Atrium Hotel – Agia Paraskevi
Tasteful, monastic style, hillside hotel, 7 kms from town, featuring a range of spacious, fresh & breezy rooms, suites and maisonettes with wooden floors, fridges, bathtubs and private balconies with spectacular sea views. Upgraded rooms add private outdoor gardens and garden jacuzzis. Suites (some split-level) have living rooms with traditional, built-in sofabeds and upgraded suites either sport shared infinity pools or large patios with private pools. Maisonettes have patios & shared pools. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 49345.
9. La Piscine Art Hotel – Skiathos Town
A short walk away from the town center, this well-designed hotel offers pristine, lovely rooms and suites with mini-bars and balconies. Standard rooms have shared balconies, deluxe rooms have private balconies with mountain/garden views and junior suites have circular beds & two private balconies with mountain views. Hotel Phone: +30 23105 92100.
10. Golden King Villas – Vassilias Beach
Stunning, all-villa property set across the road from a beach, 2.7 km away from town, featuring very spacious, lovely villas with well equipped kitchens, private pools, jacuzzi bathtubs and large furnished balconies with fantastic sea views. The beach is easily accessed via a short passageway. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 22430.
11. Aegean Suites Hotel – Megali Ammos
Picturesque, hillside, all-suite hotel, within walking distance of Skiathos Town, having elegant, spacious suites. Standard suites have living areas, mini-bars and garden terraces and upgrades get you sea views. The more romantic ‘Charming’ suites have private patios and open air jacuzzis and the ‘Heaven’ suites have big private teak wood terraces with jacuzzis. Has no elevator so opt for lower level rooms if steps are an issue. There’s a beach across the road. Hotel Phone: +30 24270 24066-69.
I'm Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a short article on tips for visiting Santorini with kids. We're now a small team of writers and researchers dedicated to providing the best travel content on the internet. We focus on 
Ferries to Skiathos
We’re planning to visit Skiathos this June/July, driving down from Bulgaria. Currently I can find only one ferry leaving on Saturday from Volos 10am, which isn’t ideal with our schedule (would prefer an afternoon option, it’s a 5.5 hr drive to Volos). Do you know if the schedule is likely to grow as we near summer, or should we start planning to stay a night in Volos?
Thanks so much!
Yes, there should be more options with Hellenic (morning and afternoon) or Aegean Flying Dolphins (usually 2pm). There should also be ferries from Agios Konstantinos to Skiathos departing in the early evening (though perhaps not every day).
Hello
What is the best mode of transport to get to Skiathos from Athens. I note that the flights are intermittent on certain days.
Flying is the easiest way to get from Athens to Skiathos (especially if you’re already at the airport). But if you’re in the city then I’d opt for bus and ferry as long as you can get on a bus before 1pm. Otherwise you risk missing the last ferry and spending the night in Agios Konstantinos. Bus and ferry take about 5.5 to 6 hours from Athens to Skiathos. The flights is 30 minutes.
We are staying in Skiathos Town for a 5 day holiday from London. Our itinerary includes one day touring the monasteries, one day on a boat tour of the northern beaches, one day on a day trip to Skopelos, and one day to shop and relax. That leaves one day for the beaches along the south coast. What are your favorite beaches in Skiathos that we should visit?
Thanks
Lucy
If you can only visit one beach on Skiathos make it Koukounaries Beach. Other good ones: Agia Paraskevi Beach, Vassilias Beach, and Troulos.