Rewards of a winter visit
SO, I have finally been let in on the secret of Skiathos in the winter.
Strolling out the airport in January felt less like a step into the unknown after holidaying on the island twice a year each summer since 2005.
Still, I had worried that Skiathos in the winter could be something like Rhyl on a bad November afternoon. For those fortunate enough not to have visited Rhyl, simply substitute Bridlington, Morecambe or any other miserable British seaside town when the holidaymakers have gone home, the shutters have gone up and the place is being battered by soul-sapping weather.
I need not have worried for Skiathos. Many of the shops, bars and restaurants were of course closed, the tourists were absent and the temperature was a rather chilly eight degrees on my first morning. But many of the familiar faces were around the town and old port. The views were largely the same - albeit the boats were missing - and the sun was shining. The island still had the magic "something" that lures people back year after year.
Expectations clearly have to be adjusted when visiting a Greek "holiday" island so far out of season. But not so much that you can't have a wonderful break that challenges and rewards in equal measure.
There is very little trouble getting there out of season. Easyjet are just one of the companies that fly from the UK to Athens, then Olympic run a 25-minute flight from there to Skiathos. All remarkably drama free in anything less than the very worst weather.
The first test comes in securing accommodation. A couple of the hotels stay open all year round. Remember, however, they are largely summer accommodation and adjust your available clothing to suit. An air-con / heater unit really does not kick out that much heat when it's batting against cold, tiled floors and single-glazed balcony doors that are of little use when the outside temperature predictably plummets at night. I stayed in the Hotel Meltemi on the front. Fabulous views, clean accommodation and wi-fi!
It is also perhaps easier to ensure you book a minimum of bed and breakfast. One of the delights of a summer trip to Skiathos is the hunt for food and drink at a different cafe or restaurant each day. But the choice is drastically limited in the winter.
But it is not impossible. Igloo Cafe, for example, on the main street, stays open all year around and serves wonderful toasted baguettes, pastries and, best of all, illy coffee! Wi-fi is also available here....
Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles comes from finding transport to get you around all the places you may want to see outside the confines of the town. There are no mopeds or motorbikes to be had as the hire companies put them all into storage at the end of the summer season and don't have an insurance policy for them. Quite rightly, they deduce there will be insufficient demand to justify keeping them on the road when the weather turns "bad" after October.
The buses, which batter up and down the road to Koukounaries every 15 minutes in high season, only run three times a day in winter, largely to get the island's children to and from school.
But a car or jeep is available if you ask around at the harbour. The hire company offices probably only open for an hour or so, when the Volos ferry docks mid-morning. But if you are organised enough, a vehicle can be had at the right price.
And once you have transport, there are few limits to your exploration despite the time of year. I managed two hours out of the wind and in the sun on a stray Koukounaries beach-lounger, with a book and comforting flask of coffee. I wore a hat - woolly not straw - and a chunky body warmer. It was utterly delightful.
A return to town mid-afternoon led me back to one of my favourite coffee haunts in the summer. Perhaps I am biased; Gerani Cafe was where I had my wonderful pre-wedding banquet in May 2010 and where I took my new wife for her nerve-calming coffee and cigarette after the event. I was delighted to see the owner, Marianna, was open in January and she stayed open each night, as usual, until the last customer left. It is a favourite hang-out for knowledgable locals in the summer, and the same in winter.
A wander around town and the harbour early evening saw more of the tavernas and shops opening their doors for customers. Many of the important shops are open late in the afternoon for a few hours, including the pharmacy.
An evening meal is much easier to obtain than breakfast. There is little point in listing them here, but whether it's a simple giros or a full-blown meal, there are plenty of venues to satisfy if only you make the effort to wander down the back streets and alleys that you may well avoid at the height of the summer.
And so set the pattern for the five days of my five-day visit to Skiathos. I visited different beaches - all of them wonderful in their isolation and uninterrupted tranquility without the massed hordes. I took walks and drove on almost-deserted roads never fully explored on any previous visit.
Every day I saw locals fully immersed in the simple pleasures of life - walking their dogs, enjoying the time to chat minus the demands of the holidaying masses and drinking coffee and eating under outdoor heaters at tavernas and cafes.
It should go without saying that Skiathos is not a winter-sun destination. It is too far north. But that should not diminish the rewards if expectations are pitched realistically.
For those who regularly make the trip to the island in the summer, I would go as far as saying you owe yourself a winter break there. Take a good book (or a kindle), some warm clothes and a sunny outlook. By the end of my stay I was utterly enchanted, relaxed and felt embedded in the way of the world - Skiathos winter style.
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