Skopelos Town — universally called Chora — is built amphitheatrically above a horseshoe harbour on the east coast. It’s a real working town of around 4,500–5,000 permanent residents, not a stage set for tourists, and that lived-in quality is what most visitors remember longest.
The harbour and port walk
Arriving by ferry, the first thing you see is Chora arranged above the quay in ascending layers of white walls, slate roofs, and church towers. The port promenade (paralia) runs along the harbour’s edge and is one of the most pleasant evening walking streets in the Northern Sporades — lined with cafes, tavernas, and bars, facing the water and the moored boats. At the tip of the port jetty stands the Panagitsa of Pyrgos — a tiny white chapel perched on its own small rock above the sea, one of the island’s most photographed images and genuinely beautiful in the late afternoon light.
The old town and kastro
Behind the port, the old town rises steeply through a network of narrow alleyways, stairways, and small plazas. Many paths are cobbled; several are accessible only on foot. The Venetian kastro (castle) sits at the highest point, built in the medieval period and expanded under various occupying powers. The walls are partially intact; the chapel of Agios Georgios sits inside the kastro precinct and is usually open. The view from the kastro over the town, harbour, and the channel toward Alonissos is the best elevated view on the island.
The architecture throughout the old town is consistent: slate roofs, timber-framed balconies overhanging alleys, window boxes of geraniums and bougainvillea. The materials are local — stone, wood, slate — which gives the town a visual cohesion unusual in Greek island capitals.
Churches worth entering
Of the churches traditionally counted in and around Skopelos Town, several repay a visit:
Agios Nikolaos (16th century): one of the larger churches, with original frescoes and a carved wooden iconostasis. Located in the mid-town, usually open in the mornings.
Agios Athanasios: built in the early Byzantine period on earlier foundations. The current structure is largely medieval, with later additions.
Evangelistria: at the top of the old town, with a small museum of religious artefacts adjacent.
Most smaller chapels open only for their patron saint’s feast day — the interior of a small Skopelos chapel, candlelit, with a single icon and the smell of incense, is an experience the tourist trail rarely delivers.
Eating and drinking in Chora
The port promenade concentrates most of Chora’s cafes, tavernas, and bars. For dinner, the better tavernas are set slightly back from the paralia in the old town streets. Molos, on the harbour, is a long-established taverna with reliable grilled fish. Platanos (named for the plane tree it’s built beneath) serves mezedes and grilled meat in a small square. The rebetika music tradition continues at several harbour tavernas on weekend evenings in season — George Xintaris’ establishment has maintained this tradition for decades.
Practical tips
- Arriving by ferry: the port is the centre of life; accommodation is within 10 minutes walk of the quay
- Hire a scooter or car from the port — essential for reaching beaches and monasteries
- The old town alleys above the port are closed to vehicles; sensible shoes pay off
- Best time in Chora: the two hours before sunset, when the light on the slate rooftops is at its best
- For churches: most open from 9am–1pm; some open again 5pm–8pm; check on arrival
- The Archaeological Collection of Skopelos is located near the main square and covers local finds including Minoan-era artefacts from the Tomb of Stafylos
Also in This Section
- Glossa — Hilltop village with the island’s finest views — and the closest base for Agios Ioannis Kastri.