Skopelos produces most of what it eats — olives, cheese, plums, almonds, honey, and fish. Understanding what’s local and seasonal transforms eating on the island from a pleasant necessity into the most direct way of understanding the place.
The cheese
Local Skopelos cheese is primarily anthotyros — a fresh, unsalted cheese similar in texture to ricotta, made from sheep and goat milk. It’s used in the island’s signature cheese pie and eaten fresh with honey. A harder, aged version appears in salads and cooked dishes. Look for it at the small deli shops in Chora’s port area; it’s often sold from a large wheel at a counter, by weight.
Olives and olive oil
The island’s olive groves are mostly in the lower slopes around Chora and the south of the island. Skopelos olive oil tends to be fruity and less acidic than Cretan oils — a consequence of the northern Aegean climate. Bottled local olive oil is available at island shops. Green olives cured with herbs are a standard taverna starter worth ordering separately.
Honey and almonds
Skopelos honey is predominantly pine and thyme, reflecting the island’s plant composition. It’s sold in small jars at several shops in Chora. Almonds grown on the island appear in traditional sweets — amygdalota (almond paste sweets) are the main form, shaped into small fruit forms and dusted with icing sugar.
Food souvenirs worth buying
- Skopelos plum preserve (glyko koutaliou): plums in heavy syrup, excellent with yoghurt or cheese
- Dried Skopelos prunes: the island’s most distinctive agricultural product; look for locally labelled packaging
- Local olive oil: bottled, available at delis in Chora port area
- Amygdalota: almond paste sweets from the confectionery on the port walk
- Pine honey: small jars available from island food shops
- Tsipouro: the local grape marc spirit, useful for gifting and for understanding Greek hospitality
What to avoid
The tourist-facing shops on the port walk sell generic ‘Greek’ food products — supermarket olive oil relabelled with island imagery, mass-produced cheese, packaged goods made off-island. For genuinely local products, ask where items are produced. The best-stocked shop for authentic local food is typically found one street back from the main paralia — ask at your accommodation.