Agios Ioannis Kastri is a small Byzantine chapel perched on a rocky islet off Skopelos's northeast coast, connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway path. It became internationally famous as the setting for the wedding scenes in Mamma Mia!, and the climb to it has become one of the island's must-do experiences for film fans and non-fans alike.

Why visit

Setting the film connection aside, the chapel's location is striking in its own right: a tiny white church on an isolated rock, framed by cliffs and open sea, with views back along the coast toward Glossa and out to Alonissos on a clear day.

What to see

The climb involves roughly 200 narrow stone steps cut into the rock, ending at the small whitewashed chapel itself, which is sometimes open and sometimes locked depending on the season and local schedule. The reward is less about the interior and entirely about the setting.

Access and timing

The chapel sits about 5.5km east of Glossa via the Skopelos–Loutraki provincial road, with a turn onto a narrower side road leading the final stretch. Cars and taxis can get close, but the final approach and the steps themselves are on foot only. Visit early morning or early evening, both for the lighter crowds and for cooler conditions on the climb.

What to expect at the top

The chapel itself is tiny, with room for only a handful of people inside at once, so most of the experience is the approach and the view rather than time spent indoors. Tour boats and coach groups tend to arrive mid-morning through early afternoon, which is the busiest window to avoid if possible.

Combine with

The chapel pairs naturally with a wider Mamma Mia day taking in Kastani beach and Glysteri beach, or with a visit to Glossa village itself, a short drive away.

• Around 200 stone steps to reach the chapel
• Best visited early morning or early evening
• About 5.5km from Glossa via the Skopelos–Loutraki road
• Often combined with a wider Mamma Mia filming-locations day