Skopelos has four settlements of note, each with a distinct character. The island’s capital Chora is a dense, hilly town of slate roofs, Byzantine churches, and harbour cafes. Glossa is a quieter hilltop village with excellent views and a traditional pace. Agnontas and Elios are smaller coastal communities that punctuate the west coast road.
What makes Skopelos Town unusual
The capital’s architecture is distinctive even by Greek island standards. Houses have pitched slate roofs — a rarity in the Aegean, where most island buildings are flat-roofed or white-domed. The stone used is local schist; the colours are the muted whites, greys, and occasional blues of a northern European sensibility dropped into Mediterranean light. The effect is cooler and more layered than Santorini or Mykonos, and far more liveable.
The church count
Skopelos Town is often said to have around 123 churches within or immediately around its limits — a traditional figure repeated by locals for generations, though the precise count depends on what qualifies. It includes tiny single-room chapels in private courtyards as well as larger churches open to worshippers. Many are locked outside of their patron saint’s feast day. The ones consistently open to visitors include Agios Nikolaos (16th century), Agios Athanasios, and the hilltop Chapel of Agios Georgios inside the kastro walls.
Getting between villages
The main road from Skopelos Town to Glossa is 26km and takes about 35 minutes. Public buses run this route several times daily from May to October, stopping at Agnontas and Elios along the way. Taxis are available. The road itself is a journey worth making at dawn or dusk when the light turns the pine forest gold.
- Skopelos Town to Agnontas: 8km, 15 min drive
- Agnontas to Elios: 10km, 15 min drive
- Elios to Glossa: 8km, 12 min drive
- Skopelos Town to Glossa: 26km total, approx 35 min
In This Section
- Skopelos Town (Chora) — The island capital — slate rooftops, Byzantine churches, and a harbour you’ll return to every evening.
- Glossa — Hilltop village with the island’s finest views — and the closest base for Agios Ioannis Kastri.