5 Best Sights in Troullos, The Sporades

Located in a nature reserve, it's just a 3 km walk from busy Koukounaries. Make the journey on foot to walk through a heady, scented pine forest that rises from terra-cotta-red sand before reaching this "secret" beach that's a haven for those seeking silence and solitude. There are no watersports businesses in operation and the sea is a little rough, so it's frequented by swimmers and surfers rather than families and noisy youths. Sometimes called Xerxes' harbor, the bay is where the notorious Persian king stopped on his way to ultimate defeat at the battles of Artemisium and Salamis. The reefs opposite are the site of a monument Xerxes allegedly erected as a warning to ships, the first such marker known in history. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free). Best for: swimming; walking; solitude.

At these side-by-side options, separated by a forested headland, expansive and laid-back Megalos Aselinos is a favorite of locals and tourists visiting by boat, while Mikros Aselinos is quieter and can be reached by car or bike. Neither, however, can be reached by bus. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunset; swimming.

Around the island's western tip are Ayia Eleni and Krasa, facing the nearby Pelion Peninsula. The beaches are also known as Big and Little Banana, perhaps because sun worshippers—mainly gay men on Little Banana—often peel their clothes off. Rocky coves provide some privacy. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: nudists; partiers; sunset; swimming.

Some fans call this scenic slice of shoreline "Golden Coast," after its fine, sparkling golden sand, but in high season, when sunseekers land by the boatload, you'll be lucky to find a free patch. The name, Greek for stone pines, comes from the forest that is almost watered by the waves. Enjoy a leisurely stroll behind the beach to Strofilia Lake, an impressive biotope where rare species of birds find shelter. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguard; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

The dirt road north of Troullos leads to beaches and to the small, now deserted, Kounistra Monastery. It was built in 1655 on the spot where a monk discovered an icon of the Virgin "miraculously" dangling from a pine tree. The icon spends most of the year in the church of Trion Hierarchon, in Skiathos Town, but on November 20 the townspeople parade it to its former home for the celebration of the Presentation of the Virgin the following day. You can enter the deserted monastery church any time, though its interior has been blackened by fire and its 18th-century frescoes are difficult to see.