15 Best Sights in Skyros, The Sporades

Built after Greek Independence by a wealthy family (who still owns the museum), this house is one of the most impressive in Skyros Town and is nearly overflowing with rare books, costumes, photographs, paintings, ceramics, local embroideries, Greek statues, and other heirlooms. Of particular note are the embroideries, which are famed for their flamboyant colors and vivacious renderings of mermaids, hoopoes (the Skyrians' favorite bird), and mythical human figures whose clothes and limbs sprout flowers. Top treasure among the museum's historical documents is a handwritten copy of the Proclamation of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire. The informative guided tour is well worth the extra euros.

The best way to get an idea of the town and its history is to follow the sinuous cobbled lanes past the mansions of the Old Town to the Kastro, the highest point, and this fortified monastery founded in AD 962 and radically rebuilt in 1600. Today it is inhabited by a sole monk. A white marble lion, which may be left over from the Venetian occupation, is in the wall above the entrance to the monastery. The once splendid frescoes of the Monastery of St. George are now mostly covered by layers of whitewash, but look for the charming St. George and startled dragon outside to the left of the church door and, within, the ornate iconostasis. An icon of St. George on the right is said to have been brought by settlers from Constantinople, who came in waves during the iconoclast controversy of the 9th century. The icon has a black face and is familiarly known as Ayios Georgis o Arapis ("the Negro"); the Skyrians view him as the patron saint not only of their island but of lovers as well.

The road south from Atsitsa deteriorates into a rutted track, nerve-racking even for experienced motorbike riders. If you're feeling fit and the weather's good, however, consider the challenging 6-km (4-mile) trek around the headland to Agios Fokas. There are three lovely white-pebbled beaches and a small taverna. Amenities: food and drink; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

Close to the airport, this wonderful beach of white sand and pebbles is surrounded by lush greenery, with the little chapel of Agios Petrosa on a hill above as a serene backdrop. Don't be put off by the 4 km (2½ miles) of dirt road leading to the beach, it's definitely worth the effort. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

This pre-Lenten Carnival revelry relates to pre-Christian Dyonisian fertility rites and is famous throughout Greece. Young men dressed as old men, maidens, or "Europeans" roam the streets teasing and tormenting onlookers with ribald songs and clanging bells. The "old men" wear elaborate shepherd's outfits, with masks made of baby-goat hides and belts dangling with as many as 40 sheep bells.

These two small rooms (on the way to Magazia Beach as you begin to descend from the town) contain rare weapons, pottery, and jewelry, mostly from graves dating from Neolithic to Roman times. Especially alluring are the pony motifs and the vase in the shape of a horse.

Take the vaulted passageway from St. George's Monastery courtyard to this ruined church, the former seat of the bishop of Skyros, built in AD 895 on the ruins of a temple of Athena. The complex was the center of Skyros's religious life from 1453 to 1837. You can continue up to the summit from here.

The windy beach of Kalamitsa is 4 km (2½ miles) along the road south from Ahilli, and popular with windsurfers for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, this also means that the clean sands can be whipped up into a skin-cleansing frenzy on certain days, so whether you're a surfer or bather, check the winds first. It's known for its clean waters. There are three decent tavernas at this old harbor. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing; swimming; windsurfing.

On the major Greek Orthodox celebration of August 15 (Dormition of the Virgin), children gather at Magazia Beach to race on the island's domesticated small ponies, similar to Shetland ponies.

North of Molos, past low hills, fertile fields, and the odd farmhouse, a dirt road leads to this historical beach where ruins from a Neolithic fortress and settlement have been discovered. The beach has cool, crystal waters and sandy shores that offer a sense of privacy. Amenities: none. Best for: nudists; snorkeling; solitude; sunrise; swimming; walking.

A short walk south of Magazia, Pouria offers good snorkeling, and nearby on the cape is a small treasure: a sea cave that has been transformed into a chapel. There may be no amenities on the beach itself, but there is a little hotel nearby where one can get refreshments. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming; walking.

It'd be hard to miss the classical bronze statue, "To Brooke," an honorary tribute to the heroic Edwardian-era English poet Rupert Brooke, whose nude and very masculine depiction created quite a stir when unveiled in 1931. Every street seems to lead to the statue, with a 180-degree view of the sea as a backdrop. In 1915, aged 28, Brooke was on his way to the Dardanelles to fight in World War I when he died of septicemia in a French hospital ship off Skyros. Brooke was a socialist, but he became something of a paragon for war leaders such as Winston Churchill.

Pilgrims to the poet's grave should follow the wide dirt road through the Vouno wilderness down toward the shore. As you reach the valley, you catch sight of the grave on your left. Brooke was buried here in 1915 after dying of sepsis from an infected mosquito bite while aboard a French hospital ship anchored off Skyros. His marble grave in an olive grove was immortalized with his prescient words, "If I should die think only this of me: That there's some corner of a foreign field / That is forever England." Restored by the British Royal Navy in 1961, the grave site is surrounded by a stout wrought-iron and cement railing. You can also arrange for a visit by taxi or caïque in Skyros Town.

The first major center in Europe for holistic vacations has been bringing visitors to Skyros for more than 40 years. Participants come for a two-week session, staying in straw huts or in the main building, in a peaceful environment surrounded by pines and facing the sea. Studies and courses include windsurfing, creative writing with well-known authors, art, tai chi, yoga, massage, dance, drama, and sound-healing. Courses also take place in Skyros Town, where participants live in villagers' traditional houses. Skyros Centre's courses are highly reputed. Contact the UK office well in advance of leaving for Greece.

At the northwest side of Skyros, above Ayios Petros, this is a relatively secluded beach reachable by dirt road followed by a little stroll down a goat path. Nearby is the off-limits military base. Amenities: none. Best for: nudists; snorkeling; solitude; swimming; windsurfing.