Skyros Island

Where tradition meets modern life

Skyros island has a history that stretches far beyond memory, weaving together myths, legends, and ancient civilizations.

Recent archaeological discoveries at Palamari, near Atsitsa, reveal a Bronze Age village dating back to 2800 BC, with artefacts now displayed at the local museum. Skyros is not only a place of natural beauty but also a land where legends were born.

According to mythology, Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War, spent his early years on Skyros, and Theseus, the slayer of the Minotaur, met his end here. King Lycomedes’ palace, perched high on a hill in Skyros town, has been rebuilt over centuries – by the Byzantines and Venetians – and offers stunning views of the surrounding landscapes. The Byzantine monastery of Saint George, still standing today, was built over the ruins of an ancient temple and holds a special place in the island’s cultural heart. Skyros is also home to the mesmerising Goat Festival, an ancient tradition rooted in Olympian Greece that continues to draw visitors from around the world.

Skyros’ charm doesn’t end with its mythology and history. The old village of Skyros town, with its whitewashed cubic houses, sits nestled on the hillside. The houses are shaded by grapevines and bathed in sunlight, while locals watch curiously as visitors explore their ancient streets. Yet, for all its tradition, Skyros is a beautiful blend of the old and the new.

The island’s rich cultural heritage exists side by side with modern influences—locals leave their doors unlocked, children play until dusk, and the community comes together for celebrations. Meanwhile, trendy bars and cafes host a younger crowd, blending global trends with island life.

Skyros is a place that has lived for more than one century at a time. Here, you can experience both the simplicity of the past and the vibrancy of the present.

“Celebrity Dream Homes: My perfect spot would be the Greek island of Skyros, where the poet Rupert Brooke died. It’s a place where at night you can dance and party on the beach, as only the Greeks know how, and still be awake to speak to the sunrise. The smell of warm pine trees, the sunlight on the sea; very different from the place I’ve just been living.”
Peter Owen Jones, The Daily Telegraph

“I have now been in Skyros five times… Each visit is coloured by the memories of previous visits, so that my time on Skyros is a weave of past and present. Here is the pine-backed beach where Patricia and Pippa and Kate and I, after a hot, four-hour walk across the island, threw off our clothes and ran yelling into the water. Here is the bench where Ian and I sat at dawn and watched a fat orange sun hoist itself out of the ocean, a fishing boat motoring towards it as if dispatched by some primitive king to find out what it was made of. Here is the precipitous path that my up-for-anything 91-year-old student Hugh braved so that he too could swim off the nude beach… Skyros has taught me that travel is like love: as you get older, the appeal of newness wears thin. There is something richer, more layered, and ultimately more beautiful, about knowledge acquired over time.”
Susan Elderkin, Financial Times

Skyros is a place where history, culture, and modern life intertwine – a destination where you can truly live in the moment while being surrounded by millennia of stories and traditions.