There are some holidays where watersports feel like an optional extra. A slot on the timetable. Something you book, do, and move on from.
Skyros is not really like that.
At Atsitsa Bay on the Greek island of Skyros, the sea is part of the shape of the week. It is there when you wake up, there between courses, and again later in the day when the light begins to soften. Atsitsa is built around a simple daily rhythm, with eight facilitators each week and the freedom to do as much or as little as you like. Time on the water sits naturally alongside the rest of the holiday.
If you are searching for an active holiday in Greece where you can spend time in the sea without pressure, Skyros stands out. People often come looking for a mix of movement, good teaching and a relaxed atmosphere. At Atsitsa, kayaking, swimming, windsurfing and paddleboarding are woven into a week that feels natural rather than forced.
It is not only about the activity itself. It is about what the sea adds to the experience.
Some people arrive already knowing that they want kayaking to be central. Others discover once they are there that time in the water becomes one of the best parts of the week. Because the sea is so close, and because the holiday is set up with enough freedom around it, it becomes easy to take part in a way that suits you.
What people get from this is not only skill, but enjoyment. The pleasure of doing something physical in a beautiful place. The pleasure of being shown properly, then realising you can do more than you thought. The sense that the sea is not just scenery, but part of the holiday itself.
That is probably why people talk about the sea more than they talk about “watersports”.
They remember being out on the water with the coastline around them. They remember the quiet when they are a little way from shore. They remember how good it felt to be doing something rather than watching from the edge. And sometimes they remember details that feel particular to Skyros: the evening warmth still in the water, the feeling of the bay at dusk, and the way the sea keeps drawing you back.
So if you are looking at the watersports weeks and wondering whether this would really be for you, that is probably the answer.
You don’t need to arrive with everything sorted.
You come to a place where the sea is part of life, where you are guided by people who know what they are doing, and where you can join in at your own pace. Atsitsa is set up for exactly that: choice, good facilitation, and a warm, easy atmosphere in which you can do as much or as little as you like.
The 2026 programme gives you more than one way into the water.
At Atsitsa Bay,
AT1 includes Kayaking and Windsurfing with John Whittaker from 27 June to 4 July.
AT2 and AT3 include Kayaking, Swimming with Mary French from 4 to 17 July and 18 to 25 July.
AT4 and AT5 include Kayaking with Alexandra Massey from 25 July to 21 August.
AT5 and AT6 include Morning Yoga, SUP Yoga with Kat Harding from 8 to 29 August.
AT6 and AT7 include Kayaking with Mary Jelliffe from 22 August to 11 September.
AT8 includes Kayaking with Mark Gunston from 12 to 19 September.
That range matters because it gives people different ways in.
Some want to learn properly. Some want to get back into the water after a gap. Some like the idea of being out at sea in a kayak, following the coastline and seeing the island from a different angle. Others are drawn to paddleboarding or SUP yoga because they want something slower and more focused, where steadiness and attention are part of the experience.
It also helps that the teaching is in good hands. John Whittaker’s profile notes more than 30 years of windsurfing experience, RYA Level 3 and 4 Windsurfing certification, RYA Powerboat Level 1 and 2, plus lifeguard and first aid experience. That does not need dressing up. It simply means you are being guided by someone who knows the water, knows the craft, and knows how to support people well.
And that, really, is where the value is.
Not in some dramatic promise. Just in the quieter pleasure of becoming more at ease. A kayak feels more natural on the second or third outing. Open water feels less like a challenge and more like part of the day. Windsurfing asks for patience and timing. Paddleboarding and SUP yoga ask for something different again: steadiness, attention, and a willingness to laugh when it doesn’t go quite to plan.
👉 See this year’s watersports holidays: Skyros watersports holidays