An Island in Greece: On the Shores of Skopelos (book)

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Paperback
Get it from Amazon

The old and well known book "Gates of the Wind" by Michael Carroll, retitled and with a different cover photo.

A great find for Grecophiles 
--- review by JB
 "I enjoyed this book. It's not a page-turner, but it's a lovely quiet read and has some invaluable descriptions of such things as olive-pressing and charcoal-burning; if you love Greece, or boats, you will find this book a great addition to your library. And it makes me want to visit Skopelos and Skiathos and the nearby islands to see how much have changed since this book was published in 1965."

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How to get to Skopelos

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The quickest way to reach Skopelos is to take a return flight to Skiathos, our nearest island. It’s a five-minute taxi ride from Skiathos airport to the harbour, where there are regular crossings by ferry to local port of Glossa or main port of Skopelos town. From mainland Greece you can reach Skopelos by ferry from 4 ports:  Volos  Thessaloniki  Mantoudi  Agios Konstantinos  ⚓️ The ports of Mantoudi in Evia, as well as Agios Konstantinos in Fthiotis are the closest to Athens, approximately 2 hours by car.  ⚓️   If you’re in Northern Greece, Thessaloniki and Volos are the most convenient ports to Skopelos. 
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Neo Klima by Paris Prekas

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Paris Prekas (1926-1999) was a well-known Greek artist, some of his works are exhibited in the National Gallery of Athens. He studied at the School of Fine Arts (1948-1952) under Umvertos Argyros, Dimitrios Biskinis and Andreas Georgiadis while in 1963, on a six month scholarship from the French government, he did post-graduate work in Paris. His artistic activity includes solo presentations and appearances in group and international exhibitions, such as the Youth Biennale of Paris in 1959, and the Sao Paolo and Alexandria Biennales of 1965 and 1968 respectively, at which he repeatedly won distinctions. A multifaceted creator, Prekas has been involved with painting, sculpture, decorative design and architectural ornamentation, making compositions for the interior and exterior spaces of apartment buildings and other public and community buildings. In painting he was originally involved with landscape while later, combining Greek reality with myth and tradition, he created thematic whole...
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The ship "Paschalis"

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​ Many Skopelos boatbuilders worked together to build large traditional hulls, with a capacity of 130 to 200 tons. One such hull was the boat "Paschalis", ordered by the Skiathos shipowner Nikolaos Paschalis, which transported goods and passengers from Volos to the three Sporades islands (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos) and vice versa.
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St. Peter's safe bay to anchor

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Agios Petros (St. Peter) is a deep bay on the southwest side of Kyra Panagia - the second island one encounters after Peristera in the National Marine Park of Northern Sporades. St. Peter's bay is a safe, natural haven. 
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The remote islands of the Sporades

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The Sporades, off the coast of Greece, are a line of islands stretching out into North Aegean. Once a refuge for pirates, known variously as Satan's Islands, Demon Islands, Thieves' Dens and the islands of the Magnesians, the Northern Sporades - literally meaning 'scattered' - with their dramatic changes from island to island, strange geological forms and historical remains, are among Greece's most delightful secrets.  The three islands nearest the mainland, Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, are generally well known to visitors. However the islands further out are not so well known and retain the feel and charm of an older era. This area is well known to flotilla and other yacht sailors for whom it provides a quieter cruising area than the Ionian, the busier counterpart on the Greek west coast.  A constellation of glittering jewels scattered across the Aegean Sea, the Sporades are some of Northern Greece's best-kept secrets.⁠ Beyond Alonnisos there are: Perister...
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An Island Without the Excesses of Overtourism

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"Le Figaro" columnist Isabelle Cervellin-Chevalier visited Skopelos at the invitation of the Municipality this summer (2023). Titled "Skopelos, when Mamma Mia! imagines reality", the author focuses on the phenomenon of how the dream island of the Sporades has not lost its authenticity, despite the fact that it received great recognition due to the filming of the timeless famous musical. The French "Le Figaro" presents its own perspective on the current international issue of hypertourism in an article about Skopelos. As Isabelle Cervellin-Chevalier states in her article: “Skopelos is above all the 'green and blue island' that it has always been an oasis of freshness, traditions and celebration, without the excesses of overtourism.  There are films that win the bet with time for something other than their screenplay. In bulk: their soundtrack, the energy of their staging or the beauty of the filming location, and sometimes all three.  The refreshing...
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photo art: "Biblioteque de vins Skopelos"

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—  by Pedro Uhart, On l'appelait: "La bibliothèque des alcools de Skopelos" cet extraordinaire fenêtre grecque, technique: polaroid The Polaroids of Pedro Uhart, draw lines between symbolism and images of representations, about recovering that which is contiguous; through the long digression of work and its load of memory, they will be the “evidence” in our library of images, an imaginary museum of the instantaneous.  source:  Pedro's Uhart website  
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Skopelos beaches

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Skopelos is an unspoiled jewel in the Aegean Sea, with mountain slopes bedecked in dense greenery carpeting down to fine beaches and limpid waters. Despite being small, Skopelos beaches are varied and aplenty: find olive trees and plum orchards and clumps of pines by the sea’s edge, composed of slender pebbled shores or white bays, caves and coves, plus curious rock formations. (tip) Make sure to pack snorkeling goggles for swimming with curious marine life, especially around the cragged rocks. Spot the occasional turtle and fish of all stripes! The most popular of Skopelos beaches lie on the more wind-sheltered west coast, home to stretches of white shingle and pebbles backed by bars and taverns. On the flip side, the eastern shoreline is peppered with smaller and more peaceful beaches, almost always deserted. Likewise, those in the north are wilder with no facilities. Keep in mind that as a Greek island, strong Meltemi (dry and seasonal) winds can affect some of Skopelos’s beaches in...
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The lighthouse on the island of Psathoura

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A 19th century Monument, first operated in 1895. It is located on the northern side of the uninhabited island of Psathoura, which belongs to the Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades. This impressive circular tower was built from 1893 to 1895 by Skopelian stonemasons who used the island's local dark volcanic stones for its construction and is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Aegean Sea.  Type of construction : Circular Year of construction : 1895 Height : 28.90 metres - Focus : 40 Coordinates : 39°N30, 24°E11 Signal : a white flash of 1 sec / 10 sec Illumination Range : 17 nautical miles In 2001 it was characterized as a monument for historic preservation by the Ministry of Culture.  The Psathoura lighthouse belongs to the Lighthouse Network of Magnesia consisting of five stone lighthouses; the lighthouse on Trikeri, the lighthouse of “Gourouni” on Skopelos, the lighthouse on Psathoura, the lighthouse "Argyronisiou" and the lighthouse of “Repi” on Skiathos.  Psa...
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snapshots, updates & other small things from Skopelos island in Greece