A Complete Guide to the Best Beaches in Skiathos, Greece

(Last Updated On: June 19, 2023)

Planning a trip to the beautiful island of Skiathos, Greece? Here’s your detailed guide to the best beaches in Skiathos Greece to add to your Skiathos itinerary.

When it comes to the Greek Islands, the Sporades island of Skiathos might not immediately come to mind when thinking about the best beaches in Greece. However, the island really does have its fair share of gorgeous beaches with turquoise water and golden sands.

While one might conjure up images of rocky beaches and bare cliffs when thinking about Greek beaches, Skiathos surprisingly offers a completely different landscape.

Due to how green and forested the island is, you can in fact expect, for the most part, golden sandy beaches, azure almost emerald water all flanked by pine forests. That’s right, the beaches in Skiathos are extremely green and lush.

From fully-equipped beaches with sunbeds, restaurants, bars, and watersports to off-the-beaten-path secluded beaches, there’s a beach in Skiathos for all tastes and preferences.

During my recent visit to Skiathos, I was able to explore all its best beaches and hidden coves to give you the rundown of the best (and left out the worst) so you can just go straight to the most pristine spots. With over 60 beaches to choose from, there’s no shortage of lovely spots to lay down your towel.

Keep reading to find out more about the best beaches in Skiathos to plan the perfect Greek island getaway and a dreamy beach vacation.

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How to Get to the Best Beaches in Skiathos

Skiathos is a small island and all its more popular beaches can be visited in one day. There are a few different ways you can get around the island to explore all the best beaches in Skiathos.

By Rental Car/Scooter/ATV

One of the most popular ways to get around Skiathos is to rent a vehicle and explore yourself. Renting a vehicle gives you the ultimate amount of freedom to access almost all the beaches on the island in your own time. This is how I recommend getting around.

You can rent a car online in advance or rent a scooter or atv once you arrive in Skiathos, in Skiathos town. Rates vary depending on the vehicle but scooters generally go for about €20 per day.

Note that some of the roads on the island especially in the north are dirt, mountainous roads so if you plan to explore some off-the-beaten-path gems, I’d recommend renting an ATV.

Parking is available at most of the popular beaches. On some others, you’ll need to park nearby and walk the rest of the way.

By Bus

One bus line links Skiathos Port in town to Koukounaries Beach. The bus travels between the two destinations with many different spots along the way, all along the south coast. This makes it very easy to explore many of the southern beaches in Skiathos by bus.

If you decide to take the bus you will need to walk quite a bit between beaches. For example, from the Koukounaries beach bus, stop to Agia Eleni is about a 15-minute walk with hills.

However, if you don’t want to rent a car or scooter then you can still experience many of Skiathos’ best beaches by bus.

The bus costs €3 per trip.

By Boat

Renting a boat is also another great way of exploring the Skiathos coastline from a different vantage point. Boats can be rented in Skiathos town and you can then explore the coastline as you wish.

Lalaria beach, probably Skiathos’ most incredible beach, can only be reached by boat so renting a boat to visit Lalaria as well as a few others is a great way to see the island.

For those that don’t want to rent a boat, you can hop on an organized tour from Skiathos town that will take you to Lalaria.

Taxi boats also operate from Skiathos town to Koukounaries if you don’t want to take the bus.

The Best Beaches in Skiathos

Before we jump into the details of each of the best beaches in Skiathos, here is a quick summary and Skiathos best beaches map to get you started. 

Koukounaries Beach Skiathos

Koukounaries Beach is the most popular beach on Skiathos. The south-facing beach on the western side of the island is also the longest and sandiest stretch allowing for many different restaurants and beach bars to spend the day.

Koukounaries Beach is very busy and lively and best for those not looking for a quiet, isolated off-the-beaten-path kinda place. However here you’ll find lots of good quality eating and drinking options, and many different sunbeds and umbrellas to rent for the day.

There are also plenty of places to rent water sports equipment- great for anyone wanting to rent a paddle board to break up the beach time.

For those that want to escape the crowds and loud bar music head to the more eastern parts of the beach where you can just lay down a town and enjoy the nature reserve around you.

Lalaria Beach: The Best Beach in Skiathos Greece

Google ‘Skiathos’ and immediately you’ll see pictures of this stunning beach. Flanked by tremendous, dry stone cliffs on one side and the crystal, blue Aegean on the other, a visit to Lalaria Beach is a must on a Skiathos itinerary.

You can only get to Lalaria by boat so you’ll need to hop on a tour or rent a boat to see this beach. On arrival, you’ll be greeted by a towering stone arch, white cliffs, a stunning stone beach, and the clearest, bluest water on the island.

You can spend all day here just swimming and relaxing on the stone beach.

Make sure to bring everything with you as there are no food and drink facilities here.

You can get to Lalaria by either hopping on a guided tour or by renting your own boat and going alone. You’ll be able to do both at the old port in Skiathos town. Generally, tours also include a visit to Kastro or Tsougria island too and you can choose your itinerary.

If you prefer to avoid the crowds make sure to visit Lalaria before 10.30 am- when all the tour boats arrive or after 1 pm once they’ve left.

Agia Eleni Beach

On the western part of Skiathos Island, you’ll find a long and sandy beach, Agia Eleni. It’s a lovely beach to spend the afternoon, with golden, soft sand and clear blue water to take a dip in.

There’s a small restaurant on the beach, ideal for lunch or just a quick snack or drink and there are also plenty of sunbeds with umbrellas to rent, which cost about €15 per day.

For the more active, you can also rent a kayak, paddleboard, jet ski, or inflatable to pass the time in the water.

Agia Eleni beach is probably the best beach to watch the sunset from so the best time to get here is mid-afternoon and then stay through to golden hour.

Mantraki Beach

Accessible via an unpaved road through lush pine forest, this large and chilled beach is a great option for those wanting to get off the beaten path.

With golden sand and clear blue water, Mantraki is the place to go to get away from the crowds. There’s plenty of space here to spread out and the beach attracts an older crowd even in the height of summer.

There are basic facilities available here and you can rent loungers for the day too. If you are planning to spend the day here I’d probably recommend bringing some snacks with you.

To get to Mantraki (or Mandraki Beach as it’s also known) you’ll need your own rental vehicle or boat. The bus doesn’t come this far north.

Elia Beach

Just over the headland from Mantraki Beach, you’ll find Elia Beach, another wonderful, quiet beach to spend a few hours.

Elia never feels too busy and this long, large beach means that you can either opt for a sunlounger or just find a quiet spot to lay down your towel.

You’ll find a small restaurant here too serving local food, snacks, and drinks.

Elia Beach definitely feels like one of Skiathos’ most off-the-beaten-path beaches, ideal for those wanting to get away from the crowds in the height of summer or just do some exploring.

Maratha Beach

Maratha Beach is a lovely thin strip of sand not far from Koukounaries. In fact, you can easily visit or spend time on both of these beaches on the same afternoon.

On Maratha Beach you’ll find the beach bar of the Skiathos Palace Hotel so if you’re staying here during your time in Skiathos you’ll no doubt come and visit. However, the beach is open to all.

While this is a really lovely beach, there isn’t too much sand, so it does fill up fast. My best advice is to get here early in the morning where you can opt for the best sunbeds or sandy spots. The entire beach is surrounded by pine forest so there is plenty of shade to take advantage of.

Paralia Vromolimnos

A lovely long, golden sand beach flanked by pine trees, this beach is popular on Skiathos Island. Home to Porto Paradiso, a popular restaurant and all-day bar on the beach this is the place to grab a day bed, order some drinks and relax for the day.

For a quieter experience just head a little further down the beach where you’ll find golden sand you can just lay your towel on.

Vromolimnos Beach also has a lovely little pier that’s just made to be jumped off.

Achladies Beach

Not too far south from Skiathos town you’ll find Achladies Beach a large, golden sand beach with clear water and a variety of different activities.

It’s a good enough spot to lay down a towel and it doesn’t seem to get too busy and generally, people head to the other beaches further from Skiathos town.

This lovely beach is ideal for those that want an easy beach to access by bus and don’t want to go too far from Skiathos town.

There are basic services here where you can get some food and drink.

Megalos and Mikros Aselinos

On the north coast of Skiathos, you’ll find twin beaches Megalos Aselinos and Mikros Aselinos. For those that like discovering hidden gems make sure to visit these two stunning beaches.

As you venture off the beaten path, you’ll be rewarded with a slice of paradise. Megalos Aselinos, the bigger sibling, welcomes you with its wide stretch of golden sand and crystal-clear waters. It’s the perfect, quiet spot to sprawl out on your towel and soak up some serious Vitamin D.

Before leaving the area however make sure to walk over to Mikros Aselinos beach, its smaller counterpart. Don’t miss the viewpoint here from which you can see both these beaches from above.

Mikros Aselinos is a secluded cove, almost like a private sanctuary, surrounded by lush greenery and boasting a more intimate atmosphere.

Grab your snorkel gear and dive into the pristine waters, or simply unwind and let the peacefulness of the surroundings wash over you.

These beaches are a true escape from the hustle and bustle, a haven where you can reconnect with nature and experience a true sense of tranquility.

Note that to get to Mikros Aselinos you’ll need to go down a dirt track. It’s what keeps this beach, quiet and secluded.

Kanapitsa Beach

The perfect option for those that don’t want to stray too far from Skiathos town, Kanapitsa beach occupies a really lovely stretch of golden sand with plenty to keep you busy for the day.

With day beds and umbrellas abound, a restaurant and bar to have a long lunch at as well as many different water sports on offer this is a lovely place to just stop in for a dip or spend the day on.

Banana Beach (Big and Little)

Probably my two favorite beaches in Skiathos, these two beaches located side by side sit on the Western side of the island on a peninsula occupied by ELIVI Skiathos, a luxury resort.

However, you can just walk through to enjoy the beaches.

Big Banana Beach is a lovely, golden half-moon beach flanked by pine trees and crystal-clear turquoise water. Here you’ll also find NEST fish restaurant and daybeds to rent.

Little Banana is another little stunning spot. With a very chilled vibe in June ( I’ve heard it can be quite the party spot in July and August), the small beach offers turquoise water to swim in and aesthetic daybeds to relax on. You’ve also got Black Bird beach bar here for all your food and drink needs throughout the day.

Little Banana definitely had to be my favorite beach on Skiathos Island and I’d come back to spend another day here in a heartbeat.

As Big Banana and Little Banana beaches are part of Elivi Skiathos, the roads here are restricted so you can’t park your rental vehicle right by the beach. The best solution is to park at Koukoumetres here and walk the rest of the way.

Agia Paraskevi Beach

Another gem of a beach, this long strip of sand has calm, shallow, azure water and is very photogenic.

With plenty of space to lay down a towel, you can spend all day here just relaxing, getting into a good book amid swims in the turquoise water.

Loungers are available if you prefer to relax under an umbrella and you can also get basic meals, drinks, and snacks. There are also a number of restaurants and shops on the main road just a short walk away.

The beach is easy to access and parking is nearby.

Kastro Beach

Just a couple of beaches further north of Lalaria