Pretty shingle and sand beaches, beautiful lush green mountains, hundreds of tiny ancient churches, pine forests, olive groves and fruit orchards, Skopelos is a small, genuinely unspoilt island appealing to the more discerning traveller looking for a taste of the real Greece. There are around 360 churches and monasteries scattered across the island including the spectacular Agios Ioannis Church, built on top of a large rock and pictured left - you can just see the church at the top of the rock.

Skopelos has no airport and is served by flights to Skiathos thus keeping mass market tourism at bay and Skopelos so special.

There has recently been great excitement on the island due to the shooting of Mamma Mia starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan and we're looking forward to seeing the movie.

We've put together a great range of villas in three different areas from charming Skopelos Town to the lovely bay of Stafylos and to the traditional village of Glossa.

Skopelos Town is a designated preservation area and it's not hard to see why. Built at the foot of a Venetian Castle and encircling the harbour, its traditional architecture, narrow flower filled cobbled streets and white washed houses creates a really special and typically Greek atmosphere.

Along the waterfront are a large selection of cafes, bars and tavernas sheltered by huge plane and mulberry trees whilst behind them are a fine selection of boutiques, jewelry and souvenir shops.

Skopelos Town has something for everyone including authentic tavernas, laid back bars (and some loud ones too if you're interested), small tranquil squares with lovely views, an abundance of Byzantine churches, the ruins of a 13th century Venetian fortress and even it's own beach - although the beaches out of town are much, much nicer.

Stafylos Bay, has two of the best beaches on the island - Stafylos and Velanio. Velanio is the quieter as it's the farthest to walk and also nudism is popular. Both have sunbeds, umbrellas and beach cantina but above Stafylos beach is a lovely traditional taverna with spectacular views across the bay.

Stafilos itself, consists of olive groves, wooded hillsides and scattered accommodation with a few tavernas and a supermarket. It is fairly close to Skopelos Town (4km) which can easily be reached by car, bus, taxi and even foot.

Glossa, is the second town of Skopelos and is in a stunning position overlooking the sea with magnificent views of Skiathos. Ancient ruins here date back as far as 400BC alongside more recent Byzantine remains. The village itself is very traditional with narrow cobblestone streets, white washed houses a selection of tavernas, a mini market, cafe bar, bakery and a lot of steps!

It is linked to the small harbour and pebble beach of Loutraki which also has a number of tavernas and is just a five minute drive away. The picture above shows Glossa above and Loutraki below.

Click here for Skopelos accommodation