When leaving the town behind, we take the regional street that leads to the south-east side of the island, to Koukounaries. The street extends along the coastal area. The view is splendid.
On the left there is the sea, the offshore islands, boats that come and go, ketches that transfer the visitors at the beaches, marine sports that draw splendid shapes on the waves. Hotels and taverns of unique aesthetics, magnificent premises call on the visitors.
On the road's edges, the forestal trees bend and reflect on the waves. At times, they form a wall over the head, thus creating shade during summer. The trees reflect in the waves and you feel as if you gaze at a painting lay over the sea's surface.
When leaving the town of Skiathos, we meet the regions of Mytikas, Vasilias (3 km), bight of Ahladia and Tzaneries. Ahladia beach is about 2,5 kilometers away from the town and can be reached by either a bus or boat.
Tzaneries beach is ideal for marine sports and all the guests of the nearby hotels visit it. 6,5 kilometers away from the city, the wonderful Kanapitsa peninsula pops up, with its cottages, restaurants and hotels.
The main road leads to Kalamaki and Vromolimno, with taverns, athletic facilities, organized beaches and hotels.
At Platania beach the church of Taxiarhis is found and little above, the church of Aghia Paraskevi, where on the 26th of July a great feast is organized.
The road continues and leads us to Troulos, where we can admire the islands that are close to the beach. Here, a few relics of the church of “Theou-Sofia” are saved, dated in the era of the Byzantine Emperor loustinianos, burnt during the Frank rule. At the location where the dock today is, people used to catch mullets, which were very popular on the ancients' tables, as reported by Atheneaus in his book “Dipnosophists”.
The tour in Skiathos is continued. Following the main road, we pass Marathos beach and reach Koukounaries beach, a most beautiful region, ideal for natural life and amazing nightlife.
Lots of hotels, discotheques, restaurants, bars, shops of any kind, a marina and organized camping, set the ideal conditions of staying.
The biggest, however attraction of the region is the splendid sandy beach, which has been declared the most natural of the Mediterranean.
The road goes round Strofilia reserve and leads to Koukounaries. The beach is a preserved area, financed by the municipality and co financed by the European Union, so as to constitute a model of organization. From Koukounaries, two small streets lead, the first one to the isolated sandy beach of Aghia Eleni, the second to Banana. On the top of the hill found above the beach, a few relics of a tower are saved. According to Herodotus, Friktoria was used here in 480 B.C., a way of communication with the use of lighted torches for transmitting the message that the Persian fleet had departed from Thessaloniki. On the Northwestern coast over Koukounaries, the isolated bight of Xerxis is located, the location from which the homonym king set off to Artemision, where the known battle occurred.