Skopelos is where most of the first Mamma Mia! was filmed, “Honey, Honey,” “Lay All Your Love on Me,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and a good chunk of the rest, so if you’ve ever belted ABBA in your car with total conviction, you owe this island a visit.
But the movie is honestly the least interesting reason to go.
I’ve spent real time exploring this island’s coastline, and the best beaches in Skopelos range from five minute walks from town to the kind of hike that makes you question why you’re doing this right up until you round the last corner and see the water. Every single one earned its spot on this list.
Here’s the breakdown of which beaches are worth the trek, which ones you can reach without breaking a sweat, and the one almost everyone drives right past.
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Panormos Beach
Panormos was the first beach I visited on the island, and many praise Panormos as one of the best beaches in Skopelos. It’s easy to get to, as we found plenty of parking right along the road and the beach itself was only a few steps away.
Of course, it depends on what time of the day (and time of year) that you go. The waters are a gorgeous blue and a dream to swim in. Panormos is a pebbled beach so there is no sand, but there are usually plenty of spots along the beach to lay out.
There are also sand beds for purchase at some of the local restaurants. It was really nice to visit Linarakia Restaurant for lunch and get a Greek salad (my favorite!) with scenic views of the beach.
How to Get There: Panormos Beach is about 20 minutes away from Glossa and Skopelos Town. It’s best to drive or take a scooter, but there is a bus from Skopelos Town that will take you directly to Panormos and leaves about every 4 hours. Just be aware that I’ve heard from other travelers that the bus can be unreliable and if you miss it, then you’ll have to wait hours for the next, so plan ahead!
Paralia Agnontas Beach
Angontas is another pebbled beach and quite smaller than Panormos. What I liked about it was how accessible it was. There was plenty of parking, there’s a bus station right by the beach and there’s a small port for boats and ferries. The water is so clear, it’s great for snorkeling.
If you arrive early, you’ll have a good chance at nabbing a sand bed before the crowds and families arrive. There are also three restaurants on the beach. We ate at Mouria Fish Tavern and loved the Greek salad and the traditional Skopelos cheese pie (you must try it at least once while you’re visiting the island!).
For my fellow history buffs! Angontas Beach is named after the ancient Olympic runner Agnonta (also known as Agnon), who returned to the shores of this beach in 596 BC after his victory in Olympia. To honor this, the area was named after him. He was even depicted on silver coins during the classical era.
Just a cool reminder of the island’s past and its connection to the ancient Olympics.
How to Get There: Luckily there is organized local transport to and from Angontas from Skopelos Town with daily buses. There is also plenty of parking right by the beach in a lot located right across the road. If you’re driving your own vehicle, the beach is about 40 minutes away from Glossa and 15 minutes from Skopelos Town.
Kastani Beach
Ready for it? Kastani Beach is where a lot of scenes from Mamma Mia! were filmed! Scenes like ‘Our Last Summer’, ‘Lay All Your Love on Me’, and ‘Does Your Mother Know?’ were filmed here, so it’s a really cool beach to visit if you’re a fan of the movie.
You can get food and drinks at Kastani Beach Bar and rent sunbeds right by the water. There’s also plenty of sand to lay out on as the beach is pretty long.
The waves are either really big or pretty tame, it just depends on the time of day and the winds at that time. When we visited, it was pretty windy and the waves were (apparently) big. Growing up in Southern California, I’m used to swimming in the huge waves of the Pacific Ocean, but my Greek partner was intimidated by the size of these waves.
How to Get There: By car, Kastani Beach is a 25 minute drive from Skopelos Town and 20 minutes away from Glossa. From the main road it’s at the bottom of a narrow curved road. If you don’t go during peak times, there’s plenty of parking at the bottom right outside Kastani Beach Bar. There are also plenty of Mamma Mia! tours (bus and boat) you can book from Skopelos Town that will make a stop at Kastani Beach if you prefer not to drive yourself.
Perivoliou Beach
Perivoliou Beach is located on the northeast side of the island.
It’s a secluded cove that you have to take a rocky staircase down to (so if you have special mobility, this may not be the best beach option for you). But the rock formations that line the beach are gorgeous and give the cove a little bit of shade from the heat (when the sun’s in the right place).
Sandbeds along the beach and a beach bar at the top of the stairs offer drinks and other refreshments.
Because rocks surround the beach, the waves can get a little big and rough on windy days. My Greek partner who grew up swimming these waters wasn’t thrilled about it, so if you’re not a fan of rough water, check conditions before you commit to the hike down.
How to Get There: Perivoliou is less than 15 minutes away from Glossa and 50 minutes away from Skopelos Town by car. Unfortunately, there is no public transportation that will take you to Perivoliou, so you will need to rent a car or scooter. There is plenty of parking on the rock above the beach near the bar and we had no problem finding a spot right near the path leading down to the shore.
Spilia Beach (the One People Accidentally Miss)
Spilia is the beach everyone drives right past without realizing it.
It sits very close to Agios Ioannis Kastri (the chapel most people recognize from Mamma Mia!) and every day a steady stream of tourists stops at the chapel, takes their photos, and gets back in the car, never knowing there’s a beautiful cove hiding in the cliffs nearby.
Finding it took a steep, rocky 15 minute walk downhill, and nothing about that walk prepares you for what’s waiting at the bottom.
The trees break, the trail drops away, and suddenly there’s a full cove that feels like it’s been kept secret on purpose. It’s easily one of the best beaches in Skopelos, and also the easiest to miss entirely if you don’t know to look for it.
The waters are calm and clear since the cliffs block most of the wind and waves, which makes it easy to spot the sea caves lining the shoreline or snorkel around the rocks. It’s a pebble beach rather than sand, so plan your footwear accordingly.
How to Get There: The beach is accessible by boat or, more popularly, by car or scooter. It’s about 15 minutes away from Glossa and 45 minutes away from Skopelos Town. Park at Church of Panagia Evangelistrias and follow the nearby trail down to the cove. The walk is short but steep, so wear shoes that can handle loose rock, and know there’s not a lot of shade once you’re at the bottom.
And again, the path to and from the beach can be challenging even for those without mobility concerns, especially on hotter days.
Stafilos Beach
Stafilos Beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island, probably due to it’s close proximity to Skopelos Town.
It is also considered one of the best beaches in Skopelos, as it has a long sandy beach and mesmerizing green/blue waters. Perfect for some snorkeling and swimming.
The beach is surrounded by gorgeous pine trees and if you get there early, you can grab a sand bed and umbrella. This is also one of the few beaches with a lifeguard on duty. There is a nudist beach called Velanio you can also visit if you follow the path on the East side of the beach.
For my fellow history buffs! Stafilos Beach is named after the legendary Cretan prince, Stafylos. According to local history, Prince Stafylos, along with his brother Peparithos, were among the first inhabitants of the island. Around 1600 BC, Stafylos chose this area to establish a small settlement.
A rocky cliff that extends into the sea is believed to be the location of Prince Stafylos’s tomb (here’s the Google Maps link to the tomb if you wanted to see it for yourself). Not far from the burial site, archaeologists discovered his golden sword, which is now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Athens.
How to Get There: Stafilos Beach is a 10 minute drive from Skopelos Town and 50 minutes from Glossa. I remember the parking at Stafilos was not fun. The road is narrow as lots of cars park wherever they can along the road when the lots get full so I recommend getting there as early as possible if you’re driving to avoid any stress.
There is also a pretty frequent bus from Skopelos Town to Stafilos Beach in the summer months. Just be aware that the bus stop is at the top of a steep downhill that you will have to walk down and then back up (about 800 meters), in addition to some stone steps once you reach the beach.
Hovolo Beach
Hovolo Beach was a really nice and family friendly beach. There’s plenty of room for visitors to spread out and the waters are calm, beautiful, and peaceful.
There are three gorgeous coves you can visit, one you must trek through the sea to get to, but they are all unique and worth the effort.
There is a cafe right next to the beach but if you plan on making your way down the shore or to one of the coves, then bring some refreshments and snacks with you. The white cliffs and pebbled sand against the turquoise waters are definitely something to see during your time on Skopelos.
Hovolo was also ranked by Telegraph as one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. While Hovolo was gorgeous and I think worth the visit, I firmly believe that the number one beach and one of the BEST beaches in Skopelos is the next one on my list…
How to Get There: Hovolo is a 20 minute drive from Glossa and a 30 minute drive from Skopelos Town. You’ll drive through the town of Neo Klima and when we visited, there was plenty of parking in the areas behind the beach. There is also a daily bus with a stop at Hovolo from Skopelos Town.
Milia Beach
Milia Beach was my absolute favorite beach on Skopelos Island.
Why?
It was easy to get to, the waters were warm and as clear as a pool, and it was a long beach so there was more than enough room to spread out away from other beach goers. There’s a restaurant on Milia Beach where you can grab lunch and a beach bar to rent lounge chairs and grab refreshments from.
You can also bring your own towel and umbrella (this is what we did) and grab any open spot along the beach for a calmer vibe away from the music and crowds of the establishments.
The southernmost point of the beach is a hot spot for nude sunbathing (just something to remember if you want to work on any tan lines!). We loved Milia so much that we came back here twice when we were supposed to see as many unique beaches as possible during our week on the island.
For me, Milia is a must visit and one of the best beaches in Skopelos.
How to Get There: Milia is about a 20 minute drive from Glossa and 35 minutes from Skopelos Town. The beach is right next to Kastani Beach (the Mamma Mia! beach), and it’s best to get there by car or scooter.
If you go during peak season (July through August), it’s best to get to the beach by 11am so you can get a parking spot. There’s usually enough parking, but if you go during the busy times, you might leave your luck up to chance.
Why I Keep Thinking About the Best Beaches in Skopelos
I’ve been to 28 Greek islands, and Skopelos just isn’t like the others.
There’s something about the way the pine forests run straight down to the water here, dense and green in a way most of the Cyclades just can’t do, that makes the whole island feel a little unreal. I’ve never swum in water this clear, and I’ve never had to work this hard to find it.
That’s kind of the point, though.
Skopelos isn’t as easy to reach as Santorini or Paros, and it’s not marketed nearly as hard either, and I think that’s exactly why it still feels like itself.
The best beaches in Skopelos aren’t lined up along a paved road with a beach club at every turn. Some of them take a sweaty 15 minute hike to reach. But that extra effort is doing a lot of the work of keeping this island the way it is.
I mean it when I say some of these are among the best beaches I’ve found anywhere, not just in Greece. If you do make the trip, go easy on the island.
Skopelos wasn’t built for crowds, and it doesn’t need to be. It just needs people who are willing to walk a little further for it.
Planning a trip to Skopelos? Check out some of these other guides!
- Finding the Best Area to Stay in Skopelos: What You Need to Know
- A Complete Guide to Skopelos Island (The ‘Mamma Mia!’ Island)
- The Easiest Way to Get to Skopelos Island
- How to Get From Skiathos to Skopelos, Greece
- How to get to Skopelos Island, Greece
About the Author: Hi, I’m Alayna, the creator of Alayna Abroad. I’ve traveled to 35 countries, visited 28 Greek islands, and spent over six months living and traveling in Greece across the past five years. What started as one life changing trip in 2021 turned into a full blown passion for affordable, experience driven travel. I write practical guides, honest advice, and real travel stories to help people explore the world without needing unlimited money or permission from anyone.
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