Boutique Hotels in Skopelos Island

Skopelos is an island for everyone’s taste. Ideal for those who want to do more than lie on the beach all day. A terrific place to explore. An unforgettable adventure in idyllic surroundings.

The island is very mountainous and is made up of two massifs of unequal size. The mountain folds form many ravines and gorges which become small torrents during the wet season. Geographically speaking, Skopelos can be regarded as an extension of the Pelion peninsula.

Unlike the Cyclades, which are famous for their barrenness, Skopelos is verdant, with lush forests and trees.

A great start to visiting Skopelos, since picturesque Loutraki is the first port where the hydrofoils and ferries from neighboring Skiathos stop before looping around to Skopelos town on the other side of the island. Small and well organized, it never gets crowded and disembarkation from ferry boat or hydrofoil is immediate.

There is one main street all along the seafront –to the left and to the right of the harbor jetty– with cafés, taverns and few shops, while narrow backstreets are leading to the interior of the small and tranquil settlement. On the other side of the main street a long fine-shingled beach stretches all the way behind the harbor to the end of the breakwater.

The bus stop and taxi rank are both centrally located next to the harbor, and the main road that skirts the island starts from here and runs between Glossa, Klima, Neo Klima, Panormos, Agnontas, Stafylos and Skopelos town; local buses ply the route with plenty of services from mid-June to mid-September.

Glossa village –which is lying up the hill above Loutraki– is only 3 kilometers away; a few minutes’ drive via a steep winding road.

Across the ferry / hydrofoil jetty there is a free parking plot, and a bit further a wooden floating platform (dock) for mooring sailing and other small boats. From there, the seaside road continues off the settlement to the Roman baths. The name Loutraki is a direct reference to the thermal spas of the region. It derives from the Greek word “loutro” that means bath, bath-house, spa or thermae. The Greek word “loutro” is directly translated as thermae in English. In antiquity Loutraki used to be an ancient resort and one can still see the remains of Roman baths -rough mosaic floors and the hypocaust heating system.

According to the last census in 2011, the settlement of Loutraki had a permanent population of 163 inhabitants.