Skýros

Skýros, with a permanent population of just under 3000, is an exceptional island in many ways. Administered these days from Évia, it has two distinct geological regions, squeezed by a rocky girdle in the middle. The southern half is barren, rugged and ringed with cliffs, while the northern half is fertile and pine-forested, where nearly everybody lives in either the port or town.

Throughout history Skýros was uncommonly remote. Even today, unless you fly, it takes about seven hours by land and sea to get there from Athens via Kými.

The long years of isolation account in part for the island’s distinctive charm and character, and the staying power of its old customs. The interiors of the island’s tidy houses remain resolutely traditional, while incorporating such novelties as digitally controlled refrigerators.