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Post by yorkshiremouth on Oct 30, 2019 14:22:31 GMT
I posted at FB (and got a lot of earache for doing so) not long after I returned, to say that I felt the season on Skiathos should be extended.
My holiday, during the last week of the season, was marked by temperatures of a pretty much rock solid 25 degrees, and hardly a cloud in sight, from the Friday when I arrived through to the following Wednesday. Thursday was cloudy and just a little cooler (though this was welcome as I was doing the 4x4 jeep trip), but still great.
This week - pretty much a full month later - has temperatures of between 18 and 23, with rain on 2 days and bright sunshine for the rest.
If anything, previous visits with temperatures way up in the 30s (nudging towards the 40s) were perhaps a tad hot. 25 is pretty much ideal for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Now the weather is necessarily more volatile at the extremes of the season, but a quick browse of the data from the last decade suggests that you'd be massively unlucky to encounter more than a couple of days of rain during any one week in either April or October, and that whilst April can be , October appears stubbornly warm:
www.timeanddate.com/weather/greece/skiathos/historic?month=10&year=2009
It was quite eerie wandering round Koukounaries, and down Papadiamantis Street at 10 O'clock at night, with the heat still in the 20s, and find myself to be the only person out on the street. In some ways it was not unpleasant, but it would be a far more attractive experience for most people, for most of the time, if there were others there. There's no one there because it was the last week, and places were closing. Places were closing because there was no one there. The whole TC debacle didn't help, but the main reason for the shortage of tourists was quite simply that the package companies don't fly there.
I'm confident that the season could extended by at least a couple of weeks in late April, and a further 4 in October. Skiathos isn't just about blazing heat.
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Post by cariad23 on Oct 30, 2019 18:33:50 GMT
Lots of places in greece offer holidays until end oct eg Rhodes, crete, mykonos, santorini corfu. I remember a late holiday to mykonos cheap late deal and it was scorching early oct and continued until november. I remember kefalonia mid sept 3 days rain and half places closed quite depressing. Stoupa goes on well into october not packages, but lots flights from BA, easyjet etc. The only problem i could see was if it did rain on arrival day was planes landing
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Post by bvrc on Oct 31, 2019 8:31:12 GMT
I too think it could be extended, not everyone goes on holiday to lie baking for 2 weeks. The last I don’t know how many Septembers it has been beautiful and remained that way long after our return home so it could easily go until end of October. Even if there is a showery day, it’s an excuse to people watch from a bar, do some shopping, etc. I love the sun and heat but the later season temperatures equally appeal to me. I’m currently in Bangkok, now that’s temperatures I would gladly turn down - the intensity and humidity are just a little too much for me; I prefer Skiathos heat anyday 😄
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Post by dennisn on Oct 31, 2019 8:39:35 GMT
Many years ago, I went to Crete in February. It turned out to be so hot one day, I dangled my feet in the harbour to off.
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Post by balddave on Oct 31, 2019 11:26:33 GMT
When you consider people travel to Spain and Portugal all year round, we are flying to Seville next Thursday and expect the temperatures to be around 20 degrees, more than comfortable. It appears temperature in Skiathos during October has been mid 20s with very little rainfall. We would certainly consider travelling in October, the ambiance remains the same, and if it was warm enough to visit the beach excellent. It would also be a fabulous time of year for walking holidays, less traffic and bearable heat. I’m sure a few weeks extended period would greatly benefit the local economy, and make the down time during the winter easier financially for the locals.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Oct 31, 2019 12:51:00 GMT
Some of the responses on FB were a mixture of the bizarre and the ridiculous.
Some said 'the staff need the break, we shouldn't make them work for 2 more months'. Seriously, some said that. I spoke to one bar owner (I won't say who), who was telling me that he rents the property, and has to pay to rent it all year, but only gets enough business to stay open for 5 months. I'm sure he'd be over the moon to get 2 more months of trade.
It was quite strange, some people were clearly just arguing for the sake of it, and saying the first thing that came into their heads.
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Post by dennisn on Nov 3, 2019 10:40:20 GMT
It was quite strange, some people were clearly just arguing for the sake of it, and saying the first thing that came into their heads. Well, that’s what Facebook is about!
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Post by balddave on Nov 11, 2019 17:36:04 GMT
Just read a post on FB , it starts, hello fellow boomers, then goes on to ask, can we get direct flights to Skiathos. Surely any FB boomer worth their salt would have flown multiple times previous, and probably personally know the pilot. Just saying. Whilst our site is comparatively quiet, why post for sake of it. Perhaps that’s what I’ve just done,sorry. There are rumours the easy jet have purchased a couple of slots, I think one from Bristol the other Stansted, nothing on Ian’s blog yet so mustn’t be official.
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Post by cariad23 on Nov 12, 2019 6:39:28 GMT
i agree same posts over and over again, i could scream google it ! its been on here umpteen times same as TA are people too lazy to look
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Nov 12, 2019 20:03:43 GMT
Back on the weather front, the peak temperature forecast by the Met Office for Sunday 17th is 19 degrees.
This is notable, as it's the first time since the spring that the forecast has fallen below 20.
Still not quite there for me. My 'Barbecue Weather Rule' is that I'll wear a polo shirt and shorts and stick some ribs on the Weber as long as it's over 18, and the wind is light.
Late November, and it's still hotter than a Huddy summer.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Nov 12, 2019 20:17:35 GMT
Just read a post on FB , it starts, hello fellow boomers, then goes on to ask, can we get direct flights to Skiathos. Surely any FB boomer worth their salt would have flown multiple times previous, and probably personally know the pilot. Just saying.
I dunno. I've been to Skiathos 5 times, but only ever package. I personally find search engines for flights only to be really carp. Probably because I'm just not used to them.
I can be rubbish with tech when I want to be.
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Post by dennisn on Nov 12, 2019 21:06:54 GMT
The basic problem for FB is that every post is new, appears at the top and pushes previous posts down and out of sight. The newbie with a question can’t see the answer that was given last week, so happily takes the FB suggestion to Ask for Recommendations and off you go with another round of the same question. Same reason why there are so many repeat photos of the Bourtzi, harbour, planes landing and so on.
It’s where this forum comes out on top - we have topics, titled chapters wher everybody can post all about a single subject or idea and equally everybody can read all those posts in one place. No brainer.
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Post by kevb on Nov 15, 2019 11:06:49 GMT
TA forum is the worst of both worlds, I find it barely fit for purpose (no mechanism at all for posting photos) and so cringingly cliquey (at least for the Skiathos section) that I look less and less on it these days. I don't mind fb too much, if its something I've seen a lot before I scroll on by. Its still one of the easiest and most user friendly platforms for posting pics and video on the fly while you are actually on holiday.
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Post by bvrc on Nov 16, 2019 15:42:19 GMT
I’m currently taking a breather in a coffee shop whilst Christmas shopping - it got me thinking. I’d love Skiathos to be an all year round destination and I’d ditch the Christmas shopping and plan a lovely week in Skiathos, (excuse then for vouchers for everyone on my Christmas list) 😄 I bet it’s beautiful at Christmas time, have saw pictures somewhere online.
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Post by kevb on Nov 16, 2019 23:03:44 GMT
Tbh I don't think Xmas is that big a deal for the Greeks, Easter is their big celebration
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