Title moderated by Admin - Non-descriptive Title

this one was erased yesterday:

back in the 50s Skiathos was a very poor place, the only jobs available where with the commerce boats, so our grandfathers mostly became merchant navy sailors, having to spend months and years at sea, while sending hard earned money to the family back on the rock.

difficult times , there was no roads, no electric...

on the other hand Scopelos was by far richer, specially as our government decided to have all the official posts located there, so the tax office, the port police, main post office, with employs and monthly wages, government people living there all spending and contributing to their economy....... Scopelos , being a much larger than Skiathos island , also had an agriculture, and farming, as well as large numbers of goats, cows sheep etch.

when the first tourists came to both islands, the very poor skiathos people, found that the easy way to make some money and make their dreams ( to have a house in the big city -Volos) was to sell some of their lands.

in scopelos being lots richer than us, they kept hard their belongings , and it was unheard of and very rare, that anybody would sell a land in this big island.

this is the reason that here in skiathos exist an anarchy in building, as the new owners initially did whatever they pleased, but in Scopelos in the town and villages still have kept the local colours........

Scopelos having more residents , and thus more votes managed to get some people into the greek political system, big names, that became over the years, congressman and even ministers, people that have helped their countryman with money and building the port, etch.

in skiathos the first tourists came when a large English boat, from their royal navy that where doing exercises in these part of the greek seas, got engine trouble, it docked at Skiathos, and it took the parts to arrive and the repairs to finish, 6 long months, the officers, fell in love with the paradise ( their words) island, and bought a large ( Canapitsa peninsula) land, which they divided into plots and shared.

over the years. they returned and started building small villas..... and it don't take much imagination to understand what led to today's boom.........

when they where making plans for the airport, story has it that the Scopelos people refused, so it where built in skiathos instead.

the main difference between our 2 Islands are the beaches. i count around 4 okay say 5 at scopelos , and here together with the nearby deserted small islands we have more than 100.

and don't start the "o man" business again, for if i take you out on my boat and we count the small but lovely coves the 100 figure will look small.

in skiathos first tourists come at start of may, and last go at start of October, in Scopelos they have around 2/3 less arrivals, and mostly is with Greek families for the month of august. true the last few years some of our English boomer angers, that felt up for new adventures have started visiting, with increasing frequency so in the end i am afraid that the result will not be to your liking, as there again will be an English invasion. like here in skiathos as you think......... cheers.

This is great, Mike - really interesting reading. As Dave says, please keep posting - we just love finding out more about this beautiful island.
Many thanks!

I can confirm that the oasis is a fantastic place to stay, mike is the perfect host, very kind and thoughtful. Hes thought of everything you need on a holiday.
We havent been to skiathos this year but thats where we will stay when we return.
We went to stoupa for a change in july which we loved, but were hoping for a week in skiathos in sept.
Unfortunately my husband had an accident meaning several weeks off work with no pay so that put paid to that.
I see that silly Trip advisor is deleting posts again, this time the one mike put on warning of the dangers of standing behind planes taking off.
Someone was recently blown into the sea ,again!
What could be wrong with that! its about skiathos, and a warning, must be one of the mindless idiots who didnt like being called that, there has been so many articles of the dangers.
Hope you have a great holiday and the weather is as kind to you as in july