Exciting Things to Do in Skopelos With Kids [2024]

Skopelos is one of the most beautiful, family-friendly islands of Greece. It is well known for its wild and natural beauty. In fact, Skopelos has fantastic sandy beaches that are full of pines and rocky cliffs for you to explore.

If you are looking for a family vacation with plenty of activities, Skopelos is the perfect choice for you and your kids! Let’s explore the top family activities that you can try when visiting Skopelos.

Mamma Mia Skopelos Family Tour

Are you fans of the Mamma Mia movie? If yes, then, Skopelos is your island as it is the place where the first Mamma Mia! Movie was filmed.

We highly recommend that you spend a day and do our amazing Mama Mia tour. In this tour, your guide will drive you around Skopelos and will take you to places featured in the movie.

Specifically, one of the highlights of the tour (among other stops) is the visit to the famous chapel of Agios Ioannis Kastri, where the wedding scene took place, and Donna sings to Sam “The Winner Takes It All”. Kastri also offers breathtaking views and a fantastic beach, where Tanya sang the “Does your mother know?” song. The chapel is on the top of a rock, 100 meters from the sea. This part of the tour is for active families, as you will climb 199 steps to find it and enjoy the aura and the view. Of course, you won’t leave Kastri before you swim in the crystal clear blue waters.

BBQ Sailing Trip

If you love the sea and you would keen on a sailing trip with your family, then this is the best activity. During this trip, you will experience the beauty of Aegean’s clear blue waters and your kids will love the chance to be part of the crew for the day, as the captain’s apprentices.

The whole family gets the chance to either sit back and relax or learn how to sail a boat! There will be plenty of time for you to swim on remote beaches, accessible only by boat. For lunch, you and your kids will enjoy a lovely and delicious BBQ on the boat!

Kayaking in Skopelos

Kayaking is one of the best ways to explore the many unreachable and quiet beaches of Skopelos. The activity involves kayaking for 3-5 km, swimming in stunning sandy beaches and snorkeling in the blue waters of Skopelos. While kayaking, you will enjoy the breathtaking view of the rocky coast made of limestone and the rare pine forest.

One of the highlights for kids is the visit to the shelter of male monk seals Monachus Monachus! To reach the shelter, you will kayak through a tunnel. Make sure you bring extra clothes, your beach towel, hats, and sun lotion.

Snorkeling and scuba diving in Skopelos

Skopelos is an island with an untouched natural environment and biodiversity. Many extraordinary diving locations are close to it, and the most extensive protected marine environment in Europe lies on the island’s edge. Your whole family will be amazed by the natural beauty of Skopelos and the crystal clear turquoise waters and would love the underwater wrecks, and caves.

The best part is that recently the local law allowed diving activities in this area. Therefore, most of the locations are unexplored, allowing you to be the first diver!

Discover the Natural beauty with Hiking

Skopelos offers many different hiking routes. You will enjoy the breathtaking view and the historical places like monasteries and chappels all across the routes. You will love the cypress forests, the Aleppo pine trees, and the landscape full of olive trees. Some of the routes offer a fantastic view of mountain Pelion in the western mainland and Halkidiki in the north part of Greece.

Hiking is a way to explore all the island’s hidden beauties and enjoy the quiet and peaceful natural life of Skopelos. Your kids will love the experience, and you will exercise in the best way while you are on vacation.

Visit the best beaches in Skopelos

Skopelos has a rugged beauty, and most of the beaches are pebbled. The most popular ones are located in the southern part of the island because you can easily access them with your car. Yet if you and your family want to enjoy more picturesque and deserted beaches, try to visit the west side of Skopelos, and if you prefer those which are off the grid, you can always visit them by boat.

The best-organized beach in Skopelos is Kastani, where the pines roll right down to the shore. It is a beautiful sandy with small pebbles beach with a waterfront bar. It is one of the most famous spots on the island because scenes from Mamma Mia were filmed!

Another equally charming beach with clear green waters is Limnonari. Limnonari is an amazing beach with white sand and pine trees. You and your family will love the gorgeous scenery, and the excellent food, due to two taverns and a beach bar that you can find there. Your kids will also enjoy the water sports activities.

Next is Velanio, which is a sandy, green-blue water beach. It has a green pine forest, and you can have your refreshments at the beach bar.

Velanio beach has officially declared a nudist beach. As one of the most beautiful beaches in Skopelos, it is also a top-rated destination for LGBTQ+ families.

Day trip to Alonissos

While you and your family are in Skopelos, you can also take a day trip to Alonissos. This is one of the most family-friendly, peaceful, and relaxing Greek islands. It has an extraordinary green landscape and offers great activities for families.

In Alonissos, your kids will love the largest Marine Park of Europe in the northern part of Alonissos and see many rare species like Monk Seal Monachus Monachus.

You can also find the “Alonissos Museum” in the town of Patitiri. It is a Folklore museum with traditional costumes, extremely interesting exhibits like objects from pirate ships, pieces like books and coins from the Greek Revolution (1821), and artworks.

Moreover, you can visit the 16th-century castle with a breathtaking view. If you and your family love marine life and water sports, you get the chance to dive and snorkel in many different spots like the Blue cave and shipwrecks.

Discover the island: Food, walks, museums

It becomes evident that Skopelos is one of the top family-friendly islands. It offers breathtaking views, crystal clear waters, and marine activities that you and your family will definitely enjoy.

However, Skopelos is much more. It is a place full of history, cultural heritage, and rare wild landscapes. You can visit museums like Folklore Museum, which is an 18th-century mansion, and the Museum of Cultural Heritage in Glossa. The photographic center has exhibitions and workshops that you and your kids will love as well.

Moreover, it doesn’t matter in which part of the island you will stay because everywhere you can find great-quality food. As with most Greek islands, Skopelos has numerous taverns and street food cantines.

We suggest you try some traditional fish dishes like lobster baked with orzo pasta, stuffed sea urchins, and barnacles with rice. You can also have walks around the island because every smaller or bigger village is a source of beautiful and unique family memories!

How can you get to Skopelos?

By plane

You can go to Skopelos by flying from Athens to Skiathos airport. The flight is only about twenty minutes. From there, Skopelos island is very accessible by using a ferry from Skiathos port (approximately 30 min by fast ferry).

By boat

You can catch a ferry to Skiathos and Skopelos from 4 ports in mainland Greece: Volos, Mantoudi, Agios Konstantinos, and Thessaloniki. The best and fastest way to reach the island is to travel from the port of Volos as there is a highspeed vessel.

Volos to Skopelos by ferry

Anes Ferries: 3 1/2 hours, Blue Star Ferries: 2 h 40 min, Aegean Flying Dolphins: 1 h 55 min

To check the timetable and purchase your tickets, click here: FERRYHOPPER

From Athens to Volos by car

In your own vehicle, it is around 3 h 45 min. By train, it is around 4 h 45 min hours and by bus 4 hours to go to Volos from Athens.