Beguiled by the inner beauty of a Greek gem
MY guide Ortwin strides on ahead, while I pant up the hill. Goat and sheep bells clank and tinkle like wind chimes. Then Ortwin suddenly stops. ‘See this?’ he asks, picking tiny a lilac flower. ‘You can eat it. It’s very bitter, but it’s the best cure for stomach ailments.’
I am on Skiathos, a small island in the Sporades famed for its pristine waters. But Ortwin, who visited 20 years ago and never left, has dedicated himself to uncovering the island’s inner beauty, clearing 50km of ancientfootpaths and creating over 200km of hiking trails. Nourished by streams and waterfalls, this fragrant world, he tells me, is home to more medicinal plants than anywhere else in Europe. As a specialist in herbal remedies, he should know.
Our 8km walk takes us over a high plateau, with views to distant Mount Athos, from which the island allegedly takes its name (Skia-Athos – shade of Athos).
We pause at the remote monastery of Kekhria before descending to the beach. Sitting at the Tarsanas Taverna, where, bizarrely, an octopus has been pegged to a washing line, we enjoy our lunch and sip glasses of ouzo as cicadas chirrup urgently.
I discover so much of the island beyond its beach-and-party reputation thanks to Alexis, the concierge of my hotel, the Skiathos Princess. One day, I sail around the island, seeking beaches inaccessible by land. During my trip I stop at Lalaria, one of Greece’s most beautiful beaches and famous for its limestone arch.
I also discover the monastery of Panagia Kounistra in the middle of a pine forest.
But if you’re feeling lazy and do not fancy venturing too far, you need only hop to Ammos, the hotel’s taverna on the beach. It’s bliss.
Olympic Holidays (olympic holidays.com, 0044 20 8492 6868) offers seven nights’ B&B at the Skiathos Princess from €685pp.