Day 3, Swimming at Magazia and Pefkos

A good few restaurants and beach bars, a smattering of sunbeds, and gorgeous views of Skyros Town looming above, welcome us. Once full of swim, we sit at ‘Stefanos tavern’ as the sunset casts a shade over the ocean to a meal of octopus, calamari, tyrokafteri and Greek salad, paired with tsipouro, our drink of choice.

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The beach ‘Paralia Magazia’ is all we had hoped for. Wide, stretched, sandy beach, facing eastward, a nice breeze and the cool turquoise waters Greece is famous for, made this the perfect spot for our first swim

Skyros beaches are mostly sandy, calm and beautiful. It gets windy at times, and then short playful waves account for a more engaging swimming experience. We encounter kind, genuine hospitality, everywhere we go in the next few days.

It is not until we get to Pefkos, a smaller beach on the west coast of the island that we enjoy the sun setting into the ocean. When my kids were little, they believed the sun always turned to set into the sea, as this was our experience both in San Francisco, in the US where we lived, and in the Greek beach of Chanioti, where we used to spend our summers.

In recent years, there has been a growing concern with Greek beaches being monopolized by hotels and beach bars on summer leases, limiting public access and resulting in overcrowding. We are relieved to see this is not the case at Skyros’ beaches. The sunbeds here are limited, and very affordable, ranging, depending on the beach, between E 3.5 - E 6, and free with drinks’ purchase. In the more touristic islands in Greece fees for an umbrella and two sunbeds range between E60 – E100.

It is worth mentioning that a new bill in spring 2024 introduces stricter beach rules, requiring over 70 percent of any beach to remain free of sunbeds, making beaches more orderly and accessible for the public, free of charge. There is hope that with close monitoring of the rules, there will be a more satisfying experience for all.