Sporades

The Sporades sit off Greece's eastern coast, north-east of Volos, a compact group of forested islands that contrast sharply with the arid Cyclades to the south. Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos form the inhabited core; beyond them, the National Marine Park of Alonissos-Northern Sporades protects a scattering of uninhabited islands that are home to the Mediterranean monk seal, one of the world's most endangered marine mammals. Skiathos is the arrival point — its airport runway is famously short, delivering passengers from the threshold almost onto the beach at the far end. The town harbour and a handful of charter operators provide the base. Skiathos town is compact and lively, with a waterfront strip of restaurants and bars that fills up on summer evenings. The passage from Skiathos to Skopelos, roughly 10 nautical miles, is the first day's standard route. Skopelos town — the filming location for Mamma Mia, a fact the island has embraced with varying degrees of enthusiasm — climbs a hillside above a harbour that offers good stern-to berths. The island's interior is dense with pine and olive, and its coast is indented with bays that make for quiet lunch stops. Alonissos, further east, is quieter and wilder. The old town — Hora — sits on a hilltop above Patitiri, the port where most visiting yachts berth. From Alonissos, the marine park islands extend north-east: Peristera, Kyra Panagia, Piperi. Sailing into the park requires awareness of restricted zones — Piperi is off-limits to protect the seal colony — but the permitted anchorages are among the most peaceful in Greece. The meltemi reaches the Sporades in attenuated form. The Pelion peninsula and the island of Evia provide partial shelter, so while the wind can build to 20 knots on exposed crossings, it rarely reaches the sustained 30-knot strengths experienced in the Cyclades. The seas can still be choppy in the open channels between islands, particularly in the afternoon. Provisioning is best done in Skiathos or Skopelos town. Alonissos has a small supermarket in Patitiri. Beyond the three main islands, there are no shops. Water is available at the main harbours; fuel at Skiathos and Skopelos.