The Sporades are the Greek islands everyone has seen without knowing it: the Mamma Mia wedding was filmed on a limestone rock off Alonissos. Pine forests running down to the sea, white-sand beaches beneath cliffs, white hilltop villages, exactly what you picture when you imagine sailing in Greece, but without the fierce Cyclades Meltemi. The Sporades are the perfect compromise: the Aegean, blue-green water, moderate winds, decent charter infrastructure, and, as a bonus, the largest marine park in Europe.
The archipelago: four islands and a marine park
The Northern Sporades have four inhabited islands: Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos and Skyros. The first three form the classic circuit; Skyros is more remote (40 miles of open sea from Skiathos) and makes a two-week extension.
Skiathos is the busiest and best equipped, with its own airport (JSI, direct summer flights) and some 60 beaches. Lalaria, reachable only from the sea, is a beach of polished white pebbles beneath streaked limestone cliffs; Koukounaries is regularly ranked among Europe's finest.
Skopelos is greener and quieter. The Chora rises in an amphitheatre with 123 chapels and monasteries visible from the sea. The Agios Ioannis chapel, from Mamma Mia, sits atop a rock at the end of 200 steps, reached by tender.
Alonissos is the wildest of the three, at the heart of the Alonissos Marine Park, Europe's largest at 2,260 km². The Mediterranean monk seal (fewer than 800 left worldwide) lives in these waters.
Weather: a softened Meltemi
The Sporades enjoy a Meltemi noticeably gentler than the Cyclades. Their north-western position, wooded relief and reduced fetch keep winds 8 to 10 knots below the general synoptic.
| Zone | July Meltemi (Cyclades) | July Meltemi (Sporades) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical strength | 20-30 kt | 12-20 kt |
| F7+ episodes | 35-45% of days | 12-18% of days |
| Typical sea | 1.5-3 m | 0.7-1.8 m |
The Sporades are the ideal ground for intermediate crews wanting to discover the Aegean without full Meltemi exposure.
Charter bases
Skiathos (JSI) is the natural base, with direct summer flights and a fleet on site. Volos (mainland) has a larger fleet, reached by train from Athens (4 h) or a domestic flight; it is also the home of the tsipouradika, tavernas serving tsipouro with free small plates, one of the best food traditions of mainland Greece.
Weekend: Skopelos and Alonissos from Skiathos
Base: Skiathos. Distance: ~50 NM. Level: Intermediate.
- Day 1: Skiathos to Glossa (north Skopelos, 15 NM), a white hilltop village.
- Day 2: Glossa to Alonissos / Patitiri (20 NM), the marine park and restored Chora.
- Day 3: Alonissos to Skopelos town (15 NM) to Skiathos (15 NM), the Agios Ioannis chapel by tender.
Marine park rule: anchoring is strictly forbidden inside the park; official mooring buoys only, in the marked coves of Alonissos and neighbouring islets.
One week: the Sporades tour
Base: Volos. Distance: ~122 NM. Level: Intermediate.
| Day | Leg | NM | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | Volos to Skiathos | 40 | Koukounaries, Lalaria, Bourtzi |
| D2 | Skiathos to Glossa | 15 | White hilltop village |
| D3 | Glossa to Skopelos town | 12 | 123 chapels, Mamma Mia |
| D4 | Skopelos to Alonissos | 15 | Marine park, restored Chora |
| D5 | Alonissos to Peristera islets | 10 | Monk seal, pure nature |
| D6 | Peristera to Skiathos | 30 | Back to base |
| Total | ~122 |
Peristera (Day 5) is a cluster of wild islets in the park's strict-protection zone (official buoys only), where dolphins and turtles are common and the monk seal is a genuine, if shy, possibility. Lalaria on Skiathos is reachable only by sea, by tender from the anchorage.
Find the full day-by-day plans in our 7-day Sporades itinerary and the Sporades and Pelion itinerary.
Two weeks: Sporades, Pelion and Skyros
Base: Volos. Distance: ~270 NM. Level: Intermediate to confident. Adds the Pelion peninsula (mountain villages above the sea), all four Sporades and Skyros, the most remote, known for its primitive wild ponies and its more Cycladic architecture.
When to go
June is the best month: a still-moderate Meltemi (10-18 kt), few crowds, water at 21-23°C. September is excellent too, quieter than August with a warm sea (23-25°C). July-August is sailable but Skiathos gets very busy.
Nautical data: Sporades distance tables, Alonissos Marine Park rules. Weather: HNMS, Windguru profiles for Skiathos and Alonissos.
