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Regional unit in Greece
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The Sporades Islands (Greek: Βόρειες Σποράδες) have a quite different atmosphere from the travel-poster Greece of the Cyclades islands: instead of bare rugged hills topped with dazzling cubistic villages, the Sporades are fertile and heavily wooded, with pine-forested mountains sloping down to some of the best beaches in the Aegean, and the local architecture is more characteristic of Northern Greece, with less whitewashing and more stone roofs. Skiathos is the best known and easiest to get to – accordingly it is the most crowded, with throngs of visitors arriving all summer. Skopelos, while just as attractive, is less touristed outside of July and August, while Alonnisos is much quieter.
Alonnisos or Alonissos (population 2,750 in 2011) is the least touristed island in the Sporades Islands. It is 3 km (2 m) east of the island of Skopelos.
Skiathos (Greek: Σκιάθος, Skiáthos) is the entry point and main island of the Sporades Islands. Although it is neither the biggest nor the most attractive of the Sporades islands, because it is the first port of call for most ferries and possesses the sole airport, most tourists don't venture beyond Skiathos.
Skyros is an island in the southern Sporades Islands of Greece. The main town is also named Skyros, but is known locally as the Chora, as are the main towns on numerous other Greek islands.
Skopelos (population 4,960 in 2011) is the largest of the Northern Sporades Islands. Skopelos is one of the greenest islands in the Aegean Sea.
From Athens you can buy a combined bus/ferry ticket which will take you overland to the port of Agios Konstantinos, where you can transfer to a boat to all three Sporades islands.
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Skiathos · Regional · JSI
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