Car & Van Hire - Skiathos

Skiathos has earned a reputation as the Sporades' most popular island. It's become a bustling hub that attracts thousands of tourists every year. Whether you're whiling away the morning at the old harbour or dancing past midnight at one of its many resort clubs, the island will wrap you in its soulful web. By day, its cobbled streets and sedate hiking trails create a serene, unassuming atmosphere. Once the sun sets, though, the thrum of music takes over as hordes of travellers head out for a night of revelry.

Like the rest of Sporades islands, Skiathos is lined with a startlingly blue ocean and row upon row of emerald pine trees. Koukounaries is arguably its finest beach. Its resort bars, sunbeds, and umbrellas will keep you comfortable as you while away the hours on water sports. This area is reserve space, so its natural assets have been carefully preserved. You can rent a water ski, try your hand at kayaking, or dial up the adrenaline with some parachute sailing.

The surrounding waters are also prime scuba diving terrain. You'll rub shoulders with moray eels and octopuses on the Poseidon Cave dive.

Like any self-respecting coastal region, Skiathos' traditional cuisine dishes up plenty of crayfish and tuna. The island has a unique take on Grecian cuisine, so it's worthwhile to take a food tour. Most of the local options are held at sea, but the Parissis vineyard offers a worthy alternative with spectacular views.

Skiathos has kilometres of unspoiled reserve space spanning several biomes. That makes it a hiker's paradise. Evangelistria Monastery offers an ambitious 14-kilometre loop trail that will introduce you to a range of monasteries and chapels, including the famous Agios Charalampos Monastery. This peaceful space has a fascinating history, so you might want to take a guided tour. Its on-site museum can't compete with the views, so spend some time taking in the sunset on its pine-covered slopes.

Skiathitiki Spiti will provide an altogether more cerebral experience. This two-floor museum exhibits hundreds of heirlooms within the walls of a 20th-century home. It's hosted by the Papadopoulos family, who are always happy to share tales about the exhibits with visitors. If you haven't sated your appetite for history, head to Papadiamantis House Museum. This is where Alexandros Papadiamantis became the father of modern Greek literature. The exhibits are built into the 1860 household where The Murderess was written.

Skiathos has a red bus service that carries tourists along the coastal road, but its route is extremely limited. The Greek Islands are notorious for their poor public transportation. For maximum freedom of movement, it's best to rely on a car or van hire in Skiathos. This is a compact island that's relatively uncongested for most of the year. During July and August, however, traffic jams are a constant problem. You'll need to stick to side roads and make judicious use of parking lots outside the busiest tourist centres.

Motorists drive on the right side of the road. Overtaking is barred near level crossings, and danger lights should be used before you park. Locals hoot before they reach steep bends or sharp turns to warn oncoming traffic.

Skiathos has no highways. The roads are narrow, so you're unlikely to reach the inner-city speed limit of 110 km/h. It's still best to keep a close eye on your speeds as police issue heavy fines.

The island is covered in gravel roads that can be quite daunting, so we recommend you rent a four-wheel drive. You might also want to invest in extra insurance. Roads are poorly marked, and the region is rife with one-way streets, so take extra care and rely on GPS. Skiathos is easy to navigate, but good map software will help you to avoid fines.

The island's main road, Papadiamanti Street, will carry you from town to Koukounaries. It's prone to congestion during the summer, but it's easy to divert into its many side roads. Alternatively, take advantage of the many commercial parking lots on either side of the street and travel the rest of the area on foot. There's an open lot behind the Alykon Hotel and commercial lots on Evanglistra Street. The street parking near Milos will place you within five minutes of the new harbour. Local police rarely miss parking violations, so this is one city where you can't take chances.

During August, some of the streets in the city centre are closed in the afternoons. Police often ticket cars that don't keep to that schedule, so we suggest you update yourself on the affected streets before you leave. That month, busses are crammed full of people, rendering public transport virtually unusable.