Family trip to Skiathos Island with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

Skiathos is a perfect place for those children who love history and long walks. There are still many attractions of different eras which are surrounded by rich nature. The island is not touched by civilization, you can come here and feel like Robinson Crusoe. Skiathos took part in the events of the Greco-Persian Wars, was occupied by the Roman Empire, conquered by Venetians, invaded by Turks and finally became a part of Greece only in the 19th century. The rulers changed one by one and each of them tried to leave a mark in the history of the island.

Be sure to visit Bourtzi Peninsula with your child. It divides the harbour of the island into two parts. You can get the sense of the Middle Ages history, admiring ruins of the ancient fortress which are preserved on this piece of land. It is known that Bourtzi fortress was founded by the Ghisi brothers when they captured the island in 1207. Unfortunately, the fortress was ineffective, it couldn’t protect the population from pirate raids. So, the inhabitants left the harbour and the fortress and moved higher in the mountains. They moved the capital to Kastro, located on a high rock.

Children with a rich imagination who love princesses and knights will be happy to visit Kastro. However, where small children can see a castle from fairytales, teenagers can see the details of the ancient life of Skiathos. The fortress was built in the 14th century and it is partly ruined now, but you can see some remaining parts of it. Moreover, there are preserved three hundreds of houses and about twenty churches. You can also see the frescoes and carved iconostasis of the Church of the Nativity, a mosque without a minaret and several well-preserved guns. Young adventurers will fell in love with Kastro. You can reach the fortress only by climbing a wooden ladder which was taken away to prevent enemies from entering the fortress. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

You can take your child to Alexandros Papadiamantis Museum. It was the house of a famous Greek writer. However, not only children will be happy to visit this place. The house-museum has unchanged household items and interiors from 1911. So your child can explore how the Greek houses looked a hundred years ago. One more interesting building of the capital is the monastery of Panagia Evangelistria. It was built in the 19th century and has important historical value for the island.

There are folklore and monastery museums on its territory. Some of their exhibits are dated back to the 17th century. Moreover, you can introduce your child to the history of the Greek War of Independence. The first national Greek flag was made in the Monastery of Panagia Evangelistria. Almost all the rebel leaders took the oath here. If you manage to get to the exhibition of monastic products made according to ancient recipes, you can tell your child about the subtleties of cooking in the middle ages.

However, Skiathos can not only take your child back to ancient times. There are several diving centres, where your child can try diving and a large sailing centre. If you want, you can take your child on a sightseeing tour around the shores of Skiathos. Moreover, a great idea is to visit nearby islands. For example, Repi. It is a small uninhabited island. A child will be happy to snorkel on a secluded Lalaria Beach. You can reach it only by the sea. Then you can visit sea caves here. There is an opportunity to take a child on fishing in the open sea or try waterskiing or bike riding. However, you can just walk on the island and admire all of the attractions.