4 Best Sights in The Sporades, Greece

The best way to get an idea of the town and its history is to follow the sinuous cobbled lanes past the mansions of the Old Town to the Kastro, the highest point, and this fortified monastery founded in AD 962 and radically rebuilt in 1600. Today it is inhabited by a sole monk. A white marble lion, which may be left over from the Venetian occupation, is in the wall above the entrance to the monastery. The once splendid frescoes of the Monastery of St. George are now mostly covered by layers of whitewash, but look for the charming St. George and startled dragon outside to the left of the church door and, within, the ornate iconostasis. An icon of St. George on the right is said to have been brought by settlers from Constantinople, who came in waves during the iconoclast controversy of the 9th century. The icon has a black face and is familiarly known as Ayios Georgis o Arapis ("the Negro"); the Skyrians view him as the patron saint not only of their island but of lovers as well.

Just southwest of Kastro is this romantic, deserted monastic compound, where the 18th-century church is embellished with frescoes and surrounded by olive and pine trees. Be warned: the road to Kechria from Skiathos Town and to the beach below is tough going; stick to a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a sturdy motorbike.

One of the oldest monasteries (circa 1700) on the island is now occupied by a sole monk. It features iconography in the old basilica, painted by renowned Byzantine painter Agorastos.

Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, Prodromou now operates as a convent. Besides being unusual in design, its church contains some outstanding 14th-century triptychs, an enamel tile floor, and an iconostasis spanning four centuries (half was carved in the 14th century, half in the 18th century). The nuns sell elaborate woven and embroidered handiwork. Opening days and hours vary.