My ATV (Miss) Adventures in Skopelos, Greece
If getting completely lost while searching for breathtaking views, picturesque movie sets and secluded beaches sounds like your kind of adventure, then be sure to add riding an ATV in Skopelos, Greece to your bucket list.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do just that, and had one of my most fun adventures yet! I spent the day bumping along, clinging to my boyfriend for dear life, getting covered in dust, and checking Google maps more times than I’d care to admit, and having a blast while doing it. Keep reading to see the awesome places I discovered along the way-from mysterious ancient burial grounds to the scenic church used in the film Mamma Mia!
Getting Started-Renting an ATV
The day-long adventure started at the ATV rental place. After an unsuccessful first attempt to rent an ATV next door (apparently American Driver’s License aren’t compatable with their insurance) we headed further up the road and managed to reserve an ATV.
To save money, my boyfriend and I decided to share 1 ATV, an idea that was not only economical, but ended up being way more fun and less troublesome.
For the entire day, a rental was only 43 Euros plus a gas refill, which ended up only costing 15 Euro. For those wondering, for our 10-hour trip it worked out to only 5.8 Euros and hour between the two of us!
After a quick tutorial, we were on our way, zooming through the picturesque pine-filled forest and mountains in search of our first stop.
Naturally, within 10 minutes we found ourselves completely lost-in the best way- at Panoramos, one of the most beautiful beaches in Skopelos. After a brief photo stop and promises to ourselves to return, we hopped back on the ATVs in search of Sendoukia, a mysterious Neolithic burial ground settled in the heart of the island.
Finding Sendoukia
A few detours, missed turns, ignored signs, and one near-trespassing experience later, we arrived at a footpath pointing the way to Sendoukia. We walked along the rocky trail, first uphill, before it evened out. If you plan on visiting yourself, wear gym shoes, my sandals were NOT ideal.
After 20 minutes or so following cryptic red paint smears on rocks marking out the proper trail to the graves, we arrived at 3 rectangular former grave sites, with massive stones resting on top.
Looking around the area, it was easy to see why these Neolithic people chose to make this site a burial ground. Perched high in the mountain, the site offered incredible views of both sides of the island, with a panoramic vista over the sea, surrounding mountains, and towns below. It was a truly incredible sight, and amazing to be the only 2 people there experiencing it!
The Search For Agios Ioannis (the church from Mamma Mia!)
We then retraced our steps back to the ATV, and set out in search of the church first made famous by the film Mamma Mia! much of which was shot in Skopelos.
We again set out on the dirt paths winding through forest, mountains, and rocky trails, we naturally got totally lost again. At this point we were both getting more and more hungry (and perhaps a little crabby) and we were losing our patience. After arriving at a church (that was not the correct one) we finally pulled out the map and to our delight discovered that Agios Ioannis was just around the corner!
As we rounded a turn, the church first came into view and was absolutely breathtaking. The church rests on the tip of a rock formation and is connected to the island by a thin stretch of concrete. Set against the stunning blue water of the Agean, its no wonder they picked this church for Mamma Mia’s wedding scene.
After parking and snacking on a Greek salad for lunch, we made the trek up the 202 steps to the top of the church-the very steps where the likes of Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, and Colin Firth traversed during the movie’s filming.
In the heat of the day, it was quite a trek, but the views were completely worth it-looking back at the rocky coastline set against the brilliant green of the tree-covered mountains and blue of the sea, I was reminded (for the 1,000th time that day) how beautiful Skopelos truly is.
Paliokalives Secluded Beach
By this point we were hot, sweaty, dusty, and desperately in need of a swim, so we headed up the coast in search of a secluded beach.
While Skopelos does have its fair share of tourists, it is hard to say that any of the beaches we had been to yet were incredibly “crowded”. However, when we pulled up to Paliokalives, it was clear that there were only a handful of people there.
After grabbing waters from a small beach bar, we set off on a footpath nearby to an even more secluded beach for a few hours of sun and snorkeling.
The views of the island were beautiful-showing off the rocky, jagged coastline as we relaxed. It was the perfect way to cool down and relax after a hot morning and afternoon getting lost, touristing, and getting covered in dirt from off-roading!
Homeward Bound
After packing up our swimsuits and snorkels, we headed toward home, stopping for a delicious fresh seafood meal in nearby Glossa, where we also filled up our gas tank. As we headed toward Neo Klima on the local coastline road, we watched the sun setting behind the distant islands.
The sky was painted a gorgeous array of colors, soft shades of blue, pink, yellow, and orange, fading as we drove along. The perfect way to end a fantastic day exploring the island.
Have you ben ATV-ing before? This was my first time and I clearly had a blast! What is your favorite way to explore a new place? Let me know in the comment section below!
Looking for more info on Skopelos? Try reading these posts!
- How I Spent 1 Month In Greece (Almost) For Free!
- 10 Ways To Bring The Magic of Mamma Mia! To Your Skopelos Visit
- Skopelos to Alonissos Day Trip-Must or Bust?
tnx for this post 😀
Useful and interesting to reed
So glad you enjoyed it, Marko! I had so much fun!