Legend has it that the gods created the Sporades Islands by tossing colored pebbles into the Aegean Sea. The myth is reflected in the name Sporades, which means “the scattered ones,” and in the colors of their verdant green hills, sapphire blue waters and sandy beaches. These mountainous, densely-forested islands are located off the eastern coast of Greece in the Aegean Sea. The group includes about two dozen islands, of which only Alonnisos, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Skyros are inhabited.
Long the playgound of the rich and famous, these charming and historic islands are some of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Greece. Skyros, the largest island in the Sporades, is well known for its beautiful terrain, crystal blue waters, indigenous ponies and first-class tourism facilities.
The island of Skopelos lies between Skiathos and Alonissos, with an area of 96 km2 and population of less than 5 000 residents. It has become more popular in 2008 as one of the islands on which the movie Mamma Mia was shot. Its capital is the largest and liveliest settlement on island and is called Skopelos as well, or just Chora.
