Alonissos Travel Guide: Is Alonissos Right for You?

Alonissos is right for you if you want a small, quiet, pine-forested island with a marine park, a hilltop old town, marked walking trails and pebble coves where you might see a monk seal. It is not for anyone who needs an airport, sandy beaches, shopping or any nightlife at all.

Alonissos at a glance

• Island group: Sporades, the outermost of the three inhabited islands
• Getting there: No airport; fly to Skiathos (JSI) then ferry via Skopelos, 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours. From Volos about 3 to 4.5 hours, from Agios Konstantinos 4 to 5 hours. Ferries arrive at Patitiri
• Best for: Walkers, nature lovers, divers, couples wanting genuine peace, slow-travel families
• Not for: Nightlife, sand lovers, short breaks, anyone who wants convenience
• Best months: June and September
• Price level: Mid
• Size & getting around: 64 sq km, long and thin. The south is walkable and has a bus; a car or scooter helps for the northern beaches, and water taxis serve the coves in summer

Who Alonissos is for

Alonissos is the least developed of the Sporades and it wants to stay that way. Around 2,700 people live here, the island is covered in Aleppo pine and there are no big hotels. Since 1992 the surrounding waters have formed the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, the largest in Europe, home to the biggest surviving population of the Mediterranean monk seal.

Walkers get one of the best trail networks in the Aegean: 14 signposted routes through pine forest to coves, chapels and lighthouses. Certified divers get the Peristera shipwreck, a 5th century BC vessel with thousands of amphorae, opened as the world’s first underwater ancient museum in 2020 and visited with licensed operators from Patitiri.

Couples and families who like each other’s company will be happy here. Days revolve around a boat trip, a taverna lunch at Steni Vala and an evening walk up to the Old Town.

Who should skip Alonissos

The journey is real: a flight to Skiathos, a taxi to the port, and a ferry that can be cancelled when the wind is up. Beaches are pebble, so bring water shoes. There is no bar scene beyond a few places in Patitiri and the Old Town.

If you get restless after two quiet days, pick Skiathos and day-trip to Alonissos instead.

What to actually do on Alonissos

Take a boat into the marine park

Day trips from Patitiri sail past Peristera and Kyra Panagia to the Blue Cave, with swimming stops in water so clear you can see 30 meters down. Dolphins are common and the scenery alone justifies the trip.

Walk up to the Old Town

Palia Alonissos, or Chora, sits on a ridge 300 m above Patitiri. Abandoned after the 1965 earthquake and later restored, it is now a maze of bougainvillea, stone houses and sunset bars. The old cobbled path from Patitiri takes about 40 minutes uphill.

Swim at Chrisi Milia and Kokkinokastro

Chrisi Milia is the island’s one sandy beach, 6 km north of Patitiri. Kokkinokastro just beyond has red cliffs and the remains of an ancient city. Further north, Leftos Gialos has white pebbles and good tavernas, and Agios Dimitrios is a striking pebble spit at the road’s end.

Hike the trail network

Route 2 from the Old Town to Megalos Mourtias beach and Route 12 through the pine forest to Agios Dimitrios are good introductions. Spring and autumn are the seasons for the longer routes.

Where to stay on Alonissos

• Patitiri and Votsi: the port and its neighboring bay, the practical choice with the most rooms, tavernas and boat trips.
• Old Town (Chora): the most atmospheric option, with views and sunset bars, but a 40 minute walk from the sea.
• Steni Vala: a tiny fishing harbor 12 km north, for people who want a boat, a beach and one good taverna.
• Chrisi Milia: beside the sandy beach, best for families with small children.

When to go

June is the ideal month: pine forest at its greenest, sea at 22 to 23 C, trails still walkable in the heat and the island quiet. July and August bring most visitors, mainly Greeks and Italians, and the meltemi can blow hard enough to cancel ferries for a day. September is wonderful, with 24 to 25 C sea and empty coves. May and October are fine for walkers, though many tavernas outside Patitiri close in October. In winter the island shrinks to its locals and a couple of ferries a week.

Getting there and around

Skiathos Airport (JSI) has direct summer flights from the UK (Jet2, easyJet, TUI), Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia, plus year-round Athens flights. From Skiathos port, conventional ferries and fast catamarans run to Alonissos via Skopelos in 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours. From the mainland, ferries leave Volos (3 to 4.5 hours) and Agios Konstantinos (4 to 5 hours). On the island, a summer bus links Patitiri, the Old Town and Chrisi Milia; a scooter or small car opens up the north, and water taxis reach the coves that roads do not.

Alonissos vs the alternatives

Skopelos, one stop back on the ferry, is greener still, has better beaches and the Mamma Mia church, and is a touch livelier. Skiathos has the airport, sand and the nightlife Alonissos lacks. In the Cyclades, Folegandros offers a similar small-island calm with a dramatic chora but no forest. For more walking-first islands see our guide to the best Greek island for hiking.

Booking Alonissos

Still not sure? Take the 2-minute Greek island quiz and find out if a quiet, forested island like Alonissos is really your speed.

Also in the Sporades

Skiathos

Sandy beaches, pine trees and a lively harbor town for families and first-timers.

Skopelos

Green, slow and pretty for couples and walkers who can live with pebble beaches.

Not sure yet? Take the 2-minute quiz

Frequently asked questions

How do you get to Alonissos?

Fly to Skiathos, take a taxi or bus 3 km to the port, and catch a ferry via Skopelos, which takes 1 hour 20 minutes to 2 hours. Alternatively drive or bus to Volos or Agios Konstantinos on the mainland for a 3 to 5 hour ferry. There is no airport on Alonissos itself.

How many days do you need in Alonissos?

Four to seven days. The journey is long enough that a weekend does not pay off. A week lets you do the marine park boat, two or three walks, the Old Town at sunset and a couple of different coves without rushing.

Can you see monk seals on Alonissos?

Sometimes. Around 60 monk seals live in the marine park but they are shy and mostly rest in sea caves on uninhabited islets. Boat trips occasionally spot one; dolphin sightings are far more reliable.

Last updated 2026-09.