The Best Villas on the Greek Island of Skopelos

Named for the legendary winged horse of Greek mythology, this lovely mountain cottage can certainly help you retreat into the world of the imagination, with a cosy living area perfect for sinking into with a good book and a plethora of wild hiking trails that wind into cypress and pine woods. With a kitchen, barbecue and outdoor pool, this one-bedroom property is perfect for a couple’s island retreat.

Hidden in the atmospheric warren of streets that is the Old Town of Skopelos, this collection of villas and apartments combines a historic setting with a modern design, although the wooden beams and floors, exposed stone walls and vintage desks are a nod to the heritage of the area. The accommodations are set around shaded courtyards and feature furnished terraces where you can enjoy a drink looking out over the town.

This modern accommodation combines the look of a classic Greek villa – whitewashed wood, blue window frames, a pretty garden dotted with olive and almond trees – with a fantastic hillside location overlooking the sea. The villa opens onto an outdoor pool, cleaned in an eco-friendly way with salt water electrolysis, and the pine trees and white sands of Panormos Beach are a short drive or stroll away.

This one-bedroom villa has a contemporary design, yet with the light wood floors and ceilings, wicker chairs and rugged wood furniture made by local craftspeople, an organic feel pervades the place. The outdoor pool area and shaded terrace are lovely spots to relax with a drink or enjoy a leisurely dinner; you’re able to self-cater thanks to the kitchenette, while the restaurants and bars of Skopelos are a 10-minute drive to the east.

The huge decorative urn that sits on one corner of the outdoor pool is a nod to the classical age, but the rest of this lemon-hued villa has a rustic country feel, with robust wooden beams and furniture and exposed stone walls. With an outdoor brick oven and a dining table shaded by citrus trees, you’ll be tempted to eat in every night, but if you fancy a change of scene, Skopelos is a short drive away.

With sea-blue wooden shutters, terraced terracotta roofs and whitewashed walls, this cottage, hidden among towering pine trees, is the picture of Greek island architecture. Wooden ceilings and floors, brick walls and wall niches add to the cosy farmhouse feel, while the garden tumbles down winding pathways to an outdoor pool, with views over the forested coastline and the Aegean Sea beyond.

Enjoying an enviable setting in a private olive grove, but just a short walk from Skopelos town, Villa Peparethos offers the best of both worlds. The interior, decked in a subtle mint green, is decorated with richly carved wooden furniture, a roaring fireplace and even a piano for musically inclined guests to enjoy. Furnished terraces overlook the outdoor pool and the forested hills.

Decked in polished dark wood from ceiling to floor, this beautiful cottage is at once rustic and luxurious. Upstairs bedrooms line a long wooden balcony, and open onto a large furnished stone terrace, with views over a red-roofed church set against forests and mountains. Learn more about local history and culture at the Skopelos Folklore Museum, or tread the walls of the Venetian Castle that guards Skopelos harbour.

Providing access to the balmy waters of the Aegean Sea through a private park of olive and almond trees, Viola is part of a complex of villas with a privileged coastal position. The two bedrooms have a rustic feel – one with rugged stone floors and the other raised on a wooden mezzanine – and, with both a well-equipped kitchen and an outdoor stone oven, there’s no shortage of ways to cook up delicious meals to enjoy on your sea-facing terrace.