The Best Bars in Skiathos, Greece

The heart of Skiathos nightlife is Papadiamanti street, and the best beats can be found at Danny & Zoe’s. Local rockers play every night – sometimes even owners Danny & Zoe themselves. Their moscow mule is quite literally explosive, with a lit sparkler adding a fiery touch to your sharp, limey cocktail. And yes, there actually is a blind dog. His name is Guy, and he likes to howl along with the music.

This upcycled warehouse, 50yds (45m) down Politechniou street, transforms from a cool, cavernous hangout into a dance-on-the-bar club with the flick of a light switch. Crowds of youthful locals come for the resident DJ, who spins a mix of classic Greek pop and international dance tracks. Look out for the spirit bottles behind the bar, which are backlit like beacons, and pick out a mixer to craft your own drink for the night.

Maria’s is hidden away in an oleander-filled alley in Skiathos’ old town. Ascend the spiral staircase to the roof, where a pianist and singer will serenade you under the stars. Locals love the Berlin beers on draft – a rarity, in Greece – as well as the reasonably priced cocktails, which are even cheaper come happy hour at 8pm. Grab yourself a punchy parrot head – a concoction of sour grapefruit complemented expertly by tangy pineapple, and given an extra kick by tarty raspberry liqueur.

The Old Port is lively at any time of day, because GinFish is nearly always open. This outdoor bar offers the finest view of Byzantine castle Bourtzi, and the best range of eccentric cocktails. Sweet tooths should taste the lemon pie – vodka turns lemon curd into this boozy delight, cinnamon makes it spicy, and crushed biscuit around the rim completes its dessert transformation. Cocktails are €12 each, but there’s a half-price happy hour from 7-10pm.

Like Dan & Zoe’s, this steampunky venue opposite the Papadiamantis House Museum is renowned for incredible live music. Electrifying acts perform indie covers of popular tracks to a mixed audience of locals and visitors, so expect to dance, chat and sing until 4am. To keep you going, open the Tesla’s Secret Cocktail Experiments binder menu and take your pick of characterful cocktails – the Saketini combines sake with pungent rock samphire, foraged in the seas around Skiathos.

Mojo – in tranquil Achladies Bay – has its own pier, so if you need somewhere more relaxed, hop into a water taxi from town and land straight there. It’s a crowd-pleasing place: the food is tasty, sunbeds shaded, and cocktails divine. Some say they have the best piña coladas on the island; the simple cocktail is served in an elegant pineapple-shaped glass, with a thoughtfully laid pineapple wedge and glacé cherry garnish for you to snack on.

Turquoise Vromolimnos Beach is nestled on Skiathos’ south coast, and Porto Paradiso is its worst-kept secret. The friendly restaurant and beach bar is somewhere you could easily spend all day. Take an ice-cold frappe in the morning to get your day going the Greek way, before moving on to a cool bottle of white malagousia wine. A glass of the peachy, oak-fermented nectar might give you the courage to join the on-site aqua-aerobics and volleyball matches with your fellow patrons.

La Bussola is the bar to which travellers in Koukounaries resort can’t stop returning. Test your tolerance for heat with the mango margaritas – the citrussy cocktail is sprinkled with salt and dried bird’s eye chilli – but beware, the owners are generous with their shots. Come for the cocktails, stay for Akis and Eleni: their warm smiles and encyclopaedic knowledge of things to do on Skiathos will really make your holiday one to remember.