A bit removed from the other Sporades islands, Skyros is deeply traditional. Old ladies in yellow headscarves sit on their stoops, bent over embroidery. Carpenters chisel the distinctive wooden skamnaki (miniature chairs carved with geometric patterns) in dusty workshops. Beaten copper and painted ceramic plates decorate every inch of wall in typical village houses. If you peek inside, weathered residents will usually invite you in for a Greek coffee. Otherwise head to the Manos Faltaits Folk Art Museum, which contains a replica Skyros house, as well as Byzantine manuscripts, farm tools, and the intricate folk costumes that locals still wear for weddings and church festivals. On a terraced hillside overlooking the sea, the adjacent amphitheater is a glorious setting for summer concerts.
