Ailouros summer hotel
Skhoinoussa - Σχοινούσα
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Schinoussa (also called Schoinousa) is today what Koufonissi was until 7-8 years ago: a quiet island, inhabited by a few people still tied to farming traditions and very welcoming to the few visitors who come here. They are few, and they are travellers who shun the more touristy islands in search of an authentic Greece.
The beauty of this island is its simplicity. Some modern comforts are recent introductions (the first petrol station opened on the island in 2014; the first public bus is even more recent), but Schinoussa makes itself loved like this. Dusty, sleepy, frugal and super-hospitable.
After all, there are only a few places to meet, so you’re bound to run into each other sooner or later. And the island is so small that it can easily be circumnavigated on foot or by moped: all you have to do is watch out for climbs, dirt tracks and the danger of sunburn.
Its isolation, crucial for maintaining such a traditional way of life, is probably due to the fact that Schinoussa was abandoned centuries ago because it was often prey to pirate attacks and only returned to inhabitation in the first half of the 19th century. The modern ‘colonisers’ of Schinoussa were farmers from the island of Amorgos in search of land to cultivate.
It is no coincidence that the typical product is a gift from the land: a local legume used as the main ingredient in a puree seasoned with red onion, oil, pepper and lemon.
Counterbalancing these frugal lives are the villas built long ago by wealthy owners eager for an exclusive abode. Blessed are they. Or lucky you, if you can afford one of Schinoussa’s boutique hotels.
Can’t? No matter, there are guesthouses. And magnificent free beaches where you can lie in the sun and dive into the crystal-clear sea.
Along the coast of the small island of Schinoussa are some fifteen beaches, among the most beautiful in the Lesser Cyclades. Some can be reached by car, or better still by quad bike, while others can only be reached on foot or by boat.
Schinoussa is therefore suitable for those who like to explore different beaches in the course of their holiday. Let us take a look at the most beautiful ones.
Tsigouri1 is the easiest beach on Schinoussa to reach and therefore one of the most popular. Don’t imagine a noisy beach, there is plenty of space to get away from everyone.
From the Chora, one only has to descend an asphalt road for less than half a kilometre to reach a sandy beach of dark sand about 200 metres long, bordered behind by a row of tamarisk trees and washed by an inviting clear blue sea. From here one can enjoy a beautiful view of Iraklia and the islet of Venetiko.
Tsigouri beach is free but there is a bar-restaurant and a beach volleyball court.
The beach of Livadi2 has similar characteristics, perhaps suitable for those seeking more tranquillity; there is also a tavern here.
On the other hand, you will not find any bars on or near the beach if you go to Psili Ammos3, a small sandy beach on the north-east coast washed by a sea of a beautiful blue colour. It can be reached on foot from Chora in 45 minutes; you can also get there by car but at a certain point the asphalt road ends and you have to continue on a dirt road.
Other beaches not to be missed are Almyros4, Lioliou5 and Gerolimnionas6. For those who want to take a last dip before embarking home, there is a nice beach near the port of Mersini7.
Schinoussa is an island for those who only want to holiday by the sea. The only notable attractions are its beaches, plus the island’s three villages and the often unmarked paths for those who want to stretch their legs.
The activities that will fill your days on the island will therefore be beach life, walks, dinners at taverns and chatting with the locals. What to do in Schinousa is all here.
The main town on the island is Chora or Panagia: it sits atop a small hill overlooking the island’s main port but is not visible when arriving by sea. Its location is not accidental, in fact it was chosen because it offered initial protection against pirate attacks.
Chora has only one road that can be called such (the rest are dirt tracks and footpaths), a handful of clubs and shops selling the essentials, at most a few souvenirs. It is certainly not a shopping or nightlife mecca.
Having said that, if you like chatting in the square, you will love Chora: in the evening, everyone flocks to its small centre and it is easy to start chatting with the locals and then meet again together for drinks several hours later. Everyone knows each other here and even newcomers are soon integrated into the quiet island routine.
Its landmark building is the Church of Panagia Akathi, dedicated to the Virgin: it is a typical Cycladic-style church with white walls and a blue dome. A traditional procession starts from here on 15 August.
Mersini is the main port of Schinoussa, the arrival and departure point for ferries from Athens and the neighbouring islands. Main harbour is perhaps a haughty name for what is in fact just a pier, but considering that it is only 2 km from Chora and boasts some inviting little fish restaurants with sea views Mersili is worth more time than it takes to disembark and embark.
Here, too, a festival is celebrated in honour of a saint: in this case it is Agios Nikolas, the patron saint of sailors. The festivity, however, falls in a month when tourists are not seen in these parts, namely December.
The second settlement of Schinoussa, Mesaria, is even smaller than Chora: it is just a small group of typical blue and white Cycladic houses with a total of twenty inhabitants. It is found along the road from Chora to the enchanting beach of Psili Ammos.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Although the island is very small, staying overnight on Schinoussa is almost a must because the ferry timetables make a day trip from other islands virtually impossible.
As accommodation on Schinoussa is few and far between, it is essential to book in advance, preferably well in advance, so as not to risk being stranded on the island without knowing where to stay.
If you plan ahead, you can choose between studios and flats with a sea view, b&b’s in the Chora and more luxurious solutions such as villas and boutique hotels. In general, the rooms and houses on Schinoussa are in the medium-high price range, without, however, reaching the exorbitant prices of the more chic islands.
Getting to Schinoussa requires a little patience and organisation. The island does not have an airport so it is not possible to arrive by plane; it also has no direct connection to the more famous islands, except for a local ship to Mykonos that runs only once a week.
The easiest and cheapest way to reach Schinoussa is to take a cheap flight to Athens, travel to the port of Piraeus and from there take a ferry. The sea crossing from Athens to Schinoussa takes about nine hours.
The other possibility is to combine a holiday in Naxos with a couple of days in the quieter Schinoussa. Naxos can be reached from Athens by plane or ferry, then travel to Schinoussa by boat. The journey takes less than two hours, is cheap and runs daily.
Both the ferry from Athens and the ferry from Naxos make stops at all the islands of the Lesser Cyclades, so with careful planning it is possible to organise an island hopping holiday in the archipelago. A perfect combination is Schinoussa-Koufonissi: it only takes half an hour to travel from one island to the other.
Schinoussa is part of the Lesser Cyclades, an archipelago of six Greek islands in the southern Aegean, located between Naxos and Amorgos.
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