Agios Ioannis

Fans of the Mama Mia films may recognise this little chapel on this outcrop of rock at the north of the island.

We didn’t want to go on the organised coach tour (for fear they’d have us singing ABBA songs all day!) so we were up early to catch the  
7am bus to Glossa, Skopelos’s other main town, similarly perched high on a hill.

Glossa wasn’t quite awake when we got there but we did find a bakery open for a croissant and coffee before spotting a taxi driver to take us the 15 minute twisting drive to the chapel.

It was well worth getting there before 9 as we had it all to ourselves for half an hour, meaning we could take our time tackling those steep steps to the top and it was all rather magical and, dare I say, romantic.

The interior of the chapel is far too small to have staged the wedding seen in the film which was shot on set, but is still very picturesque.

We got back down to the little cafe from where this blip was taken just before the coach party arrived and, after some liquid refreshment on our part, the cafe owner kindly phoned our taxi driver to pick us up and return us to Glossa.

From here we walked the 3k downhill to the port of Loutraki where we spent a pleasant hour or more in a taverna by the waters edge in the company of some sardines, tzatsiki  aGreek salad and a beer.

The early afternoon bus meant we were back in time for a swim in the hotel pool before the evening meal.