Maratha Beach, Skiathos: The Narrow Pine-Backed Sandy Cove 500m Before Koukounaries, Bus Stop 22, on Land That Used to Be Called Maratha Before 1964 When Tourism Renamed Everything

Greece | Maratha | Skiathos, Northern Sporades

Before 1964, the entire southwestern corner of Skiathos was called Maratha. Then the Greek National Tourism Organisation designated Skiathos as a special development zone, a paved road connected the town to the southwest coast, and the first large-scale resort was built. The area was rebranded Koukounaries — after the stone pine (pinus pinea, koukounaria) trees that back the beach — and the name Maratha was left to the smaller beach 500 metres east. What the smaller beach gained from this arrangement is the more useful characteristic: the pine trees and the sheltered bay without the crowds of the island’s most famous beach 500 metres away.

Maratha Beach is 11 kilometres southwest of Skiathos Town, reached by bus stop 22 on the main south coast route. The stop before Koukounaries (stop 26) and the same pine-forest landscape — but narrower, somewhat more secluded, and with fewer visitors arriving at any given moment. The beach is organised with sunbeds and umbrellas, a beach bar is on site, and the pine trees at the back of the beach provide natural shade for those who prefer trees to paid umbrellas.

The water is clear, the entry gradual, the sea calm — the southwest coast of Skiathos is consistently sheltered from the northern winds by the island’s topography, which is why the beaches here are more reliably calm than the northern shores.

Getting There: 11km Southwest of Skiathos Town, Bus Stop 22, or 10-Minute Walk From Koukounaries

The main Skiathos bus runs from Skiathos Town (stop 0) to Koukounaries (stop 26) along the south coast, with buses every 10 minutes in peak season. Maratha is bus stop 22. The journey from Skiathos Town takes approximately 25 to 28 minutes.

By car, follow the main coastal road southwest for 11 kilometres. A small parking area near bus stop 22 is available — limited in space, and in July and August early arrival is the consistent advice.

From Koukounaries, Maratha is a 10-minute walk through the pines heading east. The path is shaded and pleasant.

The Beach: Narrow, Sandy, Pine-Shaded, Well-Organised, Calm Clear Water

The beach is narrow compared to the broader southern Skiathos beaches — the pine trees come close to the sand, which creates the specific enclosed character that makes it feel more private than beaches of comparable organisation. The sand is fine and golden. The water is clear and shallow.

The beach bar covers refreshments. Nearby restaurants and accommodation of various categories are within the surrounding Maratha–Koukounaries area. The combination of the beach bar, the pine shade, and the calm water makes it a complete day without requiring anything from further away.

Koukounaries: 500m West, the Island’s Most Famous Beach

Koukounaries — fine sand, the Strophilia lagoon behind it, the dense pine forest that gives it the name, and the consistent claim to being one of the best beaches in the Mediterranean — is 500 metres west. Bus stop 26. The comparison is the specific Skiathos southwest coast decision: Koukounaries for the famous beach in full resort mode, Maratha for the similar landscape and water with fewer people and the same bus route.

Troulos and Katharina: The Next Beaches East

Troulos and Katharina are the beaches immediately east of Maratha on the same bus route, both offering the same pine-backed south coast character with their own specific layouts. The south coast day programme between the stops is the accessible version of exploring the island without a hire car.

Maratha Beach on Skiathos is the narrow pine-backed sandy cove 500 metres before Koukounaries — bus stop 22, organised with sunbeds and umbrellas, pine shade at the back, beach bar, calm clear shallow water, the whole area was called Maratha before 1964 when tourism renamed it, Koukounaries 10-minute walk west for the famous beach in full resort mode, Troulos and Katharina east on the same bus route, and limited parking near the stop.

Take the bus from Skiathos Town. Get off at stop 22. Stay for the pines.