Limnonari Beach, Skopelos: The “Lake of Ares” Where a Calcium Seabed Slab Makes the Shallow Water Feel Like Swimming in a Pool

Greece | Limnonari | Skopelos, Northern Sporades

There are two versions of Limnonari’s name. The first has to do with mythology: the Greek god Ares gave the name to the beach because he was fascinated by its beauty. “Limni” in Greek stands for the lake. So Limnonari stands for the lake of Ares. The second version has to do with the morphology of the gulf. The bay is closed and very well protected from all winds, especially from the north. Due to that, the water remains always calm as if it were in a lake. Limnonari in Greek means the small lake, and that is the best description for this tranquil beach.

Pleasingly sheltered and sandy white Limnonari, 8km southwest of Skopelos Town and 1.5km northwest of Agnontas, is graced by a couple of summer tavernas, some low-key apartments and a smattering of sunbeds.

The seabed is the specific quality that makes Limnonari different from every other Skopelos beach. Limnonari Beach is not popular only due to the crystal clear waters, the white sand, and the protection from the winds, but also because of the slab of calcium that exists in the shallow water. So you should be careful with the sea stones when you enter it. The rocks are mainly at the entrance of Limnonari Beach. While you are going deeper, they become less and the seabed gets so perfect that you are not sure if you are in the sea or in a pool.

Getting There: 9.5km from Skopelos Town, 10 Minutes by Car, Bus Stop 1km Walk, Sharp Bends on the Final Stretch

Limnonari Beach is approximately 9.5 km from Skopelos Town. By car from Skopelos Chora, you will need about 10 minutes. The route is extremely beautiful, with some turns, like all the distances on the green Skopelos island, due to the fact that the road is in the pine tree forest. Though you should pay more attention at the end of the way because it gets narrower and the bends are sharper. Access is easy, and there is a free parking site.

Limnonari is 1.5 km from Agnontas Beach and 5 km from Stafylos Beach. The route is wonderful in the green nature of Skopelos. You have to be careful towards the end of the route because the road is narrow and turns. There is also boat access.

By island bus, the bus stop is 1 km away from Limnonari Beach. So you have to walk a little bit. The bus runs from Skopelos Town through Agnontas and the stop for Limnonari is on the main road above the beach. The 1-kilometre walk down to the beach from the bus stop passes through the pine forest and the coastal path with views over the bay.

The sea approach is easy and the approach on road is just past Agnontas, on a sharp bend. If on foot and using the bus then there is a walk involved, but it is an easy walk down a lovely coast route. As you approach you see the natural cove open in front of you — one of the best vistas ever.

The Beach: White Sand and Pebble, Calcium Slab Seabed, Slippery Entry Rocks, Sandier and Shallower at the North End

Some people call Limnonari “the white beach” of Skopelos because of the white colour of its sand. The sand is mixed with pebbles and there are some flat rocky plates around the shore and in the water but the beach looks beautiful. The sea floor in the north end of the beach is sandier and water is relatively shallow, without waves.

The flat stones that cover the seabed at places might be a bit slippery, but they should not pose a problem, especially if you come equipped with a pair of water shoes.

The specific programme: use the north end of the beach for the shallower, sandier, gentler entry — the family section. The calcium slab section is the snorkelling and swimming area, reached after navigating the slippery entry stones. The beach is very pebbly and the sea is the clearest, most gorgeous turquoise you could imagine.

Water shoes are the practical preparation. The calcium seabed plates are beautiful to look at and slippery to walk on. The reward for getting past the entry is the specific pool-like quality that the sheltered bay and the clean seabed produce — the water clarity that the calcium reflection below and the pine tree green above combine to create.

Limnonari Taverna: 50+ Years of Operation, Own Olive Oil, Own Honey, Cheese Pie at Breakfast

Limnonari Taverna operates for more than 50 years. The menu is rich with dishes from the Mediterranean and the local cuisine. The raw materials consist exclusively of local products, such as local meat, fresh fish, and vegetables. The owner himself produces olive oil and the honey is from his own hives. From the cooked dishes, you must definitely taste the goat in tomato sauce, but also the traditional moussaka as well as the fresh calamari in the frying pan.

Limnonari Taverna remains open all day, giving you the idyllic view of Limnonari Beach, offering delicious breakfast, coffee, homemade twisted cheese pie, and evening cocktails.

The 50-year operation is the specific credibility marker — the family taverna that has been serving the beach since before Skopelos became the Mamma Mia island. The second taverna and the Apanemo beach bar round out the eating and drinking options directly at the beach.

We drove there three times for lunch — if we had found the place sooner in our holiday then I am sure it would have been more.

The Mamma Mia Connection and Skopelos

Skopelos is the island where most of the outdoor scenes in the 2008 Mamma Mia! film were shot — the cliff-top church of Agios Ioannis (the wedding location), the pine forest paths, the village of Glossa. Limnonari was not a filming location, but the island’s fame from the film significantly increased visitor numbers to all its beaches including Limnonari.

The Mamma Mia! chapel at Agios Ioannis — 250 steps up a cliff on the northeast corner of the island — is 24 kilometres from Limnonari. Both can be visited in a single day from Skopelos Town: Limnonari for the swim and lunch, the Agios Ioannis cliff for the afternoon view.

The Agnontas Connection: The Olympic Village 1.5km North

The fishing village of Agnontas derives its name from the ancient Greek champion Agnontas, who achieved victory in the 53rd Olympiad in 568 BC. The village 1.5 kilometres north is the nearest settlement to Limnonari — a few tavernas, a small harbour with fishing boats, boat rentals, and the bus stop for Limnonari visitors arriving without a car.

Limnonari Beach on Skopelos is the “small lake” named after Ares or after its lake-like calm — horseshoe bay 9.5 kilometres southwest of Skopelos Town, calcium seabed slab in the shallows (beautiful, slippery, bring water shoes), sandy and shallower at the north end, the Limnonari Taverna operating for 50+ years with its own olive oil and honey, the bus stop 1 kilometre above the beach, free parking, and the bay calm even when the Meltemi is running elsewhere on the island.

Drive past Agnontas on the sharp bend. Follow the road down to the bay.

Enter from the north end if the rocks concern you. The taverna opens for breakfast.