Schinoussa

Never heard of this island?
Rest assured, it’s perfectly normal.
Only a select group of Athenian regulars and connoisseurs spend their summers here: a quiet, no-fuss gathering in one of the Cyclades’ best-preserved secrets.
Welcome to Schinoussa.

Its authenticity, liveliness and the beauty of its natural landscapes have attracted wealthy shipowning families who have bought up entire peninsulas on this 8 ^km2 rock.
Living in total secrecy during their visits, these families have distilled a certain art of living on the island, which offers magnificent restaurants and bars in season.

What you notice when you arrive are the superyachts moored in the main marina below the island.
What you notice next are the secluded beaches (with nobody on them!) and the ultra-cool atmosphere, extending to the total absence of police, as no islander has agreed to rent land for a police station…
The mood is set.

On Schinoussa, time is diluted into a serene eternity.
The hours here seem suspended, guided by the slow movement of the sun.
The island’s inhabitants will quickly make you understand that here, pleasures are conjugated in the present tense, that what’s essential is revealed in the moment and in conviviality, and that here you can taste the flavour of simple happiness.
We’re happy to let ourselves be swept away by this salutary sweetness.

Schinoussa has succeeded in remaining authentic and agricultural, while promoting a certain taste for aesthetics.
This artistic bent combined with a strong earthly anchorage contributes to the unique atmosphere found here.
The mystical proximity of the famous uninhabited island of Keros contributes to the island’s ambient serenity.

In this paradise-like setting, gentle hills embrace the sea with a green glow, a striking contrast, a visual symphony.
Step by step, unspoilt paths invite you to explore, to discover immaculate landscapes, secrets guarded by this land blessed by the gods, where Mediterranean vegetation flourishes with grace.

On this land, the main village emerges, its sunny roofs blending into the sky.
Built on a hill to defend its inhabitants from pirate attacks, Chora is hard to make out at first glance.
In its winding lanes, human warmth spreads like a timeless melody, giving rhythm to the ballet of languidly stretching days.

The average age of Schinoussa’s residents is relatively young, with the arrival of people in their thirties who have come to live here year-round, helping to keep life livelier than elsewhere.
And that’s without counting the island’s oldest resident, Margarita, who comes to sit down every evening in the main street to take a breather and chat with the strollers, including those who don’t speak Greek like we do.
Her daughter tells us that, at almost 100, Margarita has never left Schinoussa, not even to spend a day on Naxos or the other Little Cyclades.

As elsewhere in the Lesser Cyclades, the island offers sumptuous beaches.
The numerous crevices in the coastline form a multitude of beaches, often small, sometimes hidden and always charming.
Our favorites are the beaches of Psili Ammos, on the northeast coast, a paradise of fine sand.
Wild, the beach seems to be at the end of the world, guarded by a few giant tamarisk trees.
At the end of the day, Gerolimnionas beach, accessible by a small path, is lovely and faces due west.
For lunch, Tsigouri is a good option.
Close to Chora, this long sandy bay is shaded by tall tamarisk trees and also boasts a beach bar for lunch.

Isolated and unspoilt, Schinoussa is an authentic, chic island that has retained its Greek soul, with all its warmth, playfulness and spontaneity.
For many, the feeling of well-being here turns into love at first sight.
We were no exception.