Agios Ioannis Beach

The beach of Agios Ioannis is located 20 kilometers northwest of Skopelos town (the capital)  and 8 kilometers from the village of Glossa, on the northern side of the island of Skopelos.

It has a narrow pebble beach, a transparent turquoise sea, rocks and the splendid Monastery dedicated to St. John, the Church of Agios Ioannis, which stands out majestically on the top of the rocks! More precisely at 100 meters above sea level. This Monastery became famous after the film "Mamma Mia!" Which toured the wedding scene in this beautiful church. After 105 stone steps, quite steep but complete with a handrail, you can visit the small, desecrated monastery and admire the splendid panorama of the beach and the coasts of the island of Alonissos that Agios Ioannis gives us from this height!

How is Agios Ioannis beach?

The beach of Agios Ioannis is not very crowded in the morning (let's say until 10.00), it is quite isolated and has no tourist facilities nearby, so we advise you to have everything you need to spend a wonderful day without worries.
After 10.00 am various boats begin to arrive to accompany tourists, and the presence of a rather small beach does not help much to make this place not very crowded .. but far from it (unfortunately)!
On the beach you can admire the typical Aegean flora and swim in the beautiful crystal clear waters. It is ideal for snorkeling, but on windy days it is not the right place because the beach of Agios Ioannis is not sheltered from the winds.
The only cafeteria / tavern that you can find is the one near the Monastery, which also allows the hire of sunbeds and umbrellas. Here you can pass by when you park your car along the road. Since you can't use the car to go to the beach, you can only get there on foot via a short path and a few steps.
Sun beds and umbrellas are available for € 8 a day.

What does the legend of the Monastery of Agios Ioannis narrate?

The date of construction of the Monastery of Agios Ioannis is still unknown today. But we know that there is a legend that hovers over this church.

If you go to the local people it will be a pleasure to tell you what happened so many years ago.

One day a resident of the area saw a glow coming from the top of the rock, he did not give a particular meaning to this inexplicable light and at first he decided not to give it much importance. One night, however, he had a strange dream and a mysterious woman spoke to him and told him to go to the top of the rock, adding that he should do it with the other residents to look for an icon. So the next morning the resident did what the woman said and gathered the whole community together explaining what had happened. All those present began to dig up the rock and found the icon of St. John. They carried the statue in the nearby chapel, but the next day they found no trace of it. They found it again a little later in the same place where it had been found the first time, or in the rock. People took it as a sign of the saint, a way to tell them that the icon had to stay there. So above the place of the discovery we were built by this evocative Monastery.


This beach with the suggestive Monastery will have the power to fascinate you as few beaches in the world. Visiting it is a must if you are on vacation on the island of Skopelos!