Full season. Every taverna and beach bar on the island is open, including the remote north-coast places. Sunbeds, watersports, dive centres and boat trips are all running at capacity.
The bus is at its full-stretch timetable: every 15 minutes, roughly 07:00 to midnight. That holds from late June to early September. There are cultural events at Bourtzi, the fortified headland between the old and new harbours.
The meltemi is at its strongest in July and August. It is the dry northerly wind that blows across the Aegean, it can run for days, and it reaches 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale. Skiathos sits in the lee of the Pelion peninsula, so it is materially weaker here than in the Cyclades. The rule on a windy day is to go south, which is where almost every resort beach already is.
Boat trips are what the wind affects. Lalaria and the sea caves cannot be entered in a strong meltemi, so book early in your stay and keep days in reserve.
A Sunday between 2 and 8 July marks the finding of the Eikonistria icon. It is a deliberately floating Sunday rather than a fixed date, and we have one source for it.
Crowds: Busy. Prices: High.
