White houses, a picturesque maze of little alleys within the town, the traditional celebrations and rituals, the clear glance of the Skyrian.

All these along with the myth compose the most important characteristic of Skyros.

 

The houses are made with stone and the roofs with ‘dark earth' as they call the special, light, insulating compound that the Skyrians use instead of tiles

 

 The ceilings are covered with beams and reeds. This is both a means of insulation and a decorative element.

 

The main street of the island starts from the square. This street is narrow as well as the streets of Horio, full of turns and surprises.

 

 

 Little alleys ramify like branches and lead you to the very last edge of Horio. Traditional houses, yards filled with flowers, picturesque balconies, stone stairs, characteristic domes are the beauty of the island.

 

Behind every corner there is a little church. 
 • Zodohos Pigi (Lifegiving Source) or Eleimonitria, the Virgin Mary of the shepherds.
• Isodia tis Theotokou (The Presentation of the Virgin Mary), the church of the Virgin Mary Melikarou (of the Hyacinths), because on the day of its celebration on 21st November, the hyacinths blossom.
• Arhontopanagia (The Lady Mary) in Megali Strata, which is the Virgin Mary of the upper classes of the island.
 

At the end of the uphill route lays Megali Strata, which has once been the area where the upper classes lived. At the end of the road you will find the entrance of Saint George of the Castle, which is now locked due to a big earthquake.