Koukounaries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Statistics
Koukounaries or Strofylia Κουκουναριές
Prefecture:	Magnesia prefecture
Province and Island Chain:	Northern Sporades
Municipality and Island:	Skopelos
Number of municipal districts:	1 (Agios Nikitas - seat)
Founding of settlement:	1964
Population: (2001) - Percent of the municipality	126 2.05%
Altitude: -lowest: -centre:	around 5 m
Postal code:	GR-370 02
Area/distance code:	11-(00)30-24270
Car designation:	`BO`

Koukounaries (Greek: Κουκουναριές, meaning "pine cones" after the trees surrounding the beach), is a site on the island Skiathos (part of the Sporades), 16 km southwest of Skiathos Town, Greece. Koukounaries was once known as Maratha (Μάραθα). Koukounaries is well known for Koukounaries Beach, also known as "Chrisi Ammos" (Greek: Χρυσή Άμμος, meaning "golden sand") since the sand there is extremely fine. Until 1964 when Skiathos was designated by the Greek National Tourism Organisation as a development zone for tourism, Skiathos town was the only settlement on the island. Following the GNTO's decision a coast road connecting Skiathos town to Koukounaries was built. At the same time the first large scale hotel on the island was built in Koukounaries. Currently, Koukounaries is a popular tourist destination during the summer. There is a large variety of hotels, hostels, camping sites, tavernas, restaurants, bars, "ouzeri", and cafes.

1 Population
2 Koukounaries Beach
3 Other
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Population

Year	Village Population	Percent of the municipality	Change
2001	126	2.05%	-47 or -41.96%

[edit] Koukounaries Beach

Koukounaries beach.

The beach in Koukounaries is run by the Municipality of Skiathos. The beach is fully equipped with (relatively inexpensive) beach bars, (clean) toilets, showers, water sport facilities, lifeguard towers and a marina. It is approximately 1.5 km long, a good 15 minutes walk from one end to the other. Between the beach and the main coastal road, there is the lagoon of Strofylia which together with the forest of Koukounaries form a rare aquatic natural habitat and are protected under the supervision of the Municipality of Skiathos.