ELIVI Skiathos
ELIVI Skiathos is an independent five-star resort on the Punta peninsula, at the south-western tip of Skiathos in the Sporades islands of Greece. It's built on the site of the historic 1960s Xenia Hotel, beside a protected pine-and-olive wetland, with 161 rooms and suites spread across four sections and four sandy beaches to itself. Families come for the beaches, the design-led rooms and the calm setting, and take it on bed and breakfast.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who it suits, how the board and the layout work, then the facts to skim before the detail.
ELIVI Skiathos is at the premium end of the island's hotels, noticeably more expensive than the Skiathos Princess and Kassandra Bay. It's an independent five-star resort rather than part of a chain, and it runs on bed and breakfast: breakfast is included and everything else is à la carte and paid, with restaurant prices high even by resort standards. The rooms and suites are split between four sections on the headland, so getting around means a walk or a golf-buggy ride. What you get for the price is four sandy beaches from one resort, design-led rooms and a calm, protected setting.
Families single out the beaches and their variety, the thick cushioned loungers, the room finishes, the breakfast and the warmth of the staff. The recurring gripes are the high dining cost, the spread-out layout and the 30-minute distance from town with little to eat nearby. The one thing to weigh hardest is age: there's no crèche and no provision for babies or toddlers under four, so the resort suits families with children of about four and up far better than those with a baby.
Best for
You want four sandy beaches, design-led rooms and a calm setting, your children are around four or older and you're happy to pay for dinner out each night.
Maybe not for
You have a baby or under-four and want childcare, you're on a budget, or you want everything a short flat walk apart.
Best ages
Around four and up. A kids club is aimed at roughly that age; there's no crèche or structured care for babies and toddlers under four.
What stands out
Four sandy beaches from one resort, a pine-and-olive setting beside a protected wetland, and thick cushioned loungers guests name in reviews.
What to check
It runs on bed and breakfast, so budget for dinners out, and the sections are spread over a headland with golf-buggy rides between them.
Where is it?
On the Punta peninsula at the south-western tip of Skiathos, in the Sporades islands of Greece, about a 20 to 25 minute drive from the airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
Where it sits, how the four sections are spread out and what that means for getting around.
ELIVI sits on the Punta peninsula at the south-western tip of Skiathos, in the Sporades. It's built on the site of the historic Xenia Hotel, a 1960s building that stood abandoned for 18 years before the resort redeveloped it, which is why the original architectural character was kept rather than built over. Behind the beaches lies the Strofylia wetland, a Natura 2000 protected area of pine and olive forest, so the setting is green and calm rather than a strip of hotels. It's an independent five-star resort, not part of a chain, holding a licence from MHTE, the Greek tourism ministry's hotel registration body (licence 1122Κ000Α3344566), and certified to ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 22000 for food safety.
The 161 rooms and suites are split across four distinct sections spread over the headland, and this is the single most important thing to picture before you book, because they don't share one compact site. The Xenia hotel is the main two-storey building with the reception and the fine-dining restaurants; the Grace rooms and suites sit down on Ambelakia Beach beside it; and across a wooded path, on their own side of the peninsula, are Nest Grove among the olive groves above Big Banana Beach and Nest Infinity, the highest part of the resort, above Little Banana Beach with sea and mainland views. The Xenia and Grace side and the Nest side are separated enough that getting between them is about a five-minute golf-buggy ride.
Golf buggies, the resort's electric carts, run between the sections and you call one when you need it. The alternative is walking, but the route has hills and, between the two sides, leaves the main path, so it isn't comfortable with a pushchair. Early in the season the buggies may not serve every section promptly while parts of the resort are still opening up, which is worth knowing if you're travelling in May. For the wider island, its other beaches and when to go, see our Skiathos guide.
Every restaurant and bar
The two breakfast rooms, the four à la carte restaurants, the seven bars and what it all costs on bed and breakfast.
The resort runs on bed and breakfast, so breakfast is the only meal in your rate. There are six restaurants: two breakfast rooms and four you pay for by the dish, split between the Xenia side and the Nest side so most guests eat near where they sleep. Which are open depends on the date, since the Nest venues start later in the season than the Xenia ones.
Xenia Breakfast Restaurant is the main morning room, an international buffet from 07:00 to 10:45 on a terrace looking over Koukounaries Beach, with eggs cooked to order, pancakes and waffles alongside the buffet and vegetarian, vegan and allergen options. It's popular and can get busy. Nest Breakfast Restaurant is the equivalent on the Nest side, the same buffet in a more informal setting among the olive trees over Big Banana Beach, opening from 24 May 2026 and suiting guests staying in the Nest.
Leda & The Swan is the main dinner restaurant, Mediterranean and à la carte from 19:00 to 22:45 on the Xenia terrace, olive-oil-led with fresh fish and traditional Greek pies, and a fine-dining feel. Hagoromo, beside the Xenia, is Japanese and Nikkei, à la carte for dinner over the same hours, with sushi carrying Peruvian influences and a more contemporary, less formal atmosphere. Grace Comfort Food, also called La Trattoria Delicata, is the lunch option near Ambelakia Beach, Mediterranean comfort food from 12:00 to 17:00 with pizzas and pasta under the pines; it's the most relaxed of the venues and the easiest with children. Nest Greek Fish Restaurant sits above Big Banana Beach on the Nest side, Greek fish and seafood meze for lunch and dinner in a taverna setting, opening from 24 May 2026 and the most casual place to eat in the evening on that side. Room service is available, with a menu drawn from the main restaurants.
A children's menu turned up at Leda & The Swan and at Hagoromo in first-hand accounts, but not at Grace, the Nest Greek Fish Restaurant or the breakfast rooms, and it isn't confirmed on the current official pages, so treat it as something we've seen rather than a fixture at every venue.
How dining works, and what to budget
There's no half-board or all-inclusive tier, so every lunch and dinner is paid by the dish, and the restaurants are expensive even for a luxury resort. A family eating in the resort each evening should budget for that as a real cost of the holiday, not a small add-on.
There are seven bars. On the Xenia side the Elevate Bar is the main lobby bar, open 09:00 to 01:00 with 1960s décor, cocktails and music. Two pool bars serve drinks and snacks through the day, 10:00 to 18:00: the Grace Pool Bar beside the 90 m² Grace pool and the Nest Pool Bar beside the 200 m² Nest pool. Each beach has its own bar, opening as the season builds: the Xenia Beach Bar on Koukounaries and the Grace Beach Bar on Ambelakia from early May, both from 09:00 with light dishes, cocktails and wines; the Nest Beach Bar on Big Banana from mid-May, with light snacks and quiet background music; and the Black Bird Beach Bar on Little Banana from late May, from 11:00 with upbeat music and a younger crowd. Little Banana is a public naturist beach according to first-hand reports, covered in the beaches section below.
Rooms and suites
Every room and suite with its official size, the two shared pools and the private ones, then the four beaches below.
Rooms sit in all four sections, and which one you book matters as much as the room itself, because it sets which beach and pool you're beside and how far you are from the Xenia restaurants. The table below is the full line-up with the official sizes and occupancy; the guidance after it is which suit a family, and why.
| Room | Size | Floor | Sleeps | Section | Private water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Xenia | 23 m² + 7 m² balcony | Upper | 2 adults | Xenia | None; pine forest view |
| Double Xenia Swim Up | 28 m² | Ground | 2 adults | Xenia | Plunge pool (chlorine-free) |
| Double Supreme Deluxe | 34 m² | Upper | 2 adults + 1 child | Grace | None; balcony |
| Junior Suite with Hot Tub | 34–41 m² | Upper | 2 adults + 1 child (or 3 adults) | Grace | 2-person hot tub |
| Junior Suite, Private Pool | 34–41 m² | Upper/terrace | 2 adults + 2 children | Grace | Private pool |
| Beachfront Junior Suite | 43 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 1 child | Grace | Pool 11–15 m², on Ambelakia Beach |
| Beachfront Suite | 43 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 2 children | Grace | Pool 16–21 m², a step from the sea |
| The GRACE Suite | 86 m² (2 bedrooms) | Ground | 4 adults + 1 child | Grace | Pool 23 m² + 2-person hot tub |
| Double Supreme Deluxe Upper Floor | 31 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 1 child | Nest Grove | None; balcony |
| Junior Suite Hot Tub | 36 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Grove | 2-person hot tub |
| Junior Suite with Private Pool | 36 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 1 child | Nest Grove | Private pool 27 m² |
| Premium Suite Hot Tub | 52 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Grove | 2-person hot tub |
| Premium Suite, Private Pool | 52 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Grove | Private pool 27 m² |
| The Sunset Suite | 98 m² (2 bedrooms) | 1st | 4 adults | Nest Grove | 2-person hot tub |
| The NEST Suite | 98 m² (2 bedrooms) | Ground | 4 adults | Nest Grove | Private pool 27 m² |
| Interconnected Suite Hot Tub | 70 m² (2 bedrooms) | 1st | 4 adults + 1 child | Nest Grove | 2-person hot tub, connecting door |
| Interconnected Suite Private Pool | 70 m² (2 bedrooms) | Ground | 4 adults + 1 child | Nest Grove | Private pool 27 m², connecting door |
| Seafront Suite | 50 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Grove | 2-person hot tub |
| The SWAN Villa | 200 m² (4 bedrooms) | 2-storey | 8 adults | Nest Grove | Pool 36 m²; full kitchen, dining for 8 |
| Double Supreme Deluxe Upper Floor | 31 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 1 child | Nest Infinity | None; balcony, sea views |
| Junior Suite Hot Tub | 36 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 1 child | Nest Infinity | 2-person hot tub |
| Junior Suite Private Pool | 36 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 1 child | Nest Infinity | Private pool 27 m² |
| Premium Suite Hot Tub | 52 m² | 1st | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Infinity | 2-person hot tub |
| Premium Suite, Private Pool | 52 m² | Ground | 2 adults + 2 children | Nest Infinity | Private pool 27 m² |
| Interconnected Suite Hot Tub | 70 m² (2 bedrooms) | 1st | 4 adults + 1 child | Nest Infinity | 2-person hot tub, connecting door |
| Interconnected Suite Private Pool | 70 m² (2 bedrooms) | Ground | 4 adults + 1 child | Nest Infinity | Two private pools 27 m² each, connecting door |
The two Xenia doubles, at 23 to 28 m², are the smallest rooms and are sized for two adults, so a family will be more comfortable in the Grace or Nest sections, which take children. For separate sleep zones, the best options are the Interconnected Suites in Nest Grove or Nest Infinity: 70 m² over two proper bedrooms with a connecting door, so a child can sleep behind a closed door. For one child right on the sand, the Grace Beachfront Suites at 43 m² are ground-floor, on Ambelakia Beach, with their own small pool. For the most space and a safe private pool to keep an eye on toddlers in, the two-bedroom Grace Suite (86 m², a 23 m² pool and a hot tub) gives you room to spread out.
Most Nest and Grace suites come with a private pool, from 11 to 36 m² depending on the category, or a two-person hot tub. The two shared pools are treated by electrolysis rather than chlorine, but the Nest and Grace private pools don't state a treatment method, so if that matters with a small child it's worth asking the resort. A private pool is not fenced, which is the main thing to weigh with a toddler.
Across the Grace and Nest categories the rooms come with a super king bed (200 x 210cm) in the suites or a king bed (180 x 200cm) in the rooms, cotton bathrobes, beach towels, a 43 or 49 inch IPTV, free Wi-Fi and a mini fridge and coffee maker, which is worth flagging if you need to keep milk or baby food cool in the room. The Xenia rooms add a shower with hydromassage and a steam bath. The finishes are a strength in reviews, but a few style-over-substance niggles come up worth knowing before you pack: the marble sink in the Xenia rooms has little shelf space and no plug, some towel hooks are set high, the touchpad room controls have their quirks and the second bedroom in the larger suites has no reading lamp by the bed.
Pools and water features
There are two shared pools, one on each side of the resort. The Nest Pool is the larger, 200 m² among the pine and olive trees on the Nest side, treated by electrolysis rather than chlorine; guests with young children have found its gently sloping floor well-suited to family swimming, which makes it the more child-friendly of the two. The Grace Pool is 90 m² in the main hotel area overlooking the sea, also treated by electrolysis rather than chlorine, and described officially as one for the afternoon and more of an adult-leisure pool than a splashing-about one. Both have their own pool bar alongside.
Beyond the shared pools, most of the Nest and Grace suites have a private pool or hot tub, as set out in the room table. There's no dedicated toddler or baby paddling pool and no splash pad, so the shallow, sloping edge of the Nest Pool is the closest thing to a shallow-water facility for the very young. One safety point runs through the whole resort: the terraced headland setting has unprotected drops and unfenced pools in places, so a wandering toddler needs an eye kept on them. Lifeguards are reported at the shared pools, though the official pages don't mention them, so treat that as something to confirm on arrival rather than to count on.
The four beaches
The resort has four sandy beaches along the Punta peninsula. All are technically public under Greek law, but each has reserved sections for guests with sunbeds and umbrellas, and the thick cushioned loungers are something guests single out. Each section of the resort sits above or beside one of them.
Koukounaries is the famous one: a wide, long sweep of sand with turquoise water, a pine-and-olive backdrop and the Strofylia wetland behind it, historically a Blue Flag beach. It shelves gently and is generally safe for young children, and it's the largest and busiest of the four, reached from the Xenia side by steps down through the pine forest or by golf buggy. Ambelakia is a small, quiet, sandy extension of Koukounaries directly in front of the Grace Beachfront Suites; it's the calmest and most sheltered, which suits very young children, though it loses the sun first in the afternoon. Big Banana is a stretched, well-organised sandy beach next to Nest Grove, with quiet background music and waiter service, described officially as one for all ages. Little Banana, below the Nest Infinity section, is a public naturist beach according to first-hand reports; the resort's Black Bird Beach Bar sits here, but the resort doesn't itself advertise or confirm the naturist use. It's worth knowing if you're booking Nest Infinity or travelling with older children.
Babies and toddlers
The kids club, the gap for under-fours, and the practical kit and safety points for a baby or toddler.
This is the section that decides the resort for a young family. There's no crèche and no structured care or programme for babies and toddlers under four, which is the most significant limitation here compared with some other Skiathos resorts. Babies and toddlers can of course stay, since there are no age restrictions on guests, but there's nothing laid on to look after them.
The kids club is aimed at children of around four and up, based on our research; the current official pages list the activities but state no minimum age, so confirm the age range and the hours with the resort directly. The activities cover painting and crafts, play and imagination, movement, gymnastics and group games, dance lessons, storytelling and relaxation, plus a kids cinema. The club sits on the Xenia and Grace side, so children staying in the Nest need a buggy ride to reach it, and it runs in an indoor windowless room with outdoor activities as well. In 2019, a first-hand review found parents could join their child for the first session, though that isn't confirmed as still the case. Its hours, cost and staffing aren't published, so email the resort to pin those down. For an evening to yourselves, babysitting can be arranged on request, though it isn't listed as a standard service on the official site, so confirm it directly before you book.
Cots and high chairs are available, but they may be limited or need pre-booking, so ask when you book rather than assuming they'll be there. Older children who can swim well can try the paid Bubble Maker session, a two-hour introduction to scuba diving in confined water for children up to eight, with a certified instructor and a first dive to six metres. The main thing to hold in mind with a baby or toddler is that the resort wasn't designed around the very young: the terraced setting has unprotected drops and unfenced pools in places, so it takes active supervision.
On resort, and the spaThings to do
On the sports side there's a hard tennis court with a coach on hand for a lesson or a hitting partner, and a clay court can be arranged off-site at Skiathos Tennis Club with the coach along; there's also a basketball court, and a fitness centre with a treadmill, bike and weights inside the spa, with a personal trainer available. An outdoor yoga studio is mentioned in our research too. In the water, the resort runs scuba diving, beginner dives to six metres and advanced to twelve, with multi-dive packages for certified divers across the island's 40-plus dive sites, and guided snorkelling trips of two to three hours with a briefing first. Beach watersports including wakeboarding, water skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing and parasailing are available at the beach according to our research, though they're not detailed on the official experiences page, so check what's running and what it costs on the day.
Off the beach, the concierge arranges boat trips: full-day sailing to Skopelos and the islet of Tsougria, a day cruise on a 50.5ft yacht, sunset dinner cruises, a traditional wooden Trehantrini boat round the island that's described as ideal for children, and a rubber-boat day cruise. On land there's a 4x4 off-road safari around the island and a morning cultural tour taking in the Papadiamantis House, the Evangelistria Monastery and a winery tasting. For getting out under your own steam there's mountain-bike rental, since Skiathos is a marked bike-friendly island, and guided or self-guided hikes including wine-tasting and medicinal-herb routes. For a special evening, a private dinner in a beach gazebo on the Nest beach can be booked, with a bespoke chef's menu and wine, five days ahead.
The ELIVI Spa is a 190 m² space using the Greek Ariadne Athens product range, an award-winning spa brand whose treatments focus on anti-ageing, detox and body and facial work. Older reviews from 2019 mention Elemis products; the resort's current site has since moved to Ariadne Athens, so treat that as the brand in use now. The spa has three treatment rooms for one or two people, an indoor heated pool, a hammam, a sauna, the fitness centre, a hair salon and manicure and pedicure services. Its own price list (checked June 2026) gives a sense of the tier: a 60-minute regenerating facial is €130, an 80-minute relaxation massage is €130 and a 30-minute eye treatment is €65, with a 10% discount on your first treatment booked through the spa. Use of the sauna, hammam and refresher pool is available to guests, though whether it's included is worth verifying when you book.
Beyond the resortThe area and days out
ELIVI is the most remote of the island's main family resorts, about 30 minutes from Skiathos Town, with very few independent restaurants or shops nearby, so eating out most nights means a car or the water taxi rather than a stroll. Skiathos Town, about 7 miles (12 km) away, is the island's only town, with the restaurants, shops, nightlife and port; a seasonal water taxi runs to it from Koukounaries Beach from around late May, and the concierge can advise on the current schedules, which change year to year. There's a single bus line along the south-coast Paralia Road with a stop near the resort, though it's slow and shared. Car hire isn't on-site but can be arranged at the airport or in town through the concierge, and it's strongly worth it for a family wanting to get out and about.
Further afield, the neighbouring islands of Skopelos, the Mamma Mia filming island, and Alonnisos are a 30 to 60 minute ferry from Skiathos Port, and day boat trips visit them and the island's boat-only beaches, among them white-pebble Lalaria with its natural rock arch, the mediaeval castle ruin at Kastro, Agia Eleni and Asselinos. Back on land, the Strofylia wetland behind Koukounaries is good for a birdwatching walk, and Skiathos claims more mapped hiking trails than any other Greek island. Skiathos Town also runs a well-known open-air sing-along cinema in summer, worth booking ahead and, like everything in town, needing transport. For the nearest shops and pharmacies, there's a small cluster near Koukounaries, with full supermarkets, pharmacies and a hospital in Skiathos Town. Our Skiathos guide has the wider picture.
Loves and gripes
What guests rate and what frustrated them, how it stacks up against the other Skiathos resorts, the journey in and the weather by month.
What families love
- The four beaches and the variety of having a different one for a different mood.
- The thick, cushioned sun loungers, named specifically in reviews.
- The quality and finish of the rooms and suites.
- The breakfast spread.
- The design and look of the place throughout.
- The Nest pool's gently sloping entry, which guests with young children have found well-suited.
- The warmth of the staff and the calm, protected setting.
Common gripes
- High restaurant prices, on a bed-and-breakfast basis with no all-inclusive option.
- The spread-out layout, needing golf-buggy transport between sections.
- The 30-minute distance from town, with limited dining nearby.
- Style-over-substance quirks in the rooms.
- An indoor kids club, less appealing early season when numbers are low.
- Service that some found inconsistent in peak season.
- Little Banana Beach, a public naturist beach according to first-hand reports (the resort doesn't advertise or confirm it), relevant for Nest Infinity guests.
On service, the picture is mostly warm: staff are consistently praised as attentive and personal, with a non-corporate feel, and the concierge, restaurant and kids-club teams come in for particular praise. Set against that are more recent reports of lacklustre, inconsistent service in peak season, when the staff are stretched, so a July or August stay may see slower, less attentive service than a June or September one.
Against the other Skiathos resortsHow it compares
The natural comparison on Skiathos is with Skiathos Princess. ELIVI has the edge on luxury, restaurant variety, the choice of four beaches and design. Skiathos Princess is much the stronger for babies and under-fours, with a crèche from four months, a Kids Eat Free policy, a named baby-kit service and a children's pool with a lifeguard, so a family with a baby will find far more laid on there. Kassandra Bay is more central, closer to town, with a water taxi from its own beach and a broader open bay; ELIVI has more restaurants, better room design and a larger site, and costs more. Mandraki Village is a small 38-room boutique property near Koukounaries, quieter and much cheaper, within walking distance of several beaches, where ELIVI has far more facilities and a higher specification. In short, ELIVI wins on quality, design and beach choice for families with children of four and up, and loses to Skiathos Princess for those with a baby or toddler.
Getting there and the best monthsGetting there and when to go
Skiathos airport (JSI) is about 9 miles (15 km) from the resort, a 20 to 25 minute drive, and the port is about 9 miles (14 km), 25 to 30 minutes. Charter flights reach Skiathos from UK airports including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Gatwick over the summer season, a flight of about three to three and a half hours; there are also scheduled flights from Athens, 35 minutes, and ferries from Volos, Agios Konstantinos and Thessaloniki. The resort's own minivan transfer costs extra and has to be arranged in advance rather than being automatic, so book it ahead if you want to be met. The resort is open from around 3 May to early October, with the Xenia and Grace side opening first and the Nest sections from around 18 to 24 May, so an early-May stay won't have every part of the resort running. For families, June and September are the months to aim for, warm with a swimmable sea and quieter beaches, away from the July and August peak for heat, crowds and price.
Standard Greece conditions apply: a valid passport is required, and the GHIC card, the UK's post-Brexit replacement for the old EHIC, covers emergency healthcare. There's no malaria risk, and while the tap water is technically safe to drink, local advice is to use bottled or filtered water.
Month by monthWeather
Skiathos has no mountain spine, so the weather is much the same across the island and the Punta peninsula tracks the general figures. The resort's May-to-October season runs from a cool-sea spring through a hot, dry midsummer to a mild autumn, with sunshine climbing from around 9 hours a day in May to a peak of 12 in July.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 25° | 13° | 40 mm | 6 | 19° |
| June | 29.5° | 18° | 25 mm | 4 | 23° |
| July | 32.5° | 20.5° | 20 mm | 2 | 26° |
| August | 32.5° | 20.5° | 25 mm | 2 | 27° |
| September | 28° | 17° | 40 mm | 5 | 25° |
| October | 22° | 12.5° | 70 mm | 7 | 22° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The resort is open from around 3 May to 4 October.
Questions
The things families ask most, the sentiment we found across review sites and where to see the photos.
Is there childcare for a baby or toddler under four?
No. There's no crèche or structured care for under-fours, and the kids club is aimed at children of around four and up. Your only option for a baby or toddler is the paid babysitting arranged on request, so confirm that with the resort before you book. If daytime childcare for a baby is the priority, the nearby Skiathos Princess runs a crèche from a few months old.
What's included, and how much should we budget for meals?
Just breakfast. Every other meal is paid separately and the restaurants are expensive, so budget for a bought lunch and dinner each day rather than treating the stay like an all-inclusive. If you'd rather not pay for dinner in every night, the water taxi or a hire car puts the cheaper tavernas in Skiathos Town within reach.
Is the airport transfer included?
No. The resort's minivan transfer costs extra and has to be arranged in advance rather than being laid on automatically. Book it ahead through the resort if you want to be met, or hire a car or use the local bus instead.
From what age is the kids club?
Our research points to around four and up. The current official pages list the club's activities but state no minimum age, so email the resort to confirm the age range, the hours and the cost before you count on it.
Is there a minimum length of stay?
The review site i-escape lists a 4-night minimum stay, but that isn't confirmed on the current official booking pages. Check the length-of-stay rules for your exact dates when you book.
Do we need to hire a car?
You can manage without one using the transfer, the local bus and the seasonal water taxi, but the resort is about 30 minutes from town with few places to eat nearby, so a hire car makes dining out and exploring the island much easier. Arrange it at the airport or through the concierge.
How do we get to Skiathos Town without a car?
A seasonal water taxi runs from Koukounaries Beach to the town from around late May, and a local bus runs along the south-coast road. The concierge can advise on the current water-taxi schedules, which aren't fixed year to year.
Is any of the beaches naturist?
Little Banana Beach, below the Nest Infinity section and home to the resort's Black Bird Beach Bar, is a public naturist beach according to first-hand reports, though the resort doesn't advertise it as one. Worth knowing if you're choosing Nest Infinity or travelling with older children.
Is it easy to get around with a pushchair?
Less so than at a flat resort. The four sections sit on a hilly headland, and the path between the two sides leaves the main route, so a pushchair is hard going there. Call a golf buggy instead. They're on-call, and the Nest side is about five minutes from Xenia and Grace.
Ratings we found
Across the review sites the resort comes through as a strong family choice, with the usual caveats about price and distance. TripAdvisor reviews read as consistently excellent for families, though there's no confirmed overall score to go with them. The editorial site i-escape rates it as one of the best in the region, and Kids Love Greece lists it as a top family resort in the Sporades. First-hand accounts from MummyTravels and threads on Mumsnet are positive on the design, staff and breakfast, with recurring caveats on the high price, the distance from town and how spread out the resort is. A 2023 Mumsnet account of a stay after lockdown echoes all of that and adds one more point: the kids club suited smaller, younger children better than older ones. Treat all of this as a rough picture rather than a precise ranking, and read recent reviews close to your own dates.
See ELIVI Skiathos photos
Open the ELIVI Skiathos photo gallery →Useful links
- ELIVI Skiathos: the resort's own site for rooms, restaurants and the kids club.
- GOV.UK Greece travel advice: entry rules and safety updates before you travel.
- Skiathos with little ones: our guide to the island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 13 July 2026.
